Since the shutdown, a lot of us have become increasingly alarmed by the verbally violent videos popping up everywhere. People purporting to be SNAP (food stamp) recipients are threatening all kinds of theft, menacing, assault, mayhem, and murder should the monthly recharge of their EBT cards not take place on November 1.

The poet Maya Angelou knew a thing or two when she said, “When someone tells you who they are, believe them the first time.” It’s a lesson I’ve learned myself over time. It’s been hard, and not a little sad, to realize I’m living in a lower-trust society than the one I grew up in, and must adjust my awareness and determination to match my new reality.

With that said, I’m going shopping today, and maybe tomorrow, too, for November’s groceries, including Thanksgiving dinner, as well as December’s staples and ingredients for Christmas baking. I wish retailers had holiday pricing in place right now, but it’s a rather small price to cover, all things considered.

I realize this is not an option for everyone. For those in iffy neighborhoods, I’d encourage it. It’s what a lot of my friends are doing. Others shop at stores with longer hours and go early in the mornings when the crowds are thin. Some get groceries delivered, but that doesn’t happen in rural areas like mine.

The Democrats seem persuaded that if they just hold the line, Republicans will cave to the demands of the voices calling for compassion for the poor. They are rumored to be prepared to keep the government closed through the holidays to increase pressure on Republican members of the Senate. Hold fast, dear Conservatives.

Lately, Rand Paul is calling for President Trump to appoint a bipartisan committee to work out a compromise. This obviously would be some smoke-filled backroom deal that We the American People would not get to see until it was passed in some late-night votefest. Senator Paul is starting to sound like Nancy Pelosi 2.0, with hints of Obamacare shenanigans.

No. Just no. The House has the responsibility to set the budget. Speaker Johnson has sent a clean continuing resolution to the Senate, and we only need a handful of Democrats to push it through.

Let the NGOs, the federal employee unions, our massive agricultural industry, including grocery stores from global chains to small mom-and-pops, acknowledge the truth and put pressure on the Dems.

In the meantime, some lefty politicians are calling on the USDA to release funds from its Emergency Food Assistance Program to recharge welfare recipients’ EBT cards. Nope.

That program (7 USC 7501-7506) is a commodity-based program that releases commodities through the states to food banks, feeding programs, etc. It is not authorized to distribute cash to EBT cards.

My question to state leaders is this: Have you been in contact with USDA’s Food and Nutrition Office and requested such assistance? Have you geared up your local programs, such as food banks, feeding programs like those run by the Catholic Community Services and the Union Gospel Missions, and others, to accept and distribute commodities?

November 1 is upon us. And remember, the Dems have closed down the government, and staffing in that office is likely very light right now.

Fraud by recipients, retailers, and others, like skimmers, has not been reliably quantified. Many are calling on D.O.G.E. to perform a comprehensive audit of the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. We the People concur. Deep blue sanctuary states must be looked at very critically for giving benefits to those not eligible, including illegal aliens.

Meanwhile, the food stamp program should be pumping nearly $8 billion into food sales, as regulated by states, each month. If as many of us as possible do bulk shopping now, it will infuse grocery stores with funds and help stave off any potential fragility caused by the Democrats’ delay in voting for the clean CR. I’m hearing that some stores have received notices from their headquarters on how to handle potentially troubling events and situations, including temporarily closing. I’m happy to do my bit to keep my local shops open and profitable.

Funny thing is, decades ago, my dad got crippled. My mom had to go back to school and then find work. It was three years on food stamps for us until her pay was high enough to get us off that program. My folks saved food stamps throughout those years so we could have nice Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Today’s EBT cardholders have the same option: not to spend every dime every month. Everyone’s known for a month that this might be coming. The prudent have prepared by spending less just in case. The foolish may be waiting longer than is desirable for their cards to be recharged.

For safety’s sake, and for other reasons, you will find me at the store today. Please consider going yourself.

Image created using AI.

Anony Mee is the nom de blog of a retired public servant, who X-tweets here.