Yesterday morning, I went to the community center with my food stamp card, only to find a notice on the door saying “Subsidies Suspended.” Standing in the cold wind, I searched my wallet and found only $17 left. Thinking of the empty vegetable drawer in the refrigerator and the milk my child needed after school, tears welled up in my eyes.
With no other option, I went with my neighbor to the food bank in the suburbs. The line snaked around two entire buildings; there were young mothers with babies, elderly people with canes, and everyone’s face showed undeniable exhaustion. After waiting for almost three hours, I finally received a small bag of bread, a few cans of beans, and two bunches of wilted vegetables. As I walked out, I overheard someone whisper, “If we don’t get this subsidy soon, I don’t know how we’ll get through next month.”
But these days, the TV is still showing Democrats and Republicans blaming each other. What do we ordinary people want? Political wins and losses? It’s just about receiving subsidies on time and cooking a hot meal for the kids; it’s just about not having to carefully budget for groceries and not having to endure long lines at food banks.
I really want to go back to those days. Please, both parties, stop fighting and let the government reopen. What we want isn’t just slogans, but a stable life where we can live peacefully and without worrying about having enough to eat.
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