New Mexico bans "lunch shaming"

[ApatheticAustrian]

New Mexico Outlaws School ‘Lunch Shaming’
https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/04/07/well/family/new-mexico-outlaws-school-lunch-shaming.html




good thing and....WTF?

[Dr. Arch]

One thing I've learned from the US is that it can be a relentlessly cruel place, and many will not give a damn over "muh rugged individualism."

[Ebsy]

Good job to the New Mexico legislature.

[Holmes]

It's actually sad that it even came to that. They're children, just give them food.

[Goldwater]

WTF? This is a thing?

[Antonio the Sixth]

...............

[Mopsus]

New Mexico has been on a progressive roll lately

Then again, state legislators in New Mexico have no salary and work for free if I recall correctly

That's not the sort of thing that would make them more progressive.

[krazen1211]

There is no such thing as a free lunch.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     According to the article, this was a bipartisan measure. I'm disturbed that such a thing was happening in the first place.

[heatcharger]

Between this and the Bentley scandal, we need a complete and total shutdown of Alabama and should just give Puerto Rico a shot.

[Xing]

I'm glad they did this, but it's shameful to think that students are going through this to begin with...

[Mopsus]

New Mexico has been on a progressive roll lately

Then again, state legislators in New Mexico have no salary and work for free if I recall correctly

That's not the sort of thing that would make them more progressive.

Anyone who'd be willing to volunteer to be a state legislator probably loves being involved in politics for the betterment of society. I feel like you'd end up with more honest people when money isn't a factor

Anyone who has enough money to "volunteer to be a state legislator" is not going to be naturally inclined to support progressive policies. And if they don't have enough money, but "volunteer" anyway, they're probably going to be looking for new ways to supplement their income...

[ApatheticAustrian]

in case anyone wonders how those things look

[America Needs R'hllor]

What. The. Hell. America, you for real?!

[7,052,770]

New Mexico has been on a progressive roll lately

Then again, state legislators in New Mexico have no salary and work for free if I recall correctly

That's not the sort of thing that would make them more progressive.

Anyone who'd be willing to volunteer to be a state legislator probably loves being involved in politics for the betterment of society. I feel like you'd end up with more honest people when money isn't a factor

Only rich people can afford to take several months of work every year to go be an unpaid legislator. That doesn't preclude people from being honest, progressive, etc., but it doesn't foster it either.

[pbrower2a]

There is no such thing as a free lunch.

...and there is no reward in shaming the poor.

Sometimes generosity is rewarded.  Kids focused on hunger pangs might not be focused on the less immediate concern of learning in the classroom. Maybe their parents are lazy bums, but children need not be ridiculed for that. They aren't the ones to urge their parents to do day labor.

It's not as if kids are getting free cable TV complete with bawdy shows, overpriced logo jerseys, or trips to Di$neyland. Food is a necessity, and for kids to do well in school and have a chance in American life they may need some food in their bellies.

[DavidB.]

...............

What. The. Hell. America, you for real?!

[KingSweden]

There is no such thing as a free lunch.

...and there is no reward in shaming the poor.

Sometimes generosity is rewarded.  Kids focused on hunger pangs might not be focused on the less immediate concern of learning in the classroom. Maybe their parents are lazy bums, but children need not be ridiculed for that. They aren't the ones to urge their parents to do day labor.

It's not as if kids are getting free cable TV complete with bawdy shows, overpriced logo jerseys, or trips to Di$neyland. Food is a necessity, and for kids to do well in school and have a chance in American life they may need some food in their bellies.

This. One of the reasons why I'm no longer a conservative is stuff like this. The knee-jerk responses to take better care of your kids, get a better paying job, stop mooching, etc from the right just are not logical in most instances. Most of the families that are on free or reduced are in areas where pay is low, can't move, single head of household, and more. Instead of complaining about and cutting these programs, conservatives would be right to preserve and do outreach for these minimizing the left but moreso being decent human beings on this issue.

Well said, I feel the exact same way

[The Arizonan]

New Mexico has been on a progressive roll lately

Then again, state legislators in New Mexico have no salary and work for free if I recall correctly

That's not the sort of thing that would make them more progressive.

Anyone who'd be willing to volunteer to be a state legislator probably loves being involved in politics for the betterment of society. I feel like you'd end up with more honest people when money isn't a factor

Do these guys have to get a second job to support themselves?

[DavidB.]

I don't think I know any other country where people would think this is acceptable. Deeply disturbing. The more I know of America, the more my socio-economic views become social democratic.

[Santander]

"Lunch shaming"... cute, NY Times. They're acting as if the schools are intentionally being cruel to students for no good reason. Sure, schools happen to feed children in the cafeteria, but their most important duty other than educating children is to manage public funds, which includes getting parents to stay current on their financial obligations.

Letting kids get into arrears in the first place is a rather problematic policy to begin with.

[Dr. Arch]

I don't think I know any other country where people would think this is acceptable. Deeply disturbing. The more I know of America, the more my socio-economic views become social democratic.

It's amazing that there has to be a law against this to begin with. So many other countries would just find it appalling by nature and people would simply just not do it.

[user12345]

New Mexico is on a roll this month. Banning conversion therapy and now this. FF state.

[Anna Komnene]

The US has a long history of shaming poor people in exchange for borderline bare subsistence.  Anyone who's ever been poor would know.  Glad to see New Mexico is taking some actions to change that.

[Santander]

The US has a long history of shaming poor people in exchange for borderline bare subsistence.  Anyone who's ever been poor would know.  Glad to see New Mexico is taking some actions to change that.

It is possible to be comfortable being poor. I'm not saying that people are necessarily poor by choice or that people on public assistance are bad people, but after enough demoralization and dependence on government, eventually it does become comfortable. What's wrong with providing some basic level of support to people but doing it in a way that stokes the fire within them to bounce back from hardship and shame? In fact, I would argue that that is the most moral and compassionate way to take care of the poor.