You Are Not Better — Just Luckier.
When I was 17 years old, I was a teenage mother trying to survive.
There were days when I had to decide between buying diapers or dinner, between gas to get to work or milk for my baby.
There was no safety net — only the thin thread of public assistance that kept us from falling through completely.
That thread was called SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
For me, it wasn’t about laziness, irresponsibility, or lack of ambition. It was survival. It was dignity in a system designed to strip it away. It was how I fed my child when the world refused to see a young Black mother as anything other than a statistic.
SNAP benefits didn’t make me rich. They didn’t make life easy. But they made life possible.
The Myth of “Deserving” Help
The image of the woman in the grocery aisle says it plainly:
“You are not ‘better’ than someone on welfare — just luckier.”
That line hits harder now than ever.
We’ve been conditioned to believe that people struggling financially are morally inferior — that poverty is a personal failure rather than a systemic outcome.
That if you’re “good,” “hardworking,” or “responsible,” you’ll rise above it all.
But the truth is, most people on public assistance are working — sometimes two or three jobs — yet still can’t afford to eat. Wages have stagnated, housing costs have exploded, and billionaires keep building rockets while families line up at food banks.
As Kelly @broadwaybabyto said, many SNAP recipients already have jobs. Others are disabled or caring for children. None of these people should have to starve to prove their worth.
The Judging Eyes
I remember standing in the grocery line and feeling the weight of judgment on me.
Not because I was buying anything extravagant — but because of what I looked like.
I had a Coach bag — a gift.
An iPhone — provided by work.
Those small, visible signs of normalcy triggered something in people.
Their eyes said, “If you can afford that, you shouldn’t need help.”
They didn’t see the sleepless nights, the unpaid bills, the quiet calculations of how to stretch $150 in benefits into a month’s worth of meals.
They didn’t see a young mother trying to hold it together.
They just saw what they thought poverty was supposed to look like — and I didn’t fit the picture.
But poverty doesn’t have a uniform.
Struggle doesn’t come with a dress code.
The Assault on SNAP is an Assault on Humanity
Cutting SNAP benefits isn’t about “budgeting” or “responsibility.”
It’s about cruelty — a deliberate choice to punish the poor for being poor.
It’s about a government willing to spend billions on weapons but not on feeding its own people.
When you strip away food access, you’re not just taking meals from plates.
You’re taking away security, hope, and the basic right to live with dignity.
I was one of those “welfare mothers” people love to judge.
I’ve heard the whispers, the side-eye in the grocery store when I used my EBT card, the unspoken belief that I was stealing from the system.
But what they didn’t know is that I was fighting — to raise a child, finish school, and create a life that didn’t depend on a government that so clearly didn’t care whether I lived or died.
I made it through.
But not because I was better.
I made it because I had help — and luck.
Luck Shouldn’t Decide Who Eats
When we start believing that hunger is a punishment for poor choices, we lose our humanity.
When we accept that people should starve to “learn responsibility,” we’ve forgotten what community means.
Even if you’ve never received assistance, you shouldn’t want to see others suffer.
Compassion isn’t a privilege reserved for those who’ve been through the fire — it’s the measure of who we are as a people.
And let’s be honest: that’s not what the religion everyone likes to cite in support of this regime teaches.
There is nothing holy about cruelty.
Nothing righteous about indifference.
This is not morality — and it is certainly not humanity.
SNAP isn’t a handout — it’s a lifeline.
It’s the difference between survival and despair for millions of families.
And as the government continues to dismantle it, remember: it could be any of us.
Job loss. Illness. A bad accident.
One unexpected crisis — and suddenly, you’re on the other side of that grocery aisle, praying your benefits refill before your fridge empties.
You are not better.
You are just luckier.
Because I Remember
I remember what it felt like to swipe that card and hope it went through.
I remember the judgment, the humiliation, the exhaustion.
I remember being 17 and dreaming of something more — not luxury, not success, just enough.
So when I see politicians celebrating the end of SNAP benefits, I don’t see “fiscal responsibility.”
I see a government proud of letting its people starve.
And I’ll keep saying it — loudly — for every mother still fighting, for every child who deserves to eat, for every person one paycheck away from hunger:
SNAP helps our most vulnerable.
This isn’t policy — it’s an assault on our humanity.
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If You’re Losing SNAP Benefits
Here are some trusted, practical resources that can help:
Feeding America Food Bank Locator Locate nearby food banks and pantries that can offer immediate food assistance.
WhyHunger Hotline – Call 1-800-5-HUNGRY (1-800-548-6479) Connects people in need with emergency food and government programs in their area.
211.org Call 2-1-1 from any phone for free, confidential help finding local resources for food, rent, healthcare, or other emergencies.
WIC (Women, Infants & Children Program) For pregnant women, new mothers, and children under 5 — provides nutrition support, formula, and education.
National Council on Aging Benefits CheckUp Especially for older adults who may qualify for SNAP, Medicare Savings Programs, or energy assistance.
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Author’s Note
This post continues my series documenting 282 days of the second Trump presidency, where greed and cruelty are being disguised as governance.
SNAP cuts don’t just starve the body — they starve humanity.
If this story resonates with you — or if you’ve ever been judged for simply surviving — share it.
Because silence is how they win.