Senate Candidate Compares Food Stamp Recipients To Wild Animals
A candidate for U.S. Senate in South Dakota compared people who receive food stamps to wild animals Monday on Facebook.
Dr. Annette Bosworth is running in the Republican primary to succeed Sen. Tim Johnson(D) who is retiring at the end of this term.
The Facebook post is a photo with the title “Today’s Lesson In Irony.” It reads “The food stamp program is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They proudly report that they distribute free meals and food stamps to cover 46 million people on an annual basis.”
“Meanwhile, the National Park Service, run by the U.S. Department of the Interior, asks us ‘please do not feed the animals.’ Their stated reason for this policy being that…
“The animals will grow dependent on the handouts, and then they will never learn to take care of themselves.”
“This concludes today’s lesson- any questions?”
The Huffington Post reported former South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds and state Rep. Steve Nelson are considered the frontrunners in the primary, with Bosworth trailing behind.
The Facebook post was flooded with many negative comments.
“The only issue I have with this are children in families that would not eat if not for the foods stamps. Children do not get to choose their parents,” said one reply reported in uticaphoenix.com.
“If I didn’t get food stamps my kinds wouldn’t have food to eat so plz re think ur statements,” the woman said. “Some us are not fat and lazy and oh needless to say I pay taxes too.”
Bosworth also does not like the Affordable Care Act.
On her website bosworthforsenate.com she writes “As a frontline doctor, I know first-hand why Obamacare is a train wreck. I serve our community through my private medical practice and know big government intrusion between the Doctor-Patient relationship will destroy our healthcare system.”
There have been other politicians who have received criticism for comments about food stamps.
South Carolina GOP Lt. Gov. Andre Brauer said in 2012 “My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed.”
The House of Representatives passed a farm bill in January that cuts $800 million a year from the $80 billion a year food stamp program.
The food stamp program, or SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) has become a much talked about issue in the GOP.
Former Speaker of the House and presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has called Pres. Obama “The Food Stamp President.”
[Image via keloland.com]
