Paul Ryan could use a new perspective

Wisconsin Sen. Paul Ryan got caught lying to his base and the world.  It involved the evil free school lunch program for children.  Last week at the annual CPAC convention, Ryan relates a story about a young boy ashamed that he has to get a free lunch.  A little boy whose only wish is that his parents would make him a brown bag lunch.  Ryan goes on about how the federal government has usurped parental responsibility for this very simple but profound task.  Ryan also was self-righteously justifying cuts to free food programs, such as SNAP, more commonly known as the food stamp program.


This same most touching story about a little boy wanting his parents to make him a brown bag lunch was presented to a congressional hearing by an educator from Wisconsin, Ryan's home state.  This woman told the story as though she personally had the conversation with this little boy who preferred that his parents make his lunch than suffer the humiliation of getting free food.  She said the boy believed a brown bag lunch would show others that someone cared about him.  Problem is, this educator never had such an encounter.  Never.  Ever.  It was not her experience (see Washington Post link below).  It was a good story, though, or so Ryan thought as he repeated it to his base last week.


The aggravation I feel about this whole charade from Ryan and the educator and countless others who have repeated this story and stories like it, is that it goes to how little they care for people who are struggling.  Why else would they not take the time to get real evidence and choose instead to repeat someone else's false story?  There are so many people who could and would share with them what free food for their children and grandchildren means for their families. Talk to my two daughters who are teachers.  Talk to principals and other parents and leaders at churches, synagogues and mosques.  Talk to the lunch ladies.


I like Paul Ryan and respect that he has shown to be remorseful about repeating this fairy tale.  I just wish he would do more, get his hands dirty.  Boots on the ground changes the landscape.  Might change Ryan's perspective.  I can see it now: Sen. Ryan in hair net serving children school lunches!  That would be a different view for him.


Truth is, Ryan has a lot of work to do in his own state of Wisconsin where 21 percent of children there struggle with hunger, according to the group No Kid Hungry in Wisconsin.  Talk to them, Mr. Ryan.  They can give you some real stories.




http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2014/03/06/a-story-too-good-to-check-paul-ryan-and-the-story-of-the-brown-paper-bag/