A military father was perplexed after looking at his cart and then the cart of the guy next to him. Then he realized what was going on and grew enraged.
The shot he captured has now gone viral. Is his rage justified? You make the call.
Patrick Gibson, a soldier in the United States Army, stopped at his local grocery shop with the few dollars left over from his salary to buy some food and diapers for his family. He couldn’t help but notice the two full carts of food the couple in front of him were buying as he stood in line at the unnamed Walmart.
He understood there was something very wrong when he observed how they paid for their purchase and what they did with it. That’s when he resorted to social media to air his grievances. He said, “The picture you see on the left is the amount of groceries, including diapers, that I was able to afford this pay period for my family,” referring to his wife, son, daughter, and himself.
“The picture on the right is of the purchase in front of me in line,” he added, explaining that he paid in cash and that he works hard to make a living and provide for his family. If you can’t see from the image, there are two full buggies of goods, including steak and other delectable fare.” But the issue wasn’t only with what was in the trolley.
“Here’s the kicker,” Gibson added. “This purchase was made using food stamps.” But it wasn’t only that the pair used an EBT card to cover an $800 food bill that irritated this parent. Gibson claims he wouldn’t have had a problem if the customer hadn’t “moved their big fold of cash out of the way” to get to the EBT card.
To make matters worse, the couple appeared perfectly capable of physical labor, as Gibson observed them loading their bounty into their carts before he spotted them in the parking lot, putting the heavy grocery bags into the back of a brand new Hyundai Genesis, a vehicle Gibson claims is worth $15,000 to $20,000 more than his own.
“I just thought I’d take the time to tell this person or family that you are very welcome from all of us hard-working Americans who are struggling to buy food and who have to foot the bill for your fancy steak feast while I skip breakfast and lunch every day [so] that my wife and children have food to eat every day because $50-$75 dollars doesn’t go very far,” Gibson declared, clearly hoping the couple saw his post. “So, you’re going to enjoy your $800 free grocery purchase.”
Many people responded to Gibson’s post by agreeing with him. “I completely agree with you, Patrick.” “There are a lot of people who really need it, but as you said, there are a lot of people who abuse the system and a lot of people who need them but can’t get them, especially you and your family,” one user commented.
Similarly, many others agreed that food stamps and welfare should only be used to cover the minimal requirements for people in need and that the programs were never intended to be a way of life for those who chose not to work. However, other people criticized the post, claiming that Gibson was being too harsh on the family because he couldn’t possibly know their entire situation.
“Do you know their backstory?” Don’t pass judgment on someone just because you’re furious. How do you tell if that individual works and their spouse does not work due to family issues? That all of the money in their pockets is for bills, and that the new automobile was a gift? “How do you know that isn’t true?” one individual inquired.
“Let’s just call it what it is,” Gibson said in response. “We can all sit around and believe in sunshine and rainbows, saying don’t judge a book by its cover, but the reality is that so many people are abusing the system that was set up to help struggling families.” If we can’t even admit there’s a problem, how can we expect it to be fixed? And a brand-new automobile as a present? Really? If they have friends or family who have that kind of money, it’s a pity they still need $800 a month in food stamps.”
We don’t know the whole story, but Patrick Gibson makes a reasonable argument. If this person’s buddies give them a free automobile when they can’t afford food, that’s an issue in and of itself. But, if we’re being honest, we all know that the brand new automobile was most likely not present.
Unfortunately, there are several tales about people exploiting the assistance system that support Gibson’s attitude. Most of them irritate honest, hardworking Americans; therefore, Gibson is not alone in his feelings. Abuse occurs. It is an issue. How can we expect anything to be done if we don’t speak it out when we see it?