Feeding the World

Feeding the World

America is well known for helping the world. Every other commercial on the television is asking the American people to sponsor a hungry child in another country. When people give money to these advertisements do they think about America's growing hungry population? Harrell Rodgers writes, "Children endure a higher rate of poverty than any other age group. Almost 40 percent of all the poor are children and that 19.9 percent of children in the United States are below the poverty line" (28). The United States of America should not feel a commitment to the starving peoples of the world instead worry about the millions of hungry people in America.

There are too many American citizens that are homeless and hungry. According to Harrell R Rodgers Jr. author of American Poverty In a New Era of Reform, In 1997 the poverty rate declined slightly, but was still higher than any year in the 1970's (25). There are almost 36 million Americans that were counted as the poor (25). At almost every corner in Houston there is a hungry homeless person asking for food, money or work. They need the food just as much as the countries that the United States feeds. Author of The Third Freedom Ending Hunger in Our Time by George McGovern states that there are 25 million American citizens are malnutrition (70). Instead of sending

money to the world invest it in our beautiful country. There is always room for improvement. We could open up more food banks or expand the homeless shelters. The United States spends a lot of resources feeding the world. The American economy is low, we need to spend our money wisely. When America sends supplies to other countries we use tons of fuel. That fuel could be saved for a time when it will really be needed. The amount of food that has been given away to other countries could of been used to feed our countries hungry people. Another reason America should stop feeding the world is when America really needs the help no country goes out of their way to help us. Every major event that happens to America it seems that we Americans are alone. On September 11, 2001 America was under attack. The twin towers were hit by two planes, thousands of lives were lost but America received little help from other countries. Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in August of 2005. Barb Palser author of Hurricane Katrina Aftermath of Disaster, writes, "Hurricane Katrina is one of the deadliest, costliest, most intense storms ever to hit the United States" (15). Mayor Ray Nagin estimated the death toll in New Orleans to reach 10,000 (65). Some countries sent food, medicine and blankets but that does not seem like a lot of help compared to how the United States helps when another country is in need. There are still parts of Louisiana that are still not built. Three years later hurricane Ike hit Galveston in 2008, many lives were lost and homes were swept away. Who