This week in politics: Republicans find new ways to screw non-republicans.

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photo credit: Zazzle

The anti-gay laws in Indiana and Arkansas have dominated headlines for most of the past week. Both states have passed legislation that allows businesses to turn away individuals in the GLBTQ community.
A pizza joint in Indiana made headlines when they refused to cater a gay wedding. They restaurant was forced to close after receiving numerous threats. Fans of the restaurant set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money for the troubled establishment. So far, it has raised over $800,000.

The war on non-Republicans continued in Missouri, when Republicans wanted to ban food stamp recipients from buying steak, fish, soda, energy drinks, chips, and cookies. Republicans want to bring the SNAP program back to its original intent: specific items only. State rep Rick Brattin is the man who is sponsoring this bill.

My Two Cents:

Apparently Brattin has not done his research into the amazing health benefits of fish. Fish are full of Omega-3s, and are a helluva lot healthier than cookies.
This economy sucks. A lot of us are going through very tough financial hardships. There are more people on the SNAP program than ever before. A vast majority of these individuals are folks who work two jobs to take care of their families, but still cannot afford to feed their families without the SNAP program.

If you do the research, you will find that only a minute group of SNAP recipients abuse the system. Unfortunately, this minute group has made the SNAP program a mockery.
I'm not going to lie, I've been on the SNAP program before. It's only been recently that I have not been on the program. Using that EBT card was humiliating. I have Celiac disease and I got so much sh*t from people because of the food they saw in my cart. I was on the SNAP program because I cannot work full-time because of my health issues (I have Lupus and severe back issues). I work from home and while I make enough money to pay my bills (and help out with my boyfriend's utilities), I struggled with buying food. It's been only recently that I've been able to afford my own food (it will get a helluva lot easier once growing season starts. The boyfriend and I grow various veggies during the warmer months).

Anyways, I digress. The SNAP program was once a program where those going through tough times could rely on the program to help feed their families. Now, it has become an embarrassment, because of the over-embellishment of abuse that supposedly takes place. Like I said, if you do the research, you will find that only a small group of SNAP recipients abuse the system. The majority of SNAP recipients consist of hard-working families, veterans, senior citizens, and the disabled.
These Republicans take issue with anyone who struggles financially. They claim to be a supporter of veterans, yet they want to abolish the welfare program, a program that a lot of veterans rely on in order to survive.

Are some SNAP recipients lazy? Yeah, some are. Not all of them are lazy. I think that Republicans need to do their research before judging a person's circumstances. They just love to take issue with the poor, disabled, homeless, etc.

Folks, if any of you are on the SNAP program, ignore the a**holes who judge you. Continue to work hard and take care of your kids. If you're disabled, do not listen to those who mock you. Work on your health and ignore the negativity.

If you are a veteran and are on the SNAP program, or homeless: First, I just want to say thank you for fighting for our freedom. Second, remember that you are a friggin hero. Circumstances cannot change that. Third, prove the a**holes wrong. Do not stoop to their level. Work on you and be a proud veteran.

As for the anti-gay legislation, I spent parts of the past week in tears because of this legislation. As you all know, I am a strong supporter of the GLBTQ community. It broke my heart to see things like this happening in 2015. As for that pizza joint, this is proof that all conservatives care about is money. They want to be rich and they want to thumb their nose at anyone who is not on their level. They are hiding behind their bigoted beliefs, closing their eyes to the world around them. They'd rather live in their bubble of a one-dimensional world. It's a typical scene in the conservative community. Still, it's pretty sad and disgusting to see laws like this being passed. I was so proud of my governor, Dannel Malloy, for banning state-funded trips to Indiana (on a side note, I'm not a fan of Dannel Malloy in the general sense. I think he's an idiot. He did, however, earn some of my respect for sticking up for what's right).

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