States humiliate the poor.

• Author: Love, David A.
• Position: THE PROGRESSIVE MEDIA PROJECT

Legislators across the country are launching a mean-spirited campaign to block poor people from purchasing certain kinds of foods, products, or services.

Missouri state Representative Rick Brattin has introduced a bill to prevent food stamp recipients from buying "cookies, chips, energy drinks, soft drinks, seafood, or steak."

But the problem is not that too many poor people are splurging on snacks. The problem is that folks are hurting in America, and many who are working are not making a living wage. For most workers, real wages have not increased for decades.

Making it harder for the poor to eat is a cynical political ploy. It builds white resentment over...