In John Dewey’s blog post “The Richest Starving Nation”, the article talks about how child hunger is a growing problem in the United States despite being one of the wealthiest nations in the world. Our country is able to produce so much food that about 30-40% is wasted. The article argues “the government must create programs that ensure children can receive nutritious meals three times a day, every day of the year.” However, the author does not realize the infeasibility of this proposal and the rights it infringes on for others.
Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world where equal access to food is possible. These children may live in our society, but it is their parents’ responsibility to ensure they have the right resources to take care of them. Every individual has the right to their own body, and it is their right and decision to have a child with it or not. However, it is their responsibility to plan accordingly and make sure they have the resources to properly raise their children. Dewey argues that, “Perpetually hungry children face a myriad of issues that their well-fed peers don’t, including anxiety, depression, behavioral problems and chronic health conditions.” This is an unfortunate reality, but it is not something that the public is responsible for. Furthermore, ensuring that they are properly fed does not guarantee that these children will not face an mental or physical issues.
The article argues that these hungry children are having their liberties taken away before they can exercise it because they have an increased likelihood to drop out or develop emotional or physical ailments. Even though the article recognizes that this federal plans would infringe on the rights of others, it asserts that the government must ensure their protection. However, this argument makes no sense. The government is not taking away these liberties from them by not providing programs to help. Although the government must consider the wellbeing of these children, they are not required to enact a law that will affect every single individual in this society. This is a growing problem, but as of right now, it is not a pressing issue that affects the masses. Individuals have their right to property, and it would be unfair and unjust if everyone was taxed for something they were unaffected by.
The whole argument is making something that should be considered a private matter into something public. Although it does affect millions of children across the country, the people are not required to take care of children that is not their own. Individuals who face these problems couldn’t be taxed because if they could afford the taxes, they could afford meals. Forcing unaffected parties to pay taxes for children they have no responsibility for infringes on their rights and liberties.If we are going to make people fund this project, shouldn’t everybody have this opportunity available to them?
I am not arguing that this is not a serious issue, because this is a problem that should be addressed. However, the manner in which Dewey argues and the solutions he proposes are all wrong. He hits with hard evidence that hungry children are crippled in their attempts to grow up to be contributing members of society. However, there is still no evidence that this is a societal, public problem. The parents of these children should be held responsible for taking care of them. It was their decision to have kids, and for that, they should be held accountable.