The Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina, Andre Bauer, recently stirred up controversy and found himself skewered on the Daily Show after comparing poor children on free or reduced lunch plans to stray animals. He stated, at a town hall, ”My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed! You’re facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don’t think too much further than that.”

In  recession, where millions of Americans are struggling, Mr. Bauer’s comments are insensitive and ignorant. As a public official, he should have a basic understanding of why so many people are struggling. Further, Mr. Bauer ignores the root causes of poverty. Instead, he compares those who in need to animals, and animals who “don’t thing too much further” than getting food and reproducing. Read more…