Missouri Rep Cynthia Davis-hungry kids work harder-no free lunch!
July 2nd, 2009 by onepooldladyMissouri State Representative Cynthia Davis is one tough cookie. Last week she opposed subsidizing school lunches for low income children during summer months saying, “Hunger can be a positive motivator.” This is excellent news considering 1 in 5 Missouri kids is living in hunger, so that state is due for a productivity boon.
It is 1962 and free school lunch is non existent. A little seven year old girl wakes and prepares for school. Her five sister and brothers and mother continue sleeping. The flu continues its round robin of family members.
She is so tired of sickness and hungry. Rummaging through the kitchen she discovers a piece of hardened cheese, bread , a wrinkled apple. She places it in a bag, unwrapped, searches through the mound of clothing on the floor of the bedroom she shares with her five siblings. Grabbing a pair of pants, a tee shirt and her shoes, she dresses quickly and walks to the bus stop.
She doesn’t notice her clothing is wrinkled and dirty. She isn’t aware of the smirks and stares. Her radar shut out the jeers and mocks in kindergarten. School is the one place she finds safety from the violence, abuse, and unpredictability of her home. Treasures are the discoveries in reading, passion is the expression in writing , adventure is the mysteries of science-all these are gold nuggets -free!
Her stomach growls after an hour of sitting in the classroom. She tries to ignore it. No breakfast but she has SOMETHING to eat for lunch. She drinks water from the fountain on the way to gym class, hoping the shakiness in her legs disappears.
Mrs. Kelly, her second grade teacher stands and talks with the gym teacher. The little girl hovers near the teacher. She leans towards her to stop the shakiness in her legs.
Shadows get in the way of her vision. She begins to see little dark patches between her teacher and the floor. Her hands begin to shake and she reaches out to the teacher.
She folds her arms around Mrs. Kelley’s legs and slides to the floor.
Her last thought?
What a safe place to die.
