Comment by Scott A. Hunt on December 23, 2009 at 9:05am

Nothing to be ashamed of. My family had to do that when I was a kid.

Comment by Reggie on December 23, 2009 at 1:00pm

My sister was on them for awhile. No shame in it. Everyone needs a little help from time to time, whether it is emotional, financial, or whatever.

Comment by Dan on December 23, 2009 at 3:34pm

I've been on them.... you get over the shame quick.

Comment by Jacqueline Sarah Homan on December 24, 2009 at 6:29am

Being long-term unemployed with my SOLE source of income of book royalties between $30-$100 a month, I am on food stamps. Sure, I'd love to have a chance for a good job. But I'm a middle-aged woman (I'm 42) and I'm disabled. Not exactly someone employers would be eager to give a chance to. I have a gap in my work history longer than 3 years so that even temp services won't place me because of not having employment references within the last 6 months. Do I feel ashamed that I have to be on food stamps? No. I feel angry. I feel angry that there's never enough opportunity to go around for everyone who needs and deserves a chance for a good job, and that some of groups of people always seem to get left out — even during better economic times — depsite making superhuman efforts to get a chance in order to maybe have a nice life. Don't let anyone else make YOU feel ashamed. Tell them to come talk to me. I will educate them on the matter in short order if I have to spoon-feed every word I wrote in Classism For Dimwits until they "get it." if anyone ought to be ashamed, it's those who exported all the jobs and who tanked the economy with voo-doo speculation on Wall Street — precipitating the current mess.

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