ICE would k-ll MLK if they could.

“Starving a child is violence. Suppressing a culture is violence. Neglecting school children is violence. Punishing a mother and her child is violence. Discrimination against a working man is violence. Ghetto housing is violence. Ignoring medical needs is violence. Contempt for poverty is violence.” —Martin Luther King jr.

We, the people, “Americans” start each year off with a performative recommitment to the ideals of justice for all as ordained by Reverend MLK Jr. The king of love set the standard for peaceful protest and civil disobedience—let it be told today. Of course, we know the broader scope of his political pursuits and social agenda extends well beyond the watered down words deemed profound yet palatable enough for white American capitalists. Too often overlooked was his condemnation of the evils of capitalism and the resultant violence of poverty. Violence may seem metaphorical or hyperbolic to those unfamiliar with its two hit knockout: the direct harm and denial of remedy.

Remedy remains rather allusive when the priority of profit is promoted above people. Social welfare then becomes an offensive fantasy that spits in the face of progress—the burden of the poor which the wealthy are tragically subjected to. Even worse, social welfare that functions too well lends us the risk of teetering on the brink of socialism.

Connecticut as a Case Study

According to the census, approximately 10% of CT residents are considered to be living in poverty. The ridiculously low federal poverty line is ~15,000$/year for a single adult. Thanks to the MIT Living Wage Calculator, a child free single adult in CT needs to make at least 26$/hr or 53,000$/year (before tax) for their income to be considered a livable wage. Still, its projected that a single adult requires at least twice that (about $50/hr and $105,000/year before tax) to live comfortably as per the “Comfortable” = 50/30/20 budget rule (ie. 50% necessities, 30% wants, 20% savings/investments) adhering to ALICE standards. A single, child free adult.

So, 10% of residents living at the poverty line experience about a 7th of the comfort line? For simplicity’s sake, let’s hyperbolize this thought. What is a 7th the amount of comfort? A 7th the amount of food? A 7th the amount of sleep (and pillows, and bedsheet thread count)? A 7th the amount of water to drink, cook, or shower with? A 7th the amount of clothing? (Although, that one might be for the better.) A 7th the amount of recreational social interactions? A 7th the amount of me time? A 7th the amount of free time?

Enter social welfare aka social safety nets.

Everybody eats, and some need SNAP to do it. In 2022, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (aka EBT aka food stamps) provided food assistance to 361,107 people across approximately 15% of Connecticut households. 68% of those households were living at or below the poverty line. Food insecurity is associated with negative health outcomes including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. It goes without saying that food apartheid exacerbates this issue in communities of color but I’ll save that for another essay. Moreover, the racism embedded in welfare rhetoric— such as Reagon’s notorious “welfare queen” dog-whistle—controversialized the administration and investment in these life saving safety nets. To this day, many users maintain a sense of embarrassment for using SNAP and enduring the either scolding or sympathetic face of their cashier—a shame roulette if you will. Thank God for self-check out.

Returning now to the era of Trump’s fascism, SNAP has new requirements as of November 2025. “If you are [between 18 – 64 years old, do not live with a child under 14, & can work (physically and mentally)] you can only get SNAP benefits for 3 months out of every 36 months unless you follow the work rules or have an exemption” These rules require that one works/trains/volunteers at least 80 hours per month barring other exemptions. I must note that this was the “compromise” after the Big Beautiful Bill canceled SNAP all together, only to face an onslaught of backlash and lawsuits. Following the implementation of these new rules, a projected 3 million people will lose access to SNAP. The Trump administration has already begun bragging about this loss to American families if he has improved their quality of life. That is about 36,000 people in Connecticut without food on their table.

What is the cost of this life saving service?

In FY 2024, federal SNAP spending totaled $99.8 billion and benefits averaged $187.20 per participant per month. SNAP is included in the ‘Income Security Programs’ along with unemployment compensation; Supplemental Security Income; child nutrition programs; etc. Income security programs totaled at $370 billion in FY2024, a whopping 1.3% of the GDP (gross domestic product). So SNAP which is approximately 27% of 1.3% of the GDP is reported to be the scourge of the United States and therefore people must starve to redeem the rich. Meanwhile, Defense alone—not including funding for veteran benefits and services nor the externalities at home and abroad—ate up 2.9% of the GDP discretionary funds at $850 billion in 2024. Lest we forget, the Big Beautiful Bill which cut funds to SNAP and medicaid/care, also infused ICE aka Trump’s Gestapo with $75 billion to $170 billion+ in sequential funding across four years.

Rest in Peace

Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs

Renée Nicole Macklin-Good, a 37-year-old American woman, mother, poet, and wife

Keith Porter Jr, a 43-year-old father of two

all murdered by ICE agents for existing in defiance of their terror against immigrants in search of a new world order in which white supremacy is dictated by those who live and die by Trump’s word—whiteness optional.

There’s more to be said especially given the upcoming budget battle and pending partial government shutdown. Abolish ICE and join the General Strike, Friday 1/30!