Tamara M’s husband, Adam Howley, is cutting up on Twitter after talk started swirling about Trump possibly banning food stamps from being used on junk food.
Auntie: Come take a look at this!
Wait… say what now? Alright, let’s get some context here.
So, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was just confirmed as the new Health and Human Services Secretary, and Brook Rollins is now the Agriculture Secretary. And both of them? They’re all for restricting SNAP benefits, meaning people wouldn’t be able to use food stamps to buy certain sugary snacks and processed foods.
That’s when Adam Howley hopped on X (formerly Twitter) and let his thoughts fly:
“I grew up in a neighborhood grocery store since I was five, and I can’t tell you how many times I saw people use food stamps to buy junk for their kids, then pull out cash for liquor, beer, wine, and cigarettes. Some would even come in, buy a single lemon or lime just to get change, toss it outside, and do it again until they had enough for cigarettes or alcohol.
As a kid, it pissed me off because there are people who truly need help, and then there are others just working the system.”
Whew, the internet was NOT having it! 🔥 People came for him left and right—and let’s just say, the replies were a mess.
Somebody called him a “silver-spoon leech with generational wealth handed to him” and accused him of lying about moms on food stamps. They really said it just like that!
Now, social media is eating him up.
One person even said Mr. Howley had no idea what he was talking about and that low-income families deserve the freedom to buy their own groceries. The argument? Instead of restricting what people can buy with SNAP benefits, the focus should be on making healthy food affordable.
And somehow… Po’ Tamar! She’s catching strays in all of this. Folks are even calling the baby Taga!
Now, listen—y’all probably aren’t expecting me to say this.
But every time SNAP benefits come up, I don’t get why Black folks take it so personally. Statistically, White people make up a bigger percentage of recipients. So why do we keep acting like it’s just us?
If he didn’t specifically say Black people, then he was talking about SNAP recipients, period.
And honestly? I can’t deny his experience. That was his reality, what he saw growing up.
At the end of the day, this is still America—for now—and he’s allowed to tell his own story.
That being said… SNAP is government assistance.
People love arguing over whether taxpayer dollars fund it, but let’s be real—America is broke! Who even knows where the money is coming from anymore? I sure don’t!
But let’s keep it a buck—if somebody gives you money for your light bill, they expect you to pay your light bill. Not go buy a new pair of sneakers. And guess what? They have every right to ask how you spent that money—even to put restrictions on it.
So yeah, I get why people are mad. And I do wish low-income families had better access to healthy food. But the real issue? Fresh food just doesn’t last as long as the boxed, canned, or frozen stuff. That’s the real problem.
A lot of low-income families live in areas with serious pest problems, which makes it tough to keep fresh fruits and veggies sitting out on the counter.
Now, I shop everywhere. I love seeing what different stores have to offer. And one thing I’ve noticed? Grocery stores are not the same, depending on which part of town you’re in.
Go to a store in a predominantly Black neighborhood—right past the liquor store—and check out the produce section. The fruits and veggies? Not looking too fresh. No fancy misting system keeping the lettuce crisp. Instead, you’ll find wrinkled peppers, dried-up greens, and apples flipped over to hide the bad spots.
So, what’s going on? Are people not buying fresh food, or did stores stop stocking quality produce because there’s not enough demand? Who knows. But when money is tight, people make practical choices. If canned pineapple is cheaper and lasts longer than fresh, that’s what they’ll get.
The answer isn’t to limit people’s choices. Processed foods? Adam, I hear you. I know you’ve seen people misuse SNAP benefits—but let’s be real, that’s not everyone.
We can’t make policies based on a narrow view of the situation. The bigger issue? What’s actually in processed foods. Other countries ban harmful dyes and preservatives, but here in the U.S., those chemicals are everywhere.
You want real change? Look at the FDA, the USDA, and the corporations flooding shelves with unhealthy products. But that’s a harder fight, isn’t it? It’s easier to police poor people instead.
The real solution? Education and incentives. Teach people why fresh food matters instead of taking choices away. Make healthy options affordable and accessible. Make sure SNAP benefits actually cover what families need.
Because at the end of the day, the real crisis is child poverty and hunger. That’s what we should be focused on—not what struggling families put in their shopping carts.