Gerry Mak, one of the folks profiled in the recent Salon piece, “Hipsters on Foodstamps” (an article I discussed yesterday), has written a short response on the site. He makes some good points:
While organic and local foods seem like luxury items to many, it’s important to understand that cheap food is the result of government subsidies while local farmers get little to no assistance. Cheap food is the real extravagance. My interest in food stems from my having to care for a diabetic father, and good food is the only form of healthcare I have access to.
He also addresses the “hipster” hating:
Many people leaving comments have assumed that I am white, which I am not, though I would question the relevance of this fact unless you assume that race should be a criteria by which we decide who receives public assistance. In any case, the word “hipster” as a pejorative seems to imply “white,” and that reflects the larger race and class conflicts in this country — the underlying sentiment behind many people’s hatred toward artists is that art is purely the domain of the wealthy and the privileged. I can tell you that many of the artists I know in Baltimore work as dishwashers, baby sitters, house cleaners, movers and dog walkers. They temp, sling coffee and freelance. They teach inner-city kids and counsel rape victims to make ends meet. They come from all walks of life and from all parts of the country, they are black, white, Asian and Latino, and all of them struggle to varying degrees. What makes them less deserving of assistance when they need it than anyone else who qualifies, and why is it such a travesty that food stamp recipients have access to quality, healthy food?
