I think the last time I ever fasted was on Good Friday when I was in middle school and doing that whole Confirmation thing. So what is that—12, 13 years ago? Suffice it to say I’m not a fan of going long stretches without food.

I was, however, really interested by Mark Bittman’s recent piece on his experience doing a four-day fast. As he explains on the New York Times Opinionator blog, “I stopped eating on Monday and joined around 4,000 other people in a fast to call attention to Congressional budget proposals that would make huge cuts in programs for the poor and hungry.” You can read more here.

I have a tremendous amount of respect for Bittman and his fellow fasters (it’s also not too late to join them). When I hear about these kinds of budget cuts and other proposals for measures that would severely impact aid to the poor and hungry, I feel angry and helpless. The least I could do was to post about it on this blog. I really don’t understand this country or its government at all sometimes—or okay, I almost never understand what’s in their heads or hearts.

I know I’m exposing a little too much of myself here, but I wanted to offer up a quote from this morning’s piece that I think sums up the situation quite well and says it better than I could hope to:

“This is a moral issue; the budget is a moral document. We can take care of the deficit and rebuild our infrastructure and strengthen our safety net by reducing military spending and eliminating corporate subsidies and tax loopholes for the rich. Or we can sink further into debt and amoral individualism by demonizing and starving the poor. Which side are you on?”