Thanksgiving season is often recognized for its gratitude. With the SNAP benefits shutdown, it’s hard to relay its hearty tradition. Families across the U.S. will go without a feast that they were once promised year after year. The importance of the canned food drive at Torrance High is evident not just because of the grade it permits, but mostly due to the many Americans that rely on food stamps.

Niara Sankar (27’), a participant in the canned food drive, states that it “symbolizes the importance of sharing & caring for others.” Sincerely, Thanksgiving could not be defined without using both the words sharing & caring. Unfortunately, the Trump administration challenges these values, in which CBS News states that “2.4 million people could lose access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,” harming plenty of households in America. This new decree turns a blind eye to the very foundations of the United States.

Liberty and justice for all; a phrase nearly every American is aware of. And yet one of the most powerful positions in the world (being president of the United States), fails to recognize what it means to be a democracy. Identically, Sankar mentions we should also “raise enough money to feed the hungry” and “donate and share food” in hopes to save this Thanksgiving season.