A turd by any other name...

The federal government wants to do away with food stamps because of the name the stigma contains. As James Tarantino points out, the stigma is not the name but the fact that it's a government handout (last item- scroll down). Changing the name is just a way to take a program that some people find questionable, and make it look good.

Of course, this is already going on - here in scenic Maryland, food stamps are known as the Independence Card. Yup, that's right. The name of a program where you rely on the government to buy you food is called the Independence Card. Talk about doublespeak.

I have a couple friends who have worked at grocery stores, and the stories they have about people using the "independence card" would make your head spin.