Food Stamps

In mid-October, a technical glitch caused limits on EBT cards to be temporarily removed and thousands of people rushed Walmart stores in Springhill and Mansfield, LA to load up on limitless groceries while they still could. The problem was soon fixed, but lingering questions remained: Was this considered fraud? And if it was, what should be done to people who committed it?

What Happened

On October 12, 2013, approximately 12,000 of these transactions took place with the mentality “act first, think later” running strongly for the two hours that the glitch occurred. While police were notified of the frenzy, shoppers were allowed to keep filling their carts. But now, Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal’s administration has said that it would strip food stamp benefits from everyone who took part in the EBT card malfunction and the news has people sharply divided in opinion.

What is Fraud?

Typically, fraud, according to a quick Google search, is “wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.” Under that definition, it does appear as though shoppers committed EBT card fraud at the two Walmart locations on October 12, 2013. But defining fraud can rarely be done without taking context into account, and the context in this case is the ethical ramifications of living below the poverty line and needing more to get by than what is had. For a great number of Americans, they simply don’t have enough resources to survive at a level that’s deemed adequate, and have to look to other sources for help. And when an “opportunity” like the EBT malfunction comes along, one that doesn’t occur very often, it can very easily look like a chance to get a leg up, at least for a little while.

Was it Fraud?

The question of whether or not what happened at Walmart was fraud depends on how you define it. If you adhere to a strict definition of the word where any and all deception intended to result in financial or personal gain is fraud, then it was fraud. Case closed. But if you look at the grey areas that go along with the human condition and think that a person in that situation did what any person desperate for food would, then the word boundaries become a little fuzzier. Is it fraud to load up on groceries when you don’t know when the next chance will come along? Should a person be punished for trying to feed their families, even if it comes at the expense at another person? And what would you have done if you were in the exact same situation?

It’s easy to point fingers and call something fraud when you’re comfortably sitting in a zone of fulfillment, and say that people should abide by one law and accept the punishment that goes along with breaking it. But it’s another thing altogether to feel as though you’re mired in a situation of desperation and helplessness, and would do anything to get out.