Panic-buying sets in as Trump tariffs take effect. It reminds me of WWII rationing

Miami Herald

12-04-2025

A few days ago, as I listened to the morning news, the news anchors warned that 'panic' shopping could happen because of the rising cost of some food items and paper products. They noted that food items, like rice and coffee, could cost the American consumers more because of Trump-imposed tariffs.
Coffee experts are predicting a 10 percent increase in the price of a cup of coffee as coffee beans come from regions of the world — primarily Central and South America — that are facing 10-percent tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
The report was a not-so-subtle warning to American consumers that we soon could pay a lot more for food, cars and other items because of Trump-imposed tariffs. The report rang familiar to me. It took me back to another time, a time when food was rationed.
Back then, it wasn't because of tariffs. It was because America was at war — World War II.
The war meant that many food items and goods like tires and gasoline had to be rationed. Canned goods and other non-perishables had to be sent to our soldiers who were fighting for our freedom. Back then, Americans buckled down and did what they had to do to save our democracy.
I am a child of World War II — I was 7 when the war ended. I still remember when cheese, coffee, sugar, bacon and canned goods were rationed. Shoppers had small books of rationing stamps and/or coupons that enabled them to buy a certain amount of foods and other items, including toilet tissue.
Miss Watkins, the landlord of the rooming house where I lived with Momma and my brother Adam, would take me to the Tip Top Supermarket, then at Fifth Street and First Court, near where we lived in Overtown, to buy her supply of toilet tissue and other rationed items.
I was only a little girl, but Miss Watkins trusted me with money and enough coupons to buy the amount of tissue allotted. (She cheated by using me to buy extra for her, but I didn't know it back then. I was just happy to go along with her to the store.)
Once inside the store, we would separate. Miss Watkins walked into the store ahead of me, picking out the rationed items on her list, which included five rolls of tissue (She looked white and sometimes was allowed to buy more than was allotted).
She watched me as I picked up the same amount of tissue, placed it in my basket and headed for the checkout counter. We would meet outside the store and walk back home together.
Even as a child, I watched the worried expressions on the faces of the adults around me as they wondered what items would be rationed next, or if there would be enough food to feed their families.
One day, someone told my mom that salt was going to be rationed. Now, Momma couldn't imagine cooking without her salt. So, off she went to Tip Top and bought five boxes of salt at 5 cents a box. She stacked them neatly on the floor of the closet in the room where we lived.
I can still see the round, dark blue boxes of Morton's salt with a picture of a little girl carrying an umbrella, pouring salt out of a box as she walked backwards in the rain. The slogan on the box was: 'When it rains, it pours.'
I don't remember salt ever being rationed. But if it had been, Momma was going to be ahead of the game.
Watching the news that morning, and hearing the talk about rising prices and tariffs, brought back these childhood memories.
Today, like many seniors and families, I like to stock up on staples about once every two months. I buy paper goods, coffee, rice, flour and sugar in large quantities so I won't have to make so many trips to the grocery store.
I had planned such a trip to the store after the news, later that morning. I would pick up the usual, and perhaps a few canned goods, too.
I got to Costco rather early. But not early enough. The parking lot was full, and I drove around several times to find a handicapped spot. It seemed I wasn't the only consumer who heard the news that morning about possible rising prices. People were leaving the store with carts filled with bottled water, toilet tissue, paper towels and canned goods.
Inside the store, lines snaked down the aisles to get to the checkout counter. While nobody seemed to be panic-shopping, it was clear many of the shoppers were stocking up.
As I walked through the store, I thought about a column I wrote just before President Trump was sworn into office for the second time. I urged the readers not to write him off.
Rather, I asked that he be given a chance to be the president that he should be. I said we should pray, as the Bible tells us, for those who are in authority so that we may be able to live peacefully.
Although the president had already shown us who he was and what he is capable of, I still wanted to believe that somewhere deep down inside of him, there was at least a tiny speck of good.
But no sooner had he dropped his raised right hand after taking the oath to '… faithfully execute the Office of the President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States' did he start his rampage to destroy our democracy.
One of his first acts as president was to pardon those responsible for the Jan. 6 insurrection.
He did this despite the rioters threatening the life of his own vice president, Mike Pence, as well as the lives of other political leaders.
He did this despite the rioters being convicted in our courts.
He did this despite seven people dying in connection to the Capitol attack, including a Capitol Police officer who died the next day after being attacked by the mob.
He moved on to alienate our allies. He got rid thousands of federal career employees and all but eliminated U.S.A.ID., the federal agency that did things like fund vaccines for children in the world's poorest countries.
And then there's how the Trump administration detained thousands of migrants, including a Maryland man who was unlawfully deported to the brutal prison in El Salvador last month. On Thursday, the Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to 'facilitate' his return to the U.S..
In less than 100 days, Trump did all the above while allowing billionaire Elon Musk to dictate to him what federal programs, such as Social Security and Medicaid, should be pared back, thereby threatening the livelihood and health care of millions of Americans.
Now, I'm afraid I must admit I was wrong: There doesn't seem to be even the tiniest speck of goodness in Mr. Trump.
Even so, I am just as faithful as Mr. Trump is hateful. I still believe in the power of prayer and no matter how much power Mr. Trump has, God is all-powerful.
And He is still in control.