Why do we have to love Texas? Because they teach us so much about our species. Here’s a brief synopsis of an article from Governing Magazine.
The Texas Department of Agriculture just approved a new policy re-allowing soda and fried foods in public schools. “Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller on Thursday restored the option for public schools to serve certain fried foods and soda by lifting a decade-old statewide ban on deep fryers and soda machines.”
“We are working to put an end to a one-size-fits-all approach mandated from Austin,” Miller said in a press release. “We want families, teachers and school districts to know the Texas Department of Agriculture supports their decisions and efforts to teach Texas students about making healthy choices.”
Here’s the way it works. First you place a big hot bag of fries in front of a hungry teen. Then you discuss the nutritional aspects of fries. Then you leave the room and allow the teen to make a choice.
Hardly the Lone Star in this
A few weeks ago I was on the Jersey Shore, bright and early one Saturday I was greeted by dozens of fishing boats off the pier near where I was staying. I observed many, so many, too many to believe, fisher folk casting in each others direction. It was certainly territorial, a mode of attack, and I found it hysterically funny. Even if Sad. What came immediately to mind was Red Foxx, from Sandford and Son saying, “You Big Dummy!”.. And that phrase echoed like a mantra as I watched the scene play out again and again.
Flash forward to Vermont. Two incidents since I’ve been home of drivers in huge SUVS, in parking lots, backing up without looking, almost crushing me on one occasion, and nearly smashing into another car if not for the screams of onlookers in the other. “You Big Dummy”, except this time there was a bit of rage attached in that this carelessness endangered health, maybe even a life threatening encounter. I see the scene played out too often here, for example, as cars blithely back out of the Country Deli Parking Lot.
So, I agree with the article in that this behavior is telling and instructive, but feel the selfish, oafish, entitled, even dangerous idiocy is fairy well distributed. Not everyone of course is so out of it..But the percentage is frightfully high. High enough to rub the shine off our exalted opinions of ourselves as oh so Sapien.
Don't forget lazy!
One that has baffled me recently is the trend toward people using voice recognition to send texts. They speak into a phone to send a written message to someone. It’s a phone. Last time I checked it was capable of communicating directly with someone by voice. A phone call!
I’m going to sell remote controls for iWatches, for people too lazy to reach over to their other wrist.
I’m also going to sell Amazon on a new idea – having places in towns across the country, where people could go in and look at merchandise, and buy it directly. I’ll call them “stores.”
What's Wrong With That?
I don’t see the problem here. It’s refreshing to see government step aside and let people make their own decisions. After all, isn’t this being pro-choice?
Doesn’t this fall into the same logic as “keep your laws off my body” shouldn’t it be a person right to choose what to eat?
What's wrong with it? For
What’s wrong with it? For starters Texas has one of the highest childhood obesity rates in the US. Schools should not be in the business of encouraging unhealthy and potentially deadly habits in their students. This is no different than if they suddenly decided to let all their students smoke in school.
The reason schools across the country are offering healthier meal choices is to teach kids to eat healthier and, in far too many cases, to provide the only healthy food their students may have access to.
Generally, when schools have vending machines or cafeterias that carry soft drinks and fast food they are being paid by the companies that make this garbage. Texas will realize what a stupid decision this was when their healthcare costs continue to skyrocket from childhood diabetes and other obesity related health problems. And, no…this is not even close to being the same issue as women’s health decisions. These are children not adults. You know- children? Those little people we’re supposed to look out for and take good care of?
Eat anything
In schools, though, we expect kids to learn things, such as health and nutrition.
But, let’s go with the “right to choose what to eat” premise. I’ll bite. That would imply that we should have no problem serving say, a nice bowl of Round-Up to the students. It is poison, but it is labelled, and kids should have free choice as to whether they choose to ingest it or not. Right?