Secretary of Agriculture Vilsak Not Serious Enough about Child Nutrition Reform

I just got off the phone on a conference call with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsak and my “sisters” at the Silicon Valley Moms Group where I blog for Chicago Moms Blog.  He claimed to be seriously concerned about childhood obesity, confiding that he was overweight as a child.  However,  when he was asked whether high fructose corn syrup (“HFCS”) will be eliminated as an acceptable ingredient in child school lunches under the soon to be revised Child Nutrition Act, he said, “I honestly don’t know if we would be as prescriptive as eliminating this . . .” and suggested that there would be a “push back” from Congress or a “push back politically.”    I had the opportunity to ask him why government surplus food with high fructose corn syrup and dairy with artificial hormones and antibiotics are being “dumped” on our schools.  I also asked him why it is more expensive to buy an organic apple than a cheeseburger at a fast food restaurant.  His response showed me that he is not really serious about reducing the obesity rates and that it is more important to support and subsidize powerful corporate groups like the Corn Refiners Association, the American Corn Grower’s Association, the National Corn Grower’s Association and the like.     He said that we will always be growing corn in our country and “we won’t stop providing resources to those who grow corn”.  He said nothing about the dairy industry (perhaps my question was too long anyway).  I wish I had a chance to follow up on his praise of corn and corn farmers.  I would have suggested that we turn to a much better, much more nutritious and hardier crop – hemp.  Yes, hemp oil contains wonderful omega 3s to feed our brain, while corn is a grain to bulk up in our tummies and feed to cattle which should be fed grass anyway.  Growing hemp (which is illegal in our country)  can also  help with our deforestation of the globe as it is a hardy fast growing  plant (no need for pesticides!) to use for making paper products and many many other useful things.  Indeed, the Declaration of Independence is written on hemp. Vilsak had some promising things to say about the USDA’s plans to help to improve school lunches, but it all comes down to business as usual in politics.  Those who have the money (corn lobbies) will always win over those who don’t (children receiving free lunches).  Who will pay the cost?  All of us.  If any of these politicians will just look to the bigger picture here.  What cost should we bear?  The cost of losing the money from the corn growers or the cost of losing human lives to obesity and diabetes?  There is no middle ground here.  We need a Secretary of Agriculture who is committed to the people of the United States of America not to the corporations of America.  Mr. Secretary, I implore you, stop the U.S. tradition of catering to our corn industry.  Give our children healthier food and give our farmers a better crop to grow!

Of Course We Didn’t Get the Olympics

Picture after picture of Chicago fans with their mouths dropping open seemed so ridiculous to me. Our city is in crisis! The following is actually a comment I posted to my fellow Chicago Moms Blogger, Miss Lori’s article, Dead Children Walking. I was so worked up over it. Then I decided I liked what I said so much that I wanted to post it here too. You should read what she says about the terrible tragedies that have befallen our inner-city youth. My response was:

I remember volunteering at a charter school in Pilson and one of my duties was to stand outside to usher the teenagers in so that there was no loitering outside the school. “Loitering makes them targets for drivebys,” I was told. Believe me, my heart beat a little faster every time a car drove by during that half hour. I can’t imagine what these children go through every day walking around the neighborhood. The very fact that people (Daley especially) were “shocked” that we didn’t get the Olympics proves that most people, while they are quick to say, “Oh isn’t that a shame about all those young people dying?” Really don’t understand the severity of the problem. Of course we didn’t get the Olympics! While to the naked eye from all the cool tourist spots like Millenium Park, the Museum Campus, and Oak Street Beach, we look like the perfect city on the lake, we simply can’t hide the ugly truth about our children any longer. Generations have been and are growing up without parental involvement. We can’t put all the blame on the teachers, as those in the past like Valis and Duncan liked to do. We can’t rally the parents, because they are too busy struggling with addiction, poverty, lack of health care and gangs to pay attention to whether their young one has clean underwear or has a bedtime story to read. However, we can’t throw up our hands and give up! Something drastic and radical has to be done. If it means year round schooling with longer school days just so we can give the kids a few hours of supervised play on a playground, a place to do laundry and a decent dinner before sending them home to bed, then it has got to be done. Maybe we need boarding schools? If the parents won’t parent, then we’ll have to do it. Of course all of this would be very expensive, but if we don’t pay for it now, believe me, we’ll all pay for it later.

Saberi is Free!

Just heard the good news, Roxana Saberi was freed!  I hope she comes home and NEVER returns to that ungrateful country!

It’s Ok to Be “Pro-Palestinian Rights” and “Pro-Israel”

Contrary to what Presidential candidate McCain and his cronies would have the public believe, it is NOT inconsistent to be a friend to Israel and a friend to the Palestinians. McCain “accuses” Presidential candidate (and hopefully soon to be elected) Obama of praising Rashid Khalidi, a pro-Palestinian scholar and activist. This accusation is supposed to scare all the old Jewish people (in Florida mostly) so that they will vote for McCain who touts himself as a better friend to Israel. Frankly, I don’t know Khalidi’s work. However, I do know that it is not inconsistent to be pro-Palestinian rights and pro-Israel. In fact, human rights are a cornerstone to the Jewish beliefs. Personally (and I am a Jew), I want Palestinians to have all the human and civil rights Israelis are entitled to, whether it is in their own state or in Israel. A lot of people believe this. So, McCain, when you wag your finger and shout that big bad Obama is pro-Palestinian rights, you don’t scare me. What scares me is that you are implying that Palestinians should not have rights! What’s wrong with you? Don’t you believe in human and civil rights? Oh, I almost forgot, you’re a Republican. Peace.

Blacks and Jews Have Much in Common

I admire Martin Luther King Jr. tremendously. Sometimes, I wonder where we would be today without him. Sometimes, I wonder where we would be today if he had lived a longer life. In his day, many Blacks and Jews were united (click on this link to see an informative news story about this ) behind the common cause of Civil Rights. Why shouldn’t we be? Yeah, there are many differences, especially the reason why we are in this country. Jews, of course, came here voluntarily, we were looking for a better life, and/or escaping the Pogroms or the Nazis. The majority of African Americans, as we all know, came here most involuntarily. But we still have a lot in common. Historically, both of us have suffered as slaves at the hands of tyrants. We still face discrimination and we are still subjected to stereotyping by Hollywood and the media.

What is my point? Ok, I’m going to come right out and say it. There are a lot of racist Jews. Although I was raised in a house where not a racist word was ever uttered (really), I hear my fellow Jews, especially those in my parents’ generation, spout Black racist jokes and subscribe to many derogatory stereotypes. I never understood this. Why would Jews, who have been treated unfairly, treat others in such a fashion? I just don’t get that hypocrisy.

My childhood Rabbi taught me to speak up whenever I hear someone spout that racist crap (ok, he never said “crap”). He said that if we, as listeners, allow it to be said without objection, it is as if we are in agreement. Indeed, whenever I hear a racist joke or a racist comment, I ALWAYS speak up. To hell with being polite and respectful to these old folks. They can think and feel whatever they want. They can even say whatever they want (I think we still have free speech in this country, though I’m not sure) but I don’t have to stand for it. I use my right to free speech to tell them I don’t approve of that kind of talk. Won’t you? Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel said, “Hitler did not come to power with tanks and machine guns. Hitler came to power with words”. Words are powerful tools. Use them for good.