Today I was speaking with a girl I used to know about a proposed Federal mandate that will remove fast food options from public schools--even those offered in fundraisers. The girl I was speaking with passionately disagreed on the principle that the mandate was federal. This girl's stance was that fattening options, such as Chick Fil-A, should not be removed for dining options in public schools--nevermind that 10 year old children, regardless of upbringing are going to 9 times out of 10 choose the greasy chicken sandwich over vegetables, poultry, and milk. After all, children raised in good homes--provided that they are so--can make good, health conscious choices at age 7 right? I mean plenty of seven year old kids know all about GMO's, corn syrup, and cholesterol right?
The main driving point of her argument was that the sales of these fast food options provide funding for resource children to participate in field trips that would otherwise be impossible due to budget cuts. Sure enough the article discussing the mandate mentioned the loss of revenue derived from the sale of the sandwiches in schools. My first thought, while not inherently "liberal" as I later learned it was, was that it seemed disgusting to me that the government, albeit at the state level is exploiting the innocence of children in order to drive the sale of fattening sandwiches in so as to raise revenue for a program that should already be receiving government funding anyways. Has our nation lost such focus and intelligence that we would allow, under the banner of "freedom" our children the rights to eat fattening food at school so that a program doesn't loose funding? I can think of many great programs that have lost funding, in fact, in some states in our own perfect Utopia, America, who have fully cut programs like art, music, and drama because of lost money. Should we bring in McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and Chick-Fil-A to drive revenue from bratty children who grow up in a society where No is not a word so that we can bring these programs back to our schools?
If you ask me we have too much freedom. As many know, I taught in an urban high school here in Charleston, and this school had more food options than necessary. Students could purchase anything from personal sized pizzas, large cookies, slushies, ice cream, and even Chick-Fil-A sandwiches. During my cafeteria duty days--the days where you stand post with other teachers by the cafeteria openings and pray to God students three times your size don't get in a fight--I would watch students flood through lines and pile up trays with massive quantities of food and then if there was enough time left to create boredom, would throw the food on the ground, or at each other. It was quite possibly the grossest display of waste and disrespect I've witnessed in my life. Yes, even the children who come from seemingly good homes would participate.
What are we really teaching our kids by providing them the freedom to eat fast food whenever they want? Are we neglecting healthy lifestyles? Sure, absolutely. I firmly believe that small children aren't old enough to make fully wise decisions on their own, and neither are teenagers. Yes, allowing children some freedoms to make choices, and even mistakes is wise but enforced healthy patterns perpetuates healthy habits and healthy lifestyles. But more than ensuring healthy lifestyles for our children, we are teaching them that they can't have everything they want when they want it. Our generation of society is so used to having unneeded commodities and extras in life, that when there is talk of removing that unnecessary item, we get completely frazzled. Schools don't have to feed our children--but they do, and they certainly don't have to feed them Chick Fil-A. For those wanting more money for special programs, get out there and try on that American Dream for size and start a fundraiser. After all, that is totally within your rights to do so.
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