Pre-Boomer Musings

A project funded by the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) is photographing student lunch trays before and after kids eat to determine how many calories each child consumes.  Will this be a big help that leads to healthier children or is it a step toward more big brother involvement in the lives of all Americans?

Image by The Library of Virginia via Flickr

The $2 million study is being conducted by the government agency in five schools in the poorest section of San Antonio, Texas.  According to the research firm in charge of the project kids faces won’t be photographed.  Parents will be provided eating information through a bar code system in hopes that at-home eating habits can be changed.

Unfortunately, the study does not expand its scope of interest to include the other known factor relating to the obesity issue: exercise.  If a camera was aimed at a child’s physical activities during and after school, maybe officials would come to the same conclusion the rest of us reached many years ago.  There is a simple answer to most weight issues, which is to burn more calories through exercise than we take in by eating.

The schools where the four-year study is being conducted has an obesity rate of 33%.  This is about twice the national rate of 16% for both elementary and secondary schools.  Obesity has increased by 50% since 1994 and three to four times the levels of 1970 and before.  Few will argue that there is a problem, but are the choices made by the children or the foods available at the schools the answer?

Back when the obesity level was at 4 and 5%, the fare at school was not particularly good or healthy.  That’s why many kids brown-bagged lunch.  It was also cheaper for mom to make lunch than to have the kids go through the cafeteria line.  Given a choice, young people will usually make the wrong selection when it comes to what they put into their bodies, because kids will be kids.

The food police, individual moms and the government, have made strides by getting vending machines operators to stop offering high-calorie, high-fat foods and drinks in favor of healthier products.  When New Seniors and most Baby Boomers were in school, snacks and soft drinks could not be purchased from vending machines, because there were no vending machines in the schools. 

Those of us who were considered middle-class kids back then ate junk food and candy when we had the money. However, we did not have much extra money, so we did not load up on junk.  Why do today’s impoverished children have money to eat bad food away from home? 

Will knowing that the kids don’t eat well at school cause their parents to change the way they eat at home?  Is this government research program just one more in a long line of poor spending choices?  Or, worst of all, does big brother plan to dictate what we eat be starting with the children and working its way up until we all eat the way it wants?

Tags: America, Government, Nostalgia, Political Correctness // 1 Comment »

Wearing poppies, waving flags, parades, placing flags and wreaths at soldiers’ graves, twenty-one gun salutes followed by hot dogs and ice cream at the local American Legion were all part of the Memorial Day pre-boomers remember as kids.  It was a solemn yet celebrative day because we remembered those who died serving our country and rejoiced in the freedom we enjoyed as a result of their sacrifices.

Image by Beverly & Pack via Flickr

There are many versions of how this day of remembrance came to be.  Dozens of cities in the United States lay claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day.  In fact, it was originally called Decoration Day – a time to place flowers and flags on the graves of America’s fallen heroes and honor their service.

Some say the day got its start before the end of the Civil War, when ladies in the South organized to decorate the graves of the Confederate dead.  Others believe a group of former slaves exhumed the bodies from a mass grave in South Carolina filled with the bodies of Union soldiers, buried the remains in individual plots and planted flowers to decorate the cemetery.  But Waterloo New York is considered to official home of the day’s first observance in 1866. 

The tradition of honoring the military dead was renewed during WWI.  It started in the United States with the wearing of poppies, inspired by the poem, “in Flanders Fields.”  The poppies were sold and the proceeds used to benefit servicemen in need.  This idea later caught on in Europe to benefit orphaned children and widows of servicemen who lost their lives.  A few years later, the European effort petered out and the founder approached a US organization, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), to support the effort.  In 1922 the VFW began selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans.

Although the term “Memorial Day” was first used in 1882, it did not become more popular than “Decoration Day” until after WWII.   Memorial Day was declared a Federal Holiday in 1967.  Over the years, the meaning and observance of the day has diminished.  Poppies are still sold by veterans groups.  Flags are displayed, but fewer than in the past.  And the parades have all but vanished; however, there is a national parade each year in Washington, DC.

Now, Memorial Day, which has turned into a long weekend, marks the beginning of the summer season with cookouts and family activities taking the place of community events.  Many have tried to return to the traditional roots of this day.  To accomplish this, Americans must be re-educated about the history of Memorial Day and set it aside as a day of remembrance rather that just a day off from school or work. 

Legislation has been introduced to Congress in an effort to return the observance of Memorial Day to May 30^th instead of the last Monday in May.  If you believe this is a tradition you would like to see restored, contact your elected representative and let them know you don’t want the meaning of Memorial Day forgotten.         

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Did you hear about the impetuous high school senior who hung his invitation to attend the prom on the school wall and got in trouble?  The girl said yes to the date, and the principal said no to the prom but later reversed her decision.  There is a lesson we can learn from this story that has been boosted by media and social network publicity. 

Image by freeparking via Flickr

The guy, while basking in his fifteen minutes of fame, has been suspended and can’t attend the big dance, because he hung large letters on the school wall asking a classmate to go to the senior prom.  He did this in the middle of the night, which meant he was trespassing on school property.  The girl was impressed, and the principal was upset.

It’s difficult to run a high school these days and provide an atmosphere for learning without having the support of the parents, the school board, local politicians and all the other factions that think they know how to motivate, educate and control the students.  Well-meaning people flocked to the support of the young man and his date.  Some are romantics, others believe that rules are made to be broken, there are the opportunists and, of course, a sprinkling of folks who think anyone in authority must always be wrong.

Hundreds of thousands of people from around the country let their displeasure be known on a Facebook page devoted to the prom issue.  Most believe the original punishment was too harsh for this simple offense, which they say was goodhearted in nature and did not hurt anyone.  Their attitude is no harm no foul.  

However, the school principal countered by saying, “There has been a practice at the school for many years that any student receiving an in-school or out of school suspension after April 1 for any reason would not be allowed to attend the prom.”  School board and outside pressure resulted in a change of heart and a new policy to decide such issues on a case-by case-basis, which amounts to no policy at all.

Two state representatives, both Republicans, have drafted legislation that would require schools to come up with alternative punishment for youthful pranks rather than banning students from school-related activities.  Where is the wisdom in this?  Don’t these politicians have more important things to do, such as keep the state afloat financially? 

Isn’t the idea behind school policies to be consistent in punishing offenders as well as discourage others from engaging in inappropriate behavior?  If we don’t teach our youth that their actions have consequences and that laws are there for the good of everyone, how can we expect to be a nation governed by the rule of law? 

This story is already yesterday’s news, but there is one thing to remember from this incident: the United States is a republic and not a direct democracy.  We can thank the Founding Fathers for this.  Otherwise, there will be more knee-jerk reaction to the whims of those who want to override policy as they did with the principal who is, in the final analysis, the peoples’ representative.  Too bad they did not let her do her job.

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Mark Twain once said, “Everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it.”  A recent poll indicates that most Americans (51%) attribute weather conditions to long-term planetary trends while only 19% point the finger to human activity.  But you can bet this won’t stop the debate about who really is to blame.

Image via Wikipedia

The storms and flooding that have devastated the South and Midwest are not due to climate change according to leading meteorologists.  These pronouncements have not kept activists from heating up the debate once again over global warming.  Getting their message out is not a problem, since a willing press stands ready to cooperate. 

Images remain fresh in our minds of the destruction caused by countless tornados and the Mississippi River overflowing its banks like we have not seen in 75 years. However, a Rasmussen poll conducted in early May shows that only 39% of respondents believed the weather in their area was the worst in recent memory. 

When asked if you or a family member has been affected by severe weather an overwhelming 76% said no, 15% said yes and 8% were not sure.  Clearly, the media coverage made people aware of the problem but relatively few were impacted by it.  As to who should have the financial responsibility for weather related disasters, 36% say the federal government, 26% believe this should fall on local agencies, 22% felt individuals should and 16% were not sure.

Age and political affiliation and, to a lesser extent, gender separate the issue as to who is to blame for the weather.  About one in three of those 18 to 29 years of age say long term planetary trends are the reason for the extreme weather conditions, but six in ten of the 30 to 49 year olds point to planetary trends as do about half of those over 50. 

More men (55%) say planetary trends are the cause of weather conditions compared to women (46%).  Not unexpectedly, politics plays a role in responses with 69% of the Republicans and 50% of the unaffiliated believing long-term planetary trends are the causes.  Democrats are split on this but, should tragedy occur, a plurality (48%) looks to the federal government to intervene financially compared to 28% of Republicans and 31% of Independents. 

Half those surveyed thought the government was doing a good to excellent job in responding to the disasters.  In addition, 49% have or will donate to relief fund for victims.  And, 64% of respondents say the economy will be hurt in the aftermath. 

So it appears that Americans will continue to talk about the weather and its consequences but the majority of them don’t believe they can do anything about changing the climate.  However, politicians being what they are will surely find ways to try to convince us that our thinking is wrong so they can spend money trying to fix an unfixable problem.  Haven’t they ever heard of the laws of nature? 

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Half of likely voters oppose the president’s budget proposal, according to a recent Rasmussen poll.  However, the budget passed by the House (the Ryan plan) is considered unacceptable by some, particularly younger voters.  With nearly 50% of Americans receiving entitlement dollars, it will be difficult to balance the budget or come close to it without re-evaluating government programs once considered to be untouchable.

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Fewer than 3 in 10 of the respondents between the ages of 18 to 39 followed the news reports about the presidents proposed budget.  However, a Gallup/USA Today poll showed young voters overwhelmingly siding with the president’s budget by a margin of 23 points (53% for and 30% against).  About half those 65+ preferred the House plan, and the 50 to 64 age group was not far behind.    

The Rasmussen study also shows a great disparity between races.  With whites, 56% of those surveyed opposed the president’s plan.  Only 3% of blacks were against the plan, while 55% of “others” (primarily Hispanics and Asians) responded negatively.

When asked about the appropriateness of the spending cuts in the president’s budget, 54 % of the total sample thought it was too little as did 58% of whites, 56% of others but only 16% of blacks.  In terms of the proposed deficit reductions 40% of white respondents said the president’s plan relied mostly on tax hikes with 14% saying spending cuts.  The other category answered 47% and 11% respectively.  Blacks, however, answered 11% and 33% when asked the same question.

There are obviously differences by political party affiliations as well, but the lack of understanding regarding the fiscal condition of the country and what is required to fix the problems may be coming from the misinformation machines.  Scare merchants on both sides of the political fence are accentuating the negatives and ignoring the positives regarding changes in established government programs.

Medicare and Social Security are two subjects that get a great deal of media attention without helping the general population understand the problems and solutions needed to get the nation’s finances under control.  The fact that more and more people will be eligible for Social Security and fewer people will be paying into the system must be addressed.  Medicare is also in trouble as the 76 million boomers continue to turn 65 at the rate of 4 million people each year for the next 19 years.  Americans must understand that something must be done before the country goes the way of Greece, Ireland, Portugal and other European countries.

In the meantime, the media has got to stop scaring the older part of our population, those 65+.  This age group, in fact those 55 and older, won’t be affected by any of the proposed changes.  The costs will be the basic responsibility of those who will ultimately reap the benefits.  So, let’s get the information needed for everyone to make enlightened decisions that will help turn the country around and allow the USA to be stable once more.

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