At set times, the government busses would go around picking everyone up to shuttle them to the local FDC's (food distribution center). There you would be sorted into age groups and be required to stand in line until it was your turn to get your portion of food for that meal. This portion would be predetermined by a "qualified" government official after extensive research on the nutritional needs for people of each age group. Of course, the resulting portion would only be for an "average" person, individual nutritional needs would not be taken into account because that would not be cost effective, taking too much time and resources.

Only those who were tested and could "prove" a nutritional deficiency would be eligible for "special nutrition" portions. Appetite would not be a determining factor, nor would height, weight, activity level, or any other factors not directly related to nutrition. Sorry, no seconds! Personal preference would be ignored because of the difficulty of preparing individualized meals for so many people. The end result of such a program would be that every American would receive a balanced diet and well rounded nutrition and therefore be a better and more productive citizen.

Sound depressing? Well, take heart, because the American people would never stand for anyone telling them what they can and cannot eat!!! The entire nation would rebel! Who has the right to tell us what foods we need or when we can eat them, or how much or how little we can consume? Eating is our God given right! Give me Hershey's or give me death! :-)

But wait a minute....
Isn't this exactly the approach the government has taken with education? It is assumed that we are not capable of deciding what and how to learn, let alone teach our children. We are asked to put our children in government run institutions where some "experts" have decided what a child of a certain age needs to know, regardless of that child's individual needs.

Special education classes may be set up for children with obvious learning disabilities, but the rest of the children are given curriculum aimed at the "average" student, and more often at the "lowest common denominator." They are required to learn only at set times during the day, to wait in line to be taught, being herded from room to room, supposedly receiving a "balanced education."

What would happen if the public school system suddenly disappeared and parents were forced to teach their own children? Sure, some parents would be likely to neglect their child's education, but then, some parents neglect their children's nutritional needs, allowing them to consume nothing but junk foods. Should we have a food police, making sure that every child gets a well balanced meal 3 times a day? ("Sorry Ma'am, that's too many twinkies, I'll have to report you") Have children "tested" for good nutrition? Conform to a set weight/height ratio?

One problem I can see from this mythical government cafeteria is that people who are not required to cook for themselves will quickly lose the ability to do so. It would become a self-perpetuating system, because people would become totally dependent on "government cooks" to feed them. Is that where we have come in education? Have we become so dependent on people "teaching" us, that we have lost the ability to teach ourselves? Could that be one reason so many parents shudder at the thought of homeschooling?

This reminds me of a commercial I saw on PBS recently...
The scene is a fancy French restaurant, the chef is upset because a couple of patrons have complained about their meals. The chef says something like "so now everyone is a critic?" and the waiter says "they even know how to make the little pig" (made from pears and cloves) "Where are they learning all this?" hisses the chef.....then we see a teenager washing dishes and watching Julia Child on TV explaining how to make "bouillabaisse," saying "I am going to take this big ugly cod and cut it up with my big knife."
LOL, isn't this the way it is supposed to be? What's so hard about learning?
Just thought I would give y'all something to think about....<g>
We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.......

-- Stephanie (Ivywild913@aol.com)