I’m solidly on board with the bill sponsored by Sen. Roger Katz restricting certain junk foods from purchase using food stamps. A Portland recipient objects, lamenting parents not being allowed to buy their children a candy bar or lollipop “now and then.” The problem is now and then — throughout the day.

Kindly spare me the “freedom of choice” argument. Pandemic junk-food hypocrisy, in the midst of our national obesity epidemic and insane health habits, exists everywhere. Recall the idiotic whoopie pie flap a few years back — while inane TV shows regularly promote enticing recipes for said pie. Or candy racks at home improvement stores. How about those cute little 99-cent bottles of wine at drugstore cash registers, or cheap pies stacked at the supermarket check-out lanes.

This isn’t providing healthy choices; it’s hawking bait, and we bite.

I believe we have reached a point where we do need to legislate intelligence — and applaud intelligent legislators like Katz, who is unafraid to say not just, “Enough!” — but rather, “Think!” — if indeed we are capable of thinking at all anymore. I’m saddened to agree with those who believe we live in a dumbed-down country where asinine television commercials urge us to buy whatever we don’t need and electronic devices enable us live life on laptops — trafficking trivia rather than thoughtfully communicating or creating something of value to ourselves or anyone else.

Our country has tragically become synonymous not only with partisan gridlock and greed but with continuous poor choices and sheer stupidity, from junk food to invading Iraq to continuous and fruitless agony in Afghanistan.

I’m with Olympia. America needs fixin’ — and fast.

Buddy Doyle

Gardiner


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