After watching News Center Maine on food pantries supplying food to Mainers, I was perplexed to learn that college students are going hungry (May 14). Most colleges have a food plan and students have to take it, there is no choice. College students get jobs, often at restaurants; food is there.

They mentioned during the summertime, weekends and after school children are going hungry. Aren’t most parents home on the weekends? How about making a “brown bag” lunch? Why take care of our kids if the schools will?

At the supermarket, I see mothers with their carts loaded with junk food. Children are unkempt and dirty clothed. This is all poor parenting and we need to change this behavior. We need to bring back home economics classes into the school systems. We need to teach kids how to be self-reliant for their future.

As I look at mothers with tattoos, acrylic nails, hair extensions of various colors, some buying cigarettes, I have to wonder: How do they have money for these pleasures and not for their kids’ meals?

As far as I am concerned, the only people who should be receiving food assistance are the elderly. They’re on fixed incomes and with the rising property taxes, the cost of heat, etc., they need all the help they can get. I am more then happy to help the elderly; they have paid into the system.

Stop enabling parents to sit back and let someone else take care of their kids.

Susan Lara
Perry