Quote:
Originally Posted by Sean
There are like 20 slices of bread in a loaf. So we're talking milk and 10 sandwiches for $20 (going by your numbers). That's $2 per sandwich with a glass of milk. And this lady complains that fast food places are fattening up her kids and that she'd pay more for a good restaurant, so even if groceries do cost a smidge more, she has no excuse. She shouldn't blame fast food places when it's her own fault for choosing to frequent those fast food places.
This is all straight-up cop-outs in my book. "It's cheap"? So are some basic, healthy ingredients at the grocery store, or Costco. "It's what they like"? Things may have changed since I was a kid, but I don't recall having the final say in what I ate as a child. My parents determined my diet, and that typically included things like eating the vegetables I hated, as it should be. "It all gets done right there"? Well that's just plain laziness. One trip to the grocery store, and you can throw together your cheap-ass sandwiches without even having to leave the house for a few days.
Hell, well then why stop there? Sure, fast food is largely bad for you, but why not scour the menus of all restaurants and ban any items that are unhealthy? I mean, I can go down the street to Paco's Tacos right now and get myself a Chile Relleno - a nice, spicy pepper stuffed with cheese, then breaded and deep fried, served with a side of refried beans covered in melted queso. And that's not the only heavy, greasy, wildly unhealthy thing on the menu by a long shot. Is any of that healthier than a McDonald's cheeseburger? I doubt it. Will these dishes be banned at any of the countless Mexican restaurants in south LA? Not without a huge uproar. So when they get rid of the fast food chains and dumb-ass Rebeca takes her kids to Paco's or somewhere just like it, am I supposed to believe that she'll suddenly start exercising stellar judgement in what she allows her kids to order from the menu? I doubt she will because she doesn't hold herself responsible for what her kids eat - she says that's the fault of fast food chains! And what about Mom and Pop burger joints? Or restaurants like Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles with a menu that's mainly made up of fried chicken, waffles, and gravy in various combinations? Or Italian restaurants that have tons of heavy pasta dishes that add to the obesity epidemic? Or Aunt Kizzy's Back Porch? Or any of a countless number of other sit-down restaurants that have equally unhealthy menus? (Holy crap....I've just listed some of my favorite places to eat...  ) |
you're seeing all of this snowball, and while, imo, thats a distant but possible scenario, i dont think it would extend past multi-billion dollar corporations who make their profits off of arguments like this.
but i mean, in the big concept, you're right. people/parents/the public at large are lazy. and laziness is no excuse to hold their hand and take away their sweets.
i'm just saying that, at the same time, i have no problem with trolling a corporation that makes profits by feeding shit to people, so logical arguments aside, i'm not going to feel much pity at all if LA goes off the deep end (like they do) and enact over-the-top stuff like this. mcdonalds and fast food are getting screwed, and thats a fun way to go.
but since that *direction* could be more topsy turvy than is comfortable for many, it's best to find a way without potentially scary precedent that agitates the hell out of them at the same time, and i think not just available information, but *requiring* clear and unavoidable information about the product is a fun an effective way of doing that too.
because i think much of that buying is an impulse. a quick fix and something easy to give the kids that you dont have to prepare. as much as we want to be logical and ascribe laziness, poor choices, or otherwise being a bad parent, being a mother of four tends to create the desire to lessen any possible hassle you may have. now, it sounds like her priorities may be off, because nutrition is a tad more important rather than finding a way to make em happy/keep em quiet. but that impuse is completely understandable when you're pulling your hair out about the mess of other things they need.
which, again, would make an unavoidable reminder of what youre pumping into them just that much more effective.
i woke up at around 11:30 (talk about lazy), so i didnt know there was an earthquake until i read your post earlier today.