Nutrition first
The food stamp program recently changed its name to SNAP, which is an acronym for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, however nothing else was changed but the name and a rise in benefits for its recipients. Why sneak the word “nutrition” in there if there’s nothing nutritious about it?
The supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children, or WIC, doesn’t seem to have a hard time regulating its program. The reason people aren’t accusing WIC of “forcing a diet” is because WIC started off well-regulated. On the other hand, creating a poorly regulated food stamps program was like buying a kid a lollipop and then getting nervous about taking it away, not wanting the kid or the lollipop manufacturer to cry about it.
Contrary to popular belief, there always has been a running list of what people aren’t allowed to buy with food stamps, but the list has never been long enough. Soda should be on that list along with many other things that aren’t nutritious. It’s not a right, it’s a privilege and as long as they’re using someone else’s money, they should take what they’re given and be grateful for it.
I know better than most what it’s like to be truly poor. In my childhood, I ate hard macaroni out of the box or a bowl of peanut butter and corn syrup because it was the only thing we had in the house. My brothers and I even lived off raw cranberries and sardines for a couple of months. We would have been grateful to get a plate of cooked spaghetti or a gallon of milk. For these people to complain about not being able to get junk with their food stamps after what I’ve been through makes me livid.
Jo-Ellen Jamieson
Kenduskeag
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Train teachers as police
The BDN’s “Safe at School” editorial on Nov. 13 expounds upon relevant points and inspires the onus to be placed upon all public schools in Maine for the implementation of protective measures to guard against any scenarios with deadly consequences as a possible result.
While recognizing that various protocols (i.e. cameras, posted staff, etc.) may improve reactions to emergencies, the greater solution lies with the expansive protective umbrella available to all schools willing to participate in its implementation.
I have consistently proposed that every school select one or two educators to be enrolled in the 100-hour police reserve training course and become trained as a reserve police officer. The resulting certifications would enable these individuals to carry concealed firearms with them and have instantly verifiable identification to dis-play (i.e. neck pendants) in the event of police entering the building while answering a crisis call.
Only the school principal, superintendent, and the head of the school board would know the identification of these individuals.
Training costs would be borne by individual school districts, with the anticipation of at least a five-year service by the individuals involved. Failure to complete a five-year service would obligate reimbursement by those leaving prematurely.
Implementing this program would provide a “built-in,” immediately accessible, professionally trained, and student-geared cadre, which would be available to address critical situations while additional support units are being summoned.
While no series of vulnerabilities or horrors can be guarded against in an absolute manner, this proposal would offer schools a viable option to prepare for situations in the most unthinkable of scenarios.
Ken Fogelman
Franklin
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Liberals’ opinions
Did all of the conservatives out there get the message?
Don’t be like Sarah Smiley and give an opinion, or you will be criticized. Apparently only the liberals are allowed opinions.
Nancy Oakman
Eddington
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Try trickle-up economy
Trickledown economics, where Congress simply pays the corporations to stay in business has bankrupted the world’s economy.
Trickle up economics, where Congress stimulates the consumer and the consumer bails out the corporations with their buying power, will always improve and increase the world’s economy.
Give the corporations a bail-out, you feed them for a day. Give the corporations consumers with disposable income, you feed them for a lifetime. Indus-tries do not create consumers; consumers create industries.
Leonard S. Diecidue
Bangor
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Gifts from the heart
I read in the Bangor Daily News about the man who was killed by the people that were so anxious to get bargains for Christmas. What has happened to the people of the USA?
Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Christ. The trouble with America today is that we have come away from worship-ping Christ and worship mate-rial things instead.
I have made all of my presents for my children, grand-children and great-grandchildren. I will give them with love.
Even if you work all the time you can always give your love to your family.
Alberta Nutting
Dover-Foxcroft
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Freedom of faith
The Bangor Daily recently published an article about a local religious group that supports the responsible religious use of marijuana, “Group uses marijuana as sacrament” (BDN, Nov. 29). I was surprised by how much the article focused on the negative and controversial connotations associated with the stereotypical use of marijuana use rather than the church’s varying facets of belief. Unfortunately, this is the first attention given by the general public, which will, inadvertently, cast a negative outlook on this truly caring organization. Equally unfortunate is the fact that this group does not in any way support the general legalization of marijuana is a mere footnote.
A much more adequate explanation of this organization’s true beliefs is provided biweekly at an open floor discussion. Most people who read and judge this organization solely on Judy Harrison’s article will, unfortunately, never attend this discussion and pose their concerns to the source, face to face.
When I heard of the group, I attended the discussion to be truly informed, and attended defensively. Immediately, I realized that this group required no personal defense mechanisms or protections of any kind. They do not preach hate, anarchy, or antiestablishment. Quite the opposite, they speak of tolerance, and only tolerance, of all creeds, races, sexualities, etc. This is no different from what the Bible teaches, literally or through inference.
Intolerance spawned of rash thought and ignorance has become a spear to prod those different from ourselves. Religious freedom is upheld by our Constitution, and should not be ignored by a public who is afraid of diversity in opinion or creed. Even if we don’t believe in this church’s practices or don’t choose to practice as they do, we should let these followers practice their faith with the same understanding we are allowed to practice our own.
Erin Keim
Veazie