"I think it's absolutely pathetic, and these people are playing Big Brother with people's lives," said Mrs. Gallear in an interview with The Telegraph. "They were looking down their noses at me."2
The family put the boy in a new school where he was allowed to eat cheese.
University Bans Meat
Imagine walking into the dining hall at Bowdoin College after a long day of mindless lectures—your mind set on a thick, juicy cheeseburger. But instead of grilled meat, the lunch ladies plop a steaming pile of stir-fry tofu on your plate.
Welcome to the reality for meat lovers at Maine's Bowdoin College. The university endorsed a mandatory program called "Meatless Monday" in the school's dining halls. No burgers, no fried chicken, not even Vienna sausages. Instead students were served vegetables and tofu.
You can blame the antimeat campaign on the school's progressive College Democrats. They said it was a way to promote healthy eating. The Democrats-in-training also believe eating fewer animals will help the environment, presumably by cutting down on the amount of methane gas released into the atmosphere. I take it they've never been around anyone who's eaten a pound of steamed broccoli.
Fortunately, meat-eaters at Bowdoin College refused to bow to the liberal philosophy of "do as I say, whether you like it or not."
"Raising awareness for a cause is one thing, but to have a vocal minority impose its will onto the rest of us and then attempt to stifle dissent is outrageous,"3 wrote Sam Landis in an e-mail to The Bowdoin Orient newspaper.
Landis and another student organized a counterprotest. They gave away free McDonalds double cheeseburgers to anyone who agreed to donate to the Coastal Humane Society. Other students protested by hauling around buckets of KFC and offering chicken legs to grateful classmates. At least one group bought some charcoal and fired up a barbecue.
So how did the progressive and tolerant liberals respond? They tore down the posters promoting the event.
The college said the "Meatless Monday" was well received by students but acknowledged a drop in the number of diners. They predicted other meatless days in the future.
So if the students boycotted the dining hall on Meatless Monday, where did they eat dinner? A reporter for The Bowdoin Orient tracked down most of the student body at Jack Magee's Pub. The restaurant was offering a special Monday night meal—bacon cheeseburgers.
Kathryn Shaw, one of the organizers of Meatless Monday, said she was dismayed that many students ate meat. "It frustrated me that students weren't willing to try it,"4 she told Inside Higher Ed. "Because you missed the table—whether you were supportive or not—and missed the opportunity to try the protein-filled vegetarian options that were offered, and we missed out on a conversation. It was certainly their choice though."
It certainly was, Miss Shaw. And they chose to eat a protein-filled cow instead.
Young Lady, Step Away from the Jolly Rancher
Leighann Adair was in big trouble. The third-grader at Brazos Elementary School in Texas was caught red-handed with contraband in the cafeteria. She was promptly dispatched to the principal's office where she was given a week's detention. So what was the little girl's crime? She was caught with a Jolly Rancher.
It wasn't even a full bag of Jolly Ranchers. But in Orchard, Texas, possession of a single Jolly Rancher candy is a punishable crime. The Brazos County school superintendent defended the harsh sentence, saying he was complying with a state law that limits junk food in schools and bans "minimal nutrition" foods. "Whether or not I agree with the guidelines, we have to follow the rules,"5 Superintendent Jack Ellis told KHOU-TV.
Leighann's mom said it's a huge overreaction. "I think it's stupid to give a kid a week's worth of detention for a piece of candy," said Amber Brazda. "The whole thing was just ridiculous to me."
But the superintendent said the ten-year-old needed to be taught a lesson. He also said the school's federal funding could have been jeopardized by the Jolly Rancher.
Federal funding was also jeopardized at the Fairmount Elementary School in Pennsylvania. That's why the lunch ladies only gave students a single chicken finger for lunch, along with a two-ounce scoop of macaroni and cheese. But don't blame the lunch ladies; blame the government.
"These kids were absolutely crying that they were starving when they got out of school,"6 parent Marlene George told the Valley News Dispatch. Holly Pukal's daughter also attends the elementary school. Her child was so hungry she took her to Subway to get something to eat.
"She came out of school, and she was just starved," she told the newspaper.
Sharon Conway, director of food service for the Highlands School District, confirmed the less-than-bountiful lunch menu. She said it was partially her fault for serving both macaroni-and-cheese and chicken on the same menu. "When you looked at it, it just did not look like much," she told the local newspaper. "Yet they were getting what they were supposed to get."
According to state guidelines, children are only allowed to receive two ounces of protein in their lunches. The mac-and-cheese represented one ounce, leaving room for only one chicken tender. She said the cafeteria must follow state guidelines; otherwise their funding could be jeopardized.
Is anyone ready to homeschool?
Cupcakes Outlawed
The Food Nazis in South Redford, Michigan, have banned birthday cupcakes at Vandenberg Elementary School. God forbid boys and girls are treated to a tasty celebratory snack. Principal Syndee Malek said she wanted her students to eat healthier food, and that meant putting an end to the longtime classroom tradition.
"I know we're not the first school to do it,"7 Malek told WDIV-TV, arguing she doesn't want to take up classroom time with unhealthy foods.
Lady, it's a cupcake.
But the Goodie Gestapo didn't stop at cupcakes. School clubs are not allowed to sell junk food. Even pizza parties have been banned. So instead of an occasional slice of cheese and pepperoni, the kids are rewarded by taking daily walks. No wonder so many folks are homeschooling.
But it gets worse, folks. The lunchroom at Vandenberg has undergone an extreme makeover. Fried foods have been banned. They've been replaced with fresh fruit and vegetables.
School leaders said they still allow the kids to eat hot dogs. But there's a catch. The hotdogs are made with turkey.
"This is why I pay for a private school," one parent wrote to the local newspaper. "The kids get a great education that gets them ready for college. They can eat cupcakes and burn off the calories at recess and gym class."
It sounds like the moms and dads of South Redford are pretty reasonable folks. It's too bad none of them work for the school system.
Home-Cooking Banned!
The Little Village Academy personifies the Food Nazi movement. The all-knowing principal banned lunches from home. Principal Elsa Carmona didn't mince words, arguing that the lunch ladies prepared better meals than moms do.
"Nutrition-wise, it is better for the children to eat at the school," she told the Chicago Tribune. "It's about the nutrition and the excellent-quality food they are able to serve. It's milk versus a Coke."8 That's the first time I've ever heard the words "excellent" and "quality" used to describe mystery meat.
Principal Carmona explained that banning lunches from home was the only way to crack down on kids bringing junk food to school. But the real issue here is control. The school is saying they know better than the parents.
And now there's a full-scale revolt at the school.
"We should bring our own lunch! We should bring our own lunch! We should bring our own lunch!" students chanted when a reporter from the paper visited the cafeteria one day, according to AOL News.9
Amie Hamlin is the executive director of the New York Coalition for Healthy School Food. She said banning homemade lunches was a bit of a stretch, but she understood why the principal was overruling parents.
"I see the junk that kids bring in," Hamlin told AOL News. "But some parents want their kids to eat only organic or vegan, and those parents should not be undermined. Sometimes meals from home are much healthier." Well, what about the rights of parents who want their kids to eat peanut butter and jelly or ham and cheese? Aren't they being undermined?
My mother used to pack some pretty tasty lunches when I was in grade school. My favorite was her country-fried steak sandwich, a staple of southern cooking. I can only imagine what would have happened if a teacher had confiscated my sandwich and gave me a celery stalk with a cup of soy milk. I suspect it would have involved a cast-iron skillet though.
To Principal Carmona, I say keep your hands out of other people's lunch boxes. And to the people of Chicago, I say keep the faith. United we stand; divided we eat tofu.
New York City Wants to Ban Salt
New York City is the birthplace of the Food Nazis. They've already banned blueberry muffins and brownies in public schools. Then they banned trans fat and ordered restaurants to post calorie counts on their menus. Now the Big Apple has declared a war against salt.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg is pushing a plan to cut the amount of salt in restaurant food and packaged food by 25 percent. He's our Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-Independent mayor. Bloomberg believes salt is just as bad as asbestos.
"If we know there's asbestos in a schoolroom, what do you expect us to do?" Bloomberg asked. "Say it's not our business? I don't think so. The same thing is true with food and smoking and a lot of things.
"Salt and asbestos, clearly both are bad for you," he said. "Modern medicine thinks you shouldn't be smoking if you want to live longer. Modern medicine thinks you shouldn't be eating salt, or sodium."
Well, you shouldn't be eating shards of glass either. Does that mean we should ban windows?
The salt reduction is not going over well with many chefs. The owner of the Momofuku Noodle Bar called it "stupid and foolish."
"I'm all for trying to make New Yorkers healthier people, but when it comes to him telling me how much salt to put in food, I have a problem with it,"10 said Ed Brown in an interview with the New York Post. He owns a restaurant on the city's Upper West Side.
But if Assemblyman Felix Ortiz has his way, the entire state could be subjected to a ban on salt. He's introduced legislation to criminalize the use of salt in restaurants.
"No owner or operator of a restaurant in this state shall use salt in any form in the preparation of any food for consumption by customers of such restaurant, including food prepared to be consumed on the premises of such restaurant or off of such premises," his legislation states. Anyone caught violating the ban would face a $1,000 fine for each violation. Did you ever imagine a time in this nation's history when chefs would be hauled to jail in handcuffs for sprinkling salt on french fries?
That's not all. The Education Department implemented a ban on bake sales. The new wellness policy also placed limits on what schools can sell in vending machines and student-run stores. "I think it's kind of pointless," Eli Salamon-Abrams told The New York Times. "I mean, why can't we have bake sales?"11
Students used the bake sales to raise money for field trips, uniforms, and equipment. Education officials suggested kids could still raise money by hosting walkathons or selling key chains. Let's be honest, folks. Given the choice, would a teenager fork over cash for a double fudge brownie or a carrot stick?
They're even going after Ronald McDonald and Colonel Sanders. Lawmakers on both coasts are trying to ban fast-food restaurants. New York City Councilman Eric Gioa said he wants to prohibit restaurants from operating stores near public schools.
"Banning fast food around schools will have a measurable impact on student's lives,"12 he told The Epoch Times. Some national advocacy groups actually believe restaurants like McDonalds and Burger King are predators, and children are the victims. "NAAO believes predatory marketing of junk food escalates the child obesity health crisis," Meme Roth, president of National Action Against Obesity told The Epoch Times.
In San Francisco they're trying to outlaw Happy Meal toys. Apparently city leaders believe dictating what kind of plastic toys McDonalds can give away will lead to slimmer children.
They literally believe the government has a responsibility to step in and make sure young boys and girls are eating healthy food. I believe San Francisco resident Deborah Jackson speaks for all of us burger-loving bitter Americans. "Look, my daughter is eating her lunch, she likes it, she likes the toy," she told the San Francisco Chronicle, while eating at McDonalds. "We don't eat here every day, not even once a week, but when we do come, it's a treat, and I don't want that messed with."13
Dispatches from the Schoolhouse
25
Jumping Off the GW Bridge—Sorry
I never met Tyler Clementi, but I was profoundly moved by his story. He was a son. He was a brother. He was, by all accounts, a gentle soul—a lover of music, a gifted violinist whose work was called distinguished. And the eighteen-year-old freshman at Rutgers University was also the keeper of a secret.
Robert Righthand knew about the secret. He was Tyler's friend. They grew up together in Ridgewood, New Jersey.
"I can tell you that whatever state he was in, he had it in reserve for a very long time,"1 Righthand told the New York Post.
"You never thought he was depressed," he said. "You just thought he was quiet."
Dharun Ravi also new about Tyler's secret, and on September 19, he decided to do the unthinkable—he shared Tyler's secret with the world.
In the privacy of his dorm room, the young violinist engaged in a romantic encounter. And in no way am I condoning his behavior. But Tyler had no idea his roommate was also engaged in something—the ultimate betrayal. Every move, every intimate moment was being secretly recorded and streamed live on the Internet.
Ravi, and fellow freshman Molly Wei, remotely accessed the feed and saw Tyler and his friend.
"Roommate asked for the room till midnight," Ravi tweeted to his friends. In a matter of moments, Tyler's private life became public. "I went into Molly's room and turned on my Webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay."
It's unclear how many people actually saw the video. But the damage had been done. Word began to spread, and students began to gossip. For Tyler it was the beginning of the end.
Tyler's parents were not aware of his secret until they heard a knock at the front door.
A police officer explained to the couple that their son had parked his car on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. They said he posted a final message on his Facebook page and then began the long walk over the George Washington Bridge.
"Jumping off the GW Bridge. Sorry."
And so it happened that the soft-spoken boy with sandy hair stopped and climbed over the railing. A witness said the anguished young man paused for a moment, and then Tyler Clementi plunged into eternity.
Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei will answer for their alleged crimes, but the damage that's been caused is irreversible.
In this age of social networking, privacy is becoming an ancient relic. Lives can be changed by the posting of a single photo or profile update. And in the case of Tyler, lives can be lost in 140 characters or less.
What kind of people find joy and comfort in the misfortunes of others? What kind of people find pleasure in exploiting the secret places of another's life? Again, I'm not siding with this young man's actions. But have we reached an age in this nation where destroying lives has become something of a spectator sport?
The days following Tyler's suicide were filled with pundits pontificating, politicians politicking, and advocates advocating—all trying to twist and turn the private hurts of Tyler into whatever fit their agenda.
But far away from the ranting and the rhetoric, a New Jersey family endures heartbreak. We know
that time passes and seasons fade, but for the Clementi family, time stands still. They mourn for a son who will never come home, a life that will never be lived. The melodies and harmonies that once filled their Ridgewood, New Jersey, home are gone—replaced with a haunting silence.
And as I write these words, I can't help but wonder, how many more Tylers are out there, waiting for someone to push them over the edge.
26
Homecoming Queens, Kings, and Jokers
The new homecoming queen at The College of William and Mary is a mary. Students have elected a transgender homecoming queen. Jessee Vasold was crowned during halftime of the Virginia school's football game against James Madison. Vasold prefers to be called a "genderqueer."
For those of you who grew up when God only created men and women, genderqueer means William and Mary's homecoming queen has all the commensurate body parts of a king. Genderqueer people apparently don't adhere to either strictly male or strictly female gender roles.
Yet the nation's second-oldest college is overwhelmingly supportive of their new queen.
"I've only had people congratulating me. I know that one of my friends was in a conversation with someone who didn't think it was fair that I was able to run because I'm not female-bodied," Vasold told The Flat Hat, the college's student newspaper. "But it generated a really good conversation, so they were able to talk about a lot of different things."1
University officials are just tickled pink to have a genderqueer homecoming queen. "William and Mary is a diverse and inclusive community, and student selections to this year's homecoming court reflect that,"2 school spokesman Brian Whitson told local newspapers in an e-mail. If that's the case, William and Mary must be home to an unusually large number of genderqueer students.
Dispatches from Bitter America: A Gun Toting, Chicken Eating Son of a Baptist's Culture War Stories Page 13