VOICE OF THE PEOPLE| Oct. 17, 2009

Give students vegetarian choices

Just before National School Lunch Week, Baltimore has offered its 80,000 students a weekly break from meat and diseases.

Traditionally, the National School Lunch Program has been a dumping ground for USDA's surplus meat/dairy commodities. USDA's own surveys indicate that 90 percent of American children consume excessive fat, half are overweight, 25 percent have high cholesterol and blood pressure, and 30,000 suffer from Type 2 diabetes, once limited to adults. Their early dietary flaws become lifelong addictions, contributing to the public health crisis.

Four state legislatures have asked their schools to offer daily vegan/vegetarian options, and 52 percent of U.S. school districts now do. President Obama may call for similar measures when the Child Nutrition Act is reauthorized.

Parents should work with PTAs and school officials to demand healthful plant-based school meals, snacks and vending machine items. For information, see schoolnutrition.org, healthschoollunches.org, or choiceusa.net.

Rachel Henderson

Rock Hill

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Paper misses big stories

I am disappointed to see that The Herald does not print what really goes on in Washington. It slides right over the corruption that is right under your nose. Do you not have journalist to find out what really is happening with ACORN? Do you not care about right or wrong anymore?

Can you not be a Democrat and be fair to everyone? Glenn Beck had to point out the radical Van Jones who was an adviser to the president before he was fired. Now two young people, not journalists, had to go to ACORN and film the corruption. What good is your paper when it does not print all the news and keeps us in the dark?

There were 56 good men who signed the Declaration of Indepence, and I doubt that I could find 56 good men who took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. Could it be that we aren't the United States anymore? We aren't united; we are Democrats against Republicans against Independents.

Kay Wages

Rock Hill

--------------------------------- Here's what's wrong with conservatives

In response to the Oct. 8 letter, �Wilson was right to call Obama a liar�: Steve Lewis has once again written a letter which epitomizes where conservatives are since Bush trudged back to Texas with his tail between his legs.

Conservatives are off the deep end and cannot right themselves because they are so wrong and so gone. Nothing left for the Obama-haters but bull and bile, and Mr. Lewis is the best (or worst).

Jerry Walden

Rock Hill