Dear Mr. President,
You're going to be speaking at my school on the 21st. I basically haven't stopped freaking out since I learned of this event a few days ago. To make the week even more exciting, Former Presidents Clinton and Carter, as well as the First Lady will all have events in Seattle that week. Unfortunately, I'll probably only make it to see you and President Carter, but having so many important Democrats visit my city in such a short time is still very exciting. I suppose this is the small upside of having an unnervingly close senate race.
At the risk of making you change your mind about visiting, I don't think you have to worry about Washington Democrats showing up this year. Patty Murray is well-liked and accomplished, and Dino Rossi has basically made a career out of losing the gubernatorial race and cheating on his taxes. I really never get tired of mocking him for his general sliminess, but I do wish he'd stop running for office and fade happily back into obscurity.
I've got several friends planning on attending with me; I'm not sure how many will join me in linning up at 5 am, but I'm counting on the later arrivals to bring me coffee. I keep trying to talk myself out of getting my hopes up; I'll probably be too far away to see much, you'll probably give the same old stump speech with that long-past-tired metaphor about the Republicans and the ditch and the car keys. I probably won't get to shake your hand or get you to sign something. I'm ok with that. I'd rather be a fan of your policies than a fan of you as a person. (Plus, not to make it a competition or anything, but I'm sure President Carter will sign his book for me.) It's still going to be a once in a lifetime experience to hear my country's president speak in person. Just because I've sent you 285 letters already this year doesn't make me any more deserving of your notice than the thousands of other screaming, devoted UW Democrats who will also be there. Still, I feel like it's important for me to go, even if it means missing class and annoying the heck out of my friends and coworkers in the meantime.
I'm glad you're coming back to Seattle, Mr. President. I'll do whatever I can to make sure my fellow progressive Washington voters and I don't let you (or Senator Murray) down. See you in a few weeks!
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Showing posts with label Michelle Obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michelle Obama. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Day 262- Carrot sticks
Dear Mr. President,
Glenn Beck is continuing to hone the skill that made him popular- telling people what they want to hear. Today he has decided to attack the First Lady for the Let's Move campaign, which he inexplicably sees as a threat to his french fries. Beck makes people feel good about their bad choices. Don't let the government tell you what to eat! Don't let them take your freedom fries! He's the ultimate enabler. I have no problem with Beck eating french fries until his arteries turn entirely to trans fat. I'm sure the First Lady doesn't, either. Attempting to combat the undeniable epidemic of obesity and weight-related diseases by improving the way children in this country learn about healthy lifestyle choices is admirable, and exactly no threat to Beck's, or any one's access to french fries. The conversation is uncomfortable; many people probably feel guilty about the choices they make when it comes to food and exercise. I'm sure many of these people would rather be told that they are fine and that no one should be allowed to talk about better choices they could make, as Beck does.
What Beck is doing is pathetic and ultimately perpetuates the problem of complacency, but it is nothing compared to what the government does. Our government has provided $300 billion in federal subsidies of the commodity crops corn and soy, which have made exactly the kind of processed food we should be avoiding cheaper and more accessible than ever. While the First Lady campaigns tirelessly to encourage healthier eating, your federal budget continues to undercut her efforts. All of the positive role models in the sports world can't have half the impact of altering the economic reality that processed, nutritionally bankrupt food-like-substances are cheap and widely available. Poverty is an undeniable factor in this epidemic, as well, and must be addressed in a more comprehensive way before we can expect to see any real improvement.
Taxing soda and snack food is an often-suggested way to reduce consumption. I think that's a great plan, but I know enough junk-food addicts who would fiercely oppose such a tax that I can understand why you might not want to undertake such a step in an election year. Ending subsidies of corn and soy, however, would slowly raise the cost of processing these foods, raising their price (and saving huge amounts of money for taxpayers) without directly taxing consumption.
The First Lady is having a difficult conversation with the country. Telling people that they haven't been doing right by their children is never easy, but it is a truth that must be told. Many will turn to the false comfort of people like Beck who will assure them that their way of life is sacred, untouchable. But unless policies that support the First Lady's efforts are put into place, our health and the health of our planet will continue to suffer the effects of heavily subsidized, cheap, insubstantial calories. This seems like an obvious example of Democrats saying the right thing and being completely unable to back it up with substantial policy changes. Is it any coincidence that the states with the highest obesity and poverty levels also tend to be so-called red states? Maybe it's a stretch, but I think that people generally want to be healthier and more economically stable than they want to be told comforting lies. In the absence of politicians with the courage to offer these things, however, i can see why they'd at least choose the lies that make them feel good over empty promises.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Glenn Beck is continuing to hone the skill that made him popular- telling people what they want to hear. Today he has decided to attack the First Lady for the Let's Move campaign, which he inexplicably sees as a threat to his french fries. Beck makes people feel good about their bad choices. Don't let the government tell you what to eat! Don't let them take your freedom fries! He's the ultimate enabler. I have no problem with Beck eating french fries until his arteries turn entirely to trans fat. I'm sure the First Lady doesn't, either. Attempting to combat the undeniable epidemic of obesity and weight-related diseases by improving the way children in this country learn about healthy lifestyle choices is admirable, and exactly no threat to Beck's, or any one's access to french fries. The conversation is uncomfortable; many people probably feel guilty about the choices they make when it comes to food and exercise. I'm sure many of these people would rather be told that they are fine and that no one should be allowed to talk about better choices they could make, as Beck does.
What Beck is doing is pathetic and ultimately perpetuates the problem of complacency, but it is nothing compared to what the government does. Our government has provided $300 billion in federal subsidies of the commodity crops corn and soy, which have made exactly the kind of processed food we should be avoiding cheaper and more accessible than ever. While the First Lady campaigns tirelessly to encourage healthier eating, your federal budget continues to undercut her efforts. All of the positive role models in the sports world can't have half the impact of altering the economic reality that processed, nutritionally bankrupt food-like-substances are cheap and widely available. Poverty is an undeniable factor in this epidemic, as well, and must be addressed in a more comprehensive way before we can expect to see any real improvement.
Taxing soda and snack food is an often-suggested way to reduce consumption. I think that's a great plan, but I know enough junk-food addicts who would fiercely oppose such a tax that I can understand why you might not want to undertake such a step in an election year. Ending subsidies of corn and soy, however, would slowly raise the cost of processing these foods, raising their price (and saving huge amounts of money for taxpayers) without directly taxing consumption.
The First Lady is having a difficult conversation with the country. Telling people that they haven't been doing right by their children is never easy, but it is a truth that must be told. Many will turn to the false comfort of people like Beck who will assure them that their way of life is sacred, untouchable. But unless policies that support the First Lady's efforts are put into place, our health and the health of our planet will continue to suffer the effects of heavily subsidized, cheap, insubstantial calories. This seems like an obvious example of Democrats saying the right thing and being completely unable to back it up with substantial policy changes. Is it any coincidence that the states with the highest obesity and poverty levels also tend to be so-called red states? Maybe it's a stretch, but I think that people generally want to be healthier and more economically stable than they want to be told comforting lies. In the absence of politicians with the courage to offer these things, however, i can see why they'd at least choose the lies that make them feel good over empty promises.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Day 244- Interior design and how much I don't care what your office looks like
Dear Mr. President,
My room is a mess. I often have several piles of "clean" "not clean" and "questionable" laundry lying around, coffee mugs lining my window sil and bookcases, a perpetually unmade bed and a dresser I started painting in my time of mourning after my best friend left and have never finished. My walls are covered in old photos, posters, paintings done on cardboard and a giant Palestinian flag. Three of my bookshelves I inherited from a roommate relocating abroad, another I bought for $20 at a thrift store, and another was salvaged out of the dumpster when a neighbor threw it out. The books on them are organized into two categories: "relevant to my major" and "not". They are not alphabetized.
Clearly, I'm not an individual with much sense for interior design. I understand that my room's chaos would make most people crazy, but luckily it is my room and most people don't have to spend any time there. This is how I feel about your office. Granted, you have important meetings in the Oval office so you can't exactly leave your laundry sorted in piles on the floor. But when it comes to color scheme or furniture selection, I feel like you, as the person who has to spend the most time looking at the inside of your office, should probably be allowed to decorate it however you want. So when I heard that people were actually upset about this, and that respected, intelligent journalists with a huge reading audience and enough common sense to know better were writing about this, I was disgusted.
Maureen Dowd really needs a new editor. Since when, first of all, is the Oval Office the classiest place on earth? Who cares what it looks like? Dowd goes on to say "The recession redo, paid for by the nonprofit White House Historical Association, was the latest tone-deaf move by a White House that was supposed to excel at connection and communication. Message: I care, but not enough to stop the fancy vacations and posh renovations." So, it isn't classy enough but it's too "posh" for these economic times? I'm confused. How much personal luxury is acceptable for a President during a recession?
The added shot about "fancy vacations" is a reference to Dowd's previous gripe about the First Lady's vacation to Spain. Does Maureen Dowd not realize that we have actual problems? Her influence allows her a tremendous amount of power and to waste that week after week on these non-issues is really disappointing. I'm sure that you don't pay much attention to these absurd complaints, but just in case I want you to rest assured that I, for one, couldn't care less what kind of color scheme you chose for your office.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
My room is a mess. I often have several piles of "clean" "not clean" and "questionable" laundry lying around, coffee mugs lining my window sil and bookcases, a perpetually unmade bed and a dresser I started painting in my time of mourning after my best friend left and have never finished. My walls are covered in old photos, posters, paintings done on cardboard and a giant Palestinian flag. Three of my bookshelves I inherited from a roommate relocating abroad, another I bought for $20 at a thrift store, and another was salvaged out of the dumpster when a neighbor threw it out. The books on them are organized into two categories: "relevant to my major" and "not". They are not alphabetized.
Clearly, I'm not an individual with much sense for interior design. I understand that my room's chaos would make most people crazy, but luckily it is my room and most people don't have to spend any time there. This is how I feel about your office. Granted, you have important meetings in the Oval office so you can't exactly leave your laundry sorted in piles on the floor. But when it comes to color scheme or furniture selection, I feel like you, as the person who has to spend the most time looking at the inside of your office, should probably be allowed to decorate it however you want. So when I heard that people were actually upset about this, and that respected, intelligent journalists with a huge reading audience and enough common sense to know better were writing about this, I was disgusted.
The Oval Office, the classiest, most powerful place on earth, is now suffused with browns and beiges and leather and resembles an upscale hotel conference room or a ’70s conversation pit with a boxy coffee table that even some Obama aides find ugly.
Maureen Dowd really needs a new editor. Since when, first of all, is the Oval Office the classiest place on earth? Who cares what it looks like? Dowd goes on to say "The recession redo, paid for by the nonprofit White House Historical Association, was the latest tone-deaf move by a White House that was supposed to excel at connection and communication. Message: I care, but not enough to stop the fancy vacations and posh renovations." So, it isn't classy enough but it's too "posh" for these economic times? I'm confused. How much personal luxury is acceptable for a President during a recession?
The added shot about "fancy vacations" is a reference to Dowd's previous gripe about the First Lady's vacation to Spain. Does Maureen Dowd not realize that we have actual problems? Her influence allows her a tremendous amount of power and to waste that week after week on these non-issues is really disappointing. I'm sure that you don't pay much attention to these absurd complaints, but just in case I want you to rest assured that I, for one, couldn't care less what kind of color scheme you chose for your office.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Friday, August 6, 2010
Day 218- Spain, Haiti and China
From College Humor:
Dear Mr. President,
Apparently the First Lady's trip to Spain is upsetting some people, and it is no surprise that Rush Limbaugh is one of them. He is, predictably, spewing his usual racist nonsense about something as silly as a First Lady going on vacation. This from the man who paid a million dollars to have Elton John sing at his latest wedding. I'm glad that Limbaugh chimed in, because his contributions to public discourse usually remind thinking people just how ridiculous some of the accusations by the right actually are.
What do you think about Wyclef Jean running for President of Haiti? I suppose I don't know enough about Haitian politics to have an informed opinion, but my initial reaction is that a nation so devastated by natural disaster and economic calamity should probably have a more experienced leader. On the topic of Haiti, tonight I heard some news of a woman I attended high school with, Katie Zook. She was rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building after the earthquake hit. She's recovered now, and going back to Haiti soon, to continue working as a teacher. Seeing the courage it must require of her to return to a place still so damaged after survivng such a tragedy has got to give a person hope for the future.
I've also heard two rather disturbing stories out of China. The first is about China's policy of locking the poor up in their own neighborhoods during the night. The second is about the 600,000 Chinese workers who die from overwork in manufacturing every year.
Both stories illustrate, to me, the dangers of a society where wealthy corporate interests are placed above the value of a person (even, or especially, a poor person.) What is most disturbing is how much the purchasing habits of the American people contribute to this system. Our demand for cheap goods has created this tragedy, and we continue to support it almost unconsciously. Recently, you offered three words to frame our best hope for economic recovery; made in America. Don't Americans have a moral imperative, as well as an economic interest, in making sure the good they buy are, whenever possible, produced by fairly paid workers in safe conditions? I don't think that most Americans want to support a system that contributes to hundreds of thousands of needless deaths, or the extreme poverty of many workers. There has to be a way to wake people up to the human cost of our cheap imported goods.
Anyway, Mr. President, I wanted to make a cleaner connection between all of this, but I don't know that I can. It's something about our priorities, about celebrity worship and service to others and putting our own immediate gratification away for the greater good. Maybe these stories aren't connected anywhere outside of my own mind, but I hope that people wake up and realize that obsessing over how many Secret Service agents are working to keep the First Lady safe is not fair or productive to complain about. There are so many terrible things happening in this world, and we ought to stop worrying about appearances and ephemera. I hope that the Rush Limbaughs of the world don't frustrate you into forgetting about the Katie Zooks. I think, at heart, most Americans are good people like Katie who are concerned about preventing or easing the suffering of others. We don't always go about it the right way, and we don't always make the important connections between our own decisions and their consequences, but I think that slowly we will change for the better.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Dear Mr. President,
Apparently the First Lady's trip to Spain is upsetting some people, and it is no surprise that Rush Limbaugh is one of them. He is, predictably, spewing his usual racist nonsense about something as silly as a First Lady going on vacation. This from the man who paid a million dollars to have Elton John sing at his latest wedding. I'm glad that Limbaugh chimed in, because his contributions to public discourse usually remind thinking people just how ridiculous some of the accusations by the right actually are.
What do you think about Wyclef Jean running for President of Haiti? I suppose I don't know enough about Haitian politics to have an informed opinion, but my initial reaction is that a nation so devastated by natural disaster and economic calamity should probably have a more experienced leader. On the topic of Haiti, tonight I heard some news of a woman I attended high school with, Katie Zook. She was rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building after the earthquake hit. She's recovered now, and going back to Haiti soon, to continue working as a teacher. Seeing the courage it must require of her to return to a place still so damaged after survivng such a tragedy has got to give a person hope for the future.
I've also heard two rather disturbing stories out of China. The first is about China's policy of locking the poor up in their own neighborhoods during the night. The second is about the 600,000 Chinese workers who die from overwork in manufacturing every year.
Both stories illustrate, to me, the dangers of a society where wealthy corporate interests are placed above the value of a person (even, or especially, a poor person.) What is most disturbing is how much the purchasing habits of the American people contribute to this system. Our demand for cheap goods has created this tragedy, and we continue to support it almost unconsciously. Recently, you offered three words to frame our best hope for economic recovery; made in America. Don't Americans have a moral imperative, as well as an economic interest, in making sure the good they buy are, whenever possible, produced by fairly paid workers in safe conditions? I don't think that most Americans want to support a system that contributes to hundreds of thousands of needless deaths, or the extreme poverty of many workers. There has to be a way to wake people up to the human cost of our cheap imported goods.
Anyway, Mr. President, I wanted to make a cleaner connection between all of this, but I don't know that I can. It's something about our priorities, about celebrity worship and service to others and putting our own immediate gratification away for the greater good. Maybe these stories aren't connected anywhere outside of my own mind, but I hope that people wake up and realize that obsessing over how many Secret Service agents are working to keep the First Lady safe is not fair or productive to complain about. There are so many terrible things happening in this world, and we ought to stop worrying about appearances and ephemera. I hope that the Rush Limbaughs of the world don't frustrate you into forgetting about the Katie Zooks. I think, at heart, most Americans are good people like Katie who are concerned about preventing or easing the suffering of others. We don't always go about it the right way, and we don't always make the important connections between our own decisions and their consequences, but I think that slowly we will change for the better.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Day 143- Seattle is a kind and loving city brownies
Dear Mr. President,
Tonight a few friends hosted a pot-luck dinner to feature local foods. We bought bread from local bakeries, vegetables and fruit from local farmers, chocolate and beer from local companies. The results were beautiful, and delicious.
I brought zucchini-peppermint-fudge brownies. I've made them before, but tonight they came out better than ever, rich and dark and minty. They're even vegan.
Eating locally in Seattle is probably easier than in other parts of the country. We have plenty of farmer's markets and a tremendous amount of community support that make locally-based choices convenient and even trendy. It's sometimes frustrating when our long rainy season makes it hard to find the produce that, imported, is available-year round. I've just gotten used to waiting all year for decent tomatoes, though, because the first time I had a local heirloom, I was pretty much ruined for the tasteless, hyper-red imitations still stocked in December.
Maybe it's pretentious, but eating food that hasn't been bred for durability during shipping, or disguised by shelf-life-lengthening additives, just tastes better. It gives me a greater appreciation for the people who supply our food and for the way our policies affect them, and also a greater concern for those who live in communities without access to local produce. I hope that this trend is more than just the whim of hipster culture and an indication of a growing commitment to local food. I think the First Family has done an impressive job of encouraging this. The First Lady's anti-obesity campaign has certainly made the connection between fresh, locally-grown food and the health of the community; I hope that tonight's dinner would make her proud.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Seattle is a kind and loving city brownies
Adapted from The Veganomicon's Fudgy Wudgy blueberry brownies, (Named the day a stranger gave me grocery money after my wallet was stolen.)
Ingredients:
2 med Zucchini, finely shredded
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bar
1/4 cup almond milk
3/4 cup raw sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 tsp peppermint extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1-2 Theo dark-chocolate and mint bars, chopped into small pieces.
Preheat oven to 325 and lightly oil a glass, 9 x 13 baking pan.
Melt chocolate chips or chopped bar over a double broiler, set aside. Combine shredded zucchini, sugar, almond milk, oil, and extracts, mix until smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and slowly combine with liquid mixture. fold in melted chocolate and chopped mint-chocolate bars. Spread into pan, and bake 40 minutes.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Day 128- Mom (part 1)
Today and tomorrow's letters are going to be connected, both because I think my mom is so awesome that I want to write two letters about her, and I'd like to spend tomorrow with her, not working. Today's letter will be completed before midnight and tomorrow's will be written just after, so I apologize for the short space between posts, and the relatively "fluffy" letters. I'll be back to real politics on Monday.
Also, check out the Mother's day event Michelle Obama hosted this week at the White House, if you're interested.
Dear Mr. President,
My mother is an amazing woman. She's raised three girls, worked her whole life to help others, for years serving our community as a police officer, specializing in helping children and victims of sexual assault. She certainly deserves more than just a day of celebration. I know you understand the important role that mothers play; I enjoyed your writing about your own mother in Dreams from my father, and your obvious respect for the First Lady shows how much you continue to appreciate the difficult job of raising children. My own mother has taught me countless things; she's prepared me for life as an adult by emphasizing self-sufficiency, education, and accountability. I think she would have liked to pass on more of her predilection for cleanliness and organization, but at least I got her eyes, her political leanings, and her sense of humor.
Tomorrow my sisters, brothers-in-law, and I are taking our mother to a baseball game. We don't get together as often as we should, even though we live relatively near one another. We all work, different hours and different days, we all commute, and my youngest sister has a young son to take care of as well. These excuses make it easy for us to go weeks, even months, without getting together. When I lived in DC, my mother would send me little cards every month or so; some had newspaper articles she thought I'd like to read, others were signed from all of the family cats. It made me feel close to her, despite the times zones that separated us. Now that we work in the same city, it's sad how little time we actually spend together.
My mother reads everything she can about you and your family, and especially admires your wife a great deal. I think she'd like it if I told you a bit about her. She's as remarkable as any woman; her story is unique and incredibly commonplace. She grew up in Michigan, the middle of 5 children, and wanted to become a teacher. She's great with children and animals, she's compassionate, brave, and sarcastic. Also, she can't watch the news without arguing with or yelling at the TV. I don't know her nearly as well as I'd like. She's made me the person I am today; I'm grateful to her for all of the wisdom and courage she's instilled in her children.
Mr. President, you've often spoken out for the importance of equal pay for women; you've worked to improve our education, health care and other social services, and you've appointed female role models like Hillary Clinton and Sonya Sotomayor. Thank you, for your commitment to our mothers, and the mothers of generations to come.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Also, check out the Mother's day event Michelle Obama hosted this week at the White House, if you're interested.
Dear Mr. President,
My mother is an amazing woman. She's raised three girls, worked her whole life to help others, for years serving our community as a police officer, specializing in helping children and victims of sexual assault. She certainly deserves more than just a day of celebration. I know you understand the important role that mothers play; I enjoyed your writing about your own mother in Dreams from my father, and your obvious respect for the First Lady shows how much you continue to appreciate the difficult job of raising children. My own mother has taught me countless things; she's prepared me for life as an adult by emphasizing self-sufficiency, education, and accountability. I think she would have liked to pass on more of her predilection for cleanliness and organization, but at least I got her eyes, her political leanings, and her sense of humor.
Tomorrow my sisters, brothers-in-law, and I are taking our mother to a baseball game. We don't get together as often as we should, even though we live relatively near one another. We all work, different hours and different days, we all commute, and my youngest sister has a young son to take care of as well. These excuses make it easy for us to go weeks, even months, without getting together. When I lived in DC, my mother would send me little cards every month or so; some had newspaper articles she thought I'd like to read, others were signed from all of the family cats. It made me feel close to her, despite the times zones that separated us. Now that we work in the same city, it's sad how little time we actually spend together.
My mother reads everything she can about you and your family, and especially admires your wife a great deal. I think she'd like it if I told you a bit about her. She's as remarkable as any woman; her story is unique and incredibly commonplace. She grew up in Michigan, the middle of 5 children, and wanted to become a teacher. She's great with children and animals, she's compassionate, brave, and sarcastic. Also, she can't watch the news without arguing with or yelling at the TV. I don't know her nearly as well as I'd like. She's made me the person I am today; I'm grateful to her for all of the wisdom and courage she's instilled in her children.
Mr. President, you've often spoken out for the importance of equal pay for women; you've worked to improve our education, health care and other social services, and you've appointed female role models like Hillary Clinton and Sonya Sotomayor. Thank you, for your commitment to our mothers, and the mothers of generations to come.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Monday, May 3, 2010
Day 123-Predators
Dear Mr. President,
I enjoyed watching your jokes at the correspondent's dinner. While I think that Jay Leno was a poor choice, I respect that other people may have different tastes than mine. I assumed that, with a major environment crisis in the Gulf, a foiled car bomb in New York, an election imminent in the UK, several contentious state primaries, and the legislation aimed at the torment of pregnant women passed recently in Oklahoma, people would have more important things to talk about than the jokes you told at dinner. But I was wrong. (This is sort of your fault. If you hadn't encouraged me to embrace the spirit of civility by reading the Drudge Report, I'd never have found out about this.)
Anyway, it seems that some people feel that your Jonas Brothers/Predator drone joke wasn't really a laughing matter, considering the number of people even less threatening than the Jonas Brothers who are actually killed by these weapons every year. I'm a big fan of the "politically correct" and even I don't get this. Back in high school my dad used to joke about his gun collection/police buddies/access to criminal background checks to any boy who wanted to date me. It's lame dad humor. Every dad jokes about that, right? No one believes you're actually using the Predator drone as your own personal play-toy, right? I think the wars we're waging abroad are awful, morally baseless and catastrophically unfair, but I think getting upset over people actually getting killed is a far more useful way to spend one's emotional energy than to get upset over a joke that (no offense) was certainly not an original one.
Speaking of fatherly humor, I read some remarks by the First Lady about your daughter Malia's concern for saving the tiger population. I thought you should know that you're getting outpaced by Russia and Iran on this issue, or at least missing out on the heads of state big cat exchange. I'm sure Malia would agree with me that getting a Persian Leopard would be pretty freaking cool, so maybe you and Ahmadinejad could work through your differences and get Bo a new playmate? I'm sure the question "Dad, why can't you be more like Vladimir Putin?" is not one you want to hear over dinner.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
I enjoyed watching your jokes at the correspondent's dinner. While I think that Jay Leno was a poor choice, I respect that other people may have different tastes than mine. I assumed that, with a major environment crisis in the Gulf, a foiled car bomb in New York, an election imminent in the UK, several contentious state primaries, and the legislation aimed at the torment of pregnant women passed recently in Oklahoma, people would have more important things to talk about than the jokes you told at dinner. But I was wrong. (This is sort of your fault. If you hadn't encouraged me to embrace the spirit of civility by reading the Drudge Report, I'd never have found out about this.)
Anyway, it seems that some people feel that your Jonas Brothers/Predator drone joke wasn't really a laughing matter, considering the number of people even less threatening than the Jonas Brothers who are actually killed by these weapons every year. I'm a big fan of the "politically correct" and even I don't get this. Back in high school my dad used to joke about his gun collection/police buddies/access to criminal background checks to any boy who wanted to date me. It's lame dad humor. Every dad jokes about that, right? No one believes you're actually using the Predator drone as your own personal play-toy, right? I think the wars we're waging abroad are awful, morally baseless and catastrophically unfair, but I think getting upset over people actually getting killed is a far more useful way to spend one's emotional energy than to get upset over a joke that (no offense) was certainly not an original one.
Speaking of fatherly humor, I read some remarks by the First Lady about your daughter Malia's concern for saving the tiger population. I thought you should know that you're getting outpaced by Russia and Iran on this issue, or at least missing out on the heads of state big cat exchange. I'm sure Malia would agree with me that getting a Persian Leopard would be pretty freaking cool, so maybe you and Ahmadinejad could work through your differences and get Bo a new playmate? I'm sure the question "Dad, why can't you be more like Vladimir Putin?" is not one you want to hear over dinner.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Day 65- AWMS awareness month
Dear Mr. President,
I'm not a big fan of "history months." For one thing, I've never met any member of a group whose history is celebrated for a dedicated month who appreciates it. March is "Women's history month" which should incline me, as a woman, to make an effort to remember those who came before me, those women whose legacies are the rights and opportunities I'm lucky enough to possess. And they're pretty great. Today, however, I'd rather write about a woman who I feel embodies the complexity and contradiction of modern feminism, and who does so while daily under direct personal attack. She is a hero of my own, the First Lady Michelle Obama.
Mr. President, clearly I'm a supporter of yours. I worked to see you elected in 2008, and I intend to do so again in 2012. But, let's be honest, you wouldn't be President without Michelle. She's an amazing woman who is widely admired for her abilities as a wife and mother, but she's clearly brilliant and politically savvy, as well. She's remarkably able to balance the satisfaction and importance of being a devoted and talented mother with the demands of her intellect and professional pride. My own mother reads pretty much any article she can find about the First Lady, and often calls me up afterward just to tell me, again, how much she admires her and, by extension, you. Every time some moron in the media tries to paint your wife as a terrorist-fist-bumping-black-nationalist-radical-feminist-America-hater, I'm sure that my mother's TV gets worried about being struck by flying projectiles, and the Democratic party gets another flood of donations from her and similarly-minded individuals.
I'm not just writing this to be a gushing fan. While it is an unfortunate reality that the First Lady's accomplishments make her a target for attack from the disgruntled old world order of men and even women who don't see her role in our society as appropriate, I was particularly upset by an e-mail that was recently forwarded by a CEO from Tennessee. This man may have apologized, insisting it was "political humor," but I, personally, hopes that he continues to suffer the loss of friends and clients as a result. There is nothing political about his attack. It is, among other things, blatant sexism. Secretary Clinton can probably recall equally offensive attacks during her own time as First Lady. (I don't know of similar examples for Laura or Barbara Bush, but then, I feel as though the right has often been more swiftly critical of a First Lady.) Why are men like this CEO so threatened by women like the First Lady? My roommate and I have attributed this partially to "angry white man syndrome", a condition we see often, which manifests as chronic complaints about the difficulties of being white and male and unable to qualify for the perceived "special treatment" that women and minorities receive. This fear is certainly not something that a national history month will undo. I think that women would gladly rename March "Men's history month", if it gave us half of the seats in congress and equal pay in the professional world, or raised realistic expectations for a man's participation in domestic life. I'd sacrifice having doors opened or getting drinks paid for on my behalf, if it meant that I didn't have to worry about seeming too smart or too strong.
I appreciate the steps you've taken, Mr. President, to promote education, equality and recognition for the girls and women in our country and across the globe. A man benefiting from the love and support of a woman like Michelle must clearly have an appreciation for all of the roles a modern woman is expected to take on, and the importance, to society as a whole, of equal opportunity for women. Our nation is lucky to benefit from her wisdom as well as your own, and our country is stronger, your presidency improved, by her contributions. She is certainly not the only First Lady to have served her nation as well as her husband, and our country is in debt to many remarkable women who deserve so much more than a month on the calendar.
I hope that the First Lady continues to be an example for all of us to strive toward, even as her accomplishments make her a bigger target for those who fear her. Happy Women's History Month. May the sentiments that made such a month necessary be quickly outgrown.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
I'm not a big fan of "history months." For one thing, I've never met any member of a group whose history is celebrated for a dedicated month who appreciates it. March is "Women's history month" which should incline me, as a woman, to make an effort to remember those who came before me, those women whose legacies are the rights and opportunities I'm lucky enough to possess. And they're pretty great. Today, however, I'd rather write about a woman who I feel embodies the complexity and contradiction of modern feminism, and who does so while daily under direct personal attack. She is a hero of my own, the First Lady Michelle Obama.
Mr. President, clearly I'm a supporter of yours. I worked to see you elected in 2008, and I intend to do so again in 2012. But, let's be honest, you wouldn't be President without Michelle. She's an amazing woman who is widely admired for her abilities as a wife and mother, but she's clearly brilliant and politically savvy, as well. She's remarkably able to balance the satisfaction and importance of being a devoted and talented mother with the demands of her intellect and professional pride. My own mother reads pretty much any article she can find about the First Lady, and often calls me up afterward just to tell me, again, how much she admires her and, by extension, you. Every time some moron in the media tries to paint your wife as a terrorist-fist-bumping-black-nationalist-radical-feminist-America-hater, I'm sure that my mother's TV gets worried about being struck by flying projectiles, and the Democratic party gets another flood of donations from her and similarly-minded individuals.
I'm not just writing this to be a gushing fan. While it is an unfortunate reality that the First Lady's accomplishments make her a target for attack from the disgruntled old world order of men and even women who don't see her role in our society as appropriate, I was particularly upset by an e-mail that was recently forwarded by a CEO from Tennessee. This man may have apologized, insisting it was "political humor," but I, personally, hopes that he continues to suffer the loss of friends and clients as a result. There is nothing political about his attack. It is, among other things, blatant sexism. Secretary Clinton can probably recall equally offensive attacks during her own time as First Lady. (I don't know of similar examples for Laura or Barbara Bush, but then, I feel as though the right has often been more swiftly critical of a First Lady.) Why are men like this CEO so threatened by women like the First Lady? My roommate and I have attributed this partially to "angry white man syndrome", a condition we see often, which manifests as chronic complaints about the difficulties of being white and male and unable to qualify for the perceived "special treatment" that women and minorities receive. This fear is certainly not something that a national history month will undo. I think that women would gladly rename March "Men's history month", if it gave us half of the seats in congress and equal pay in the professional world, or raised realistic expectations for a man's participation in domestic life. I'd sacrifice having doors opened or getting drinks paid for on my behalf, if it meant that I didn't have to worry about seeming too smart or too strong.
I appreciate the steps you've taken, Mr. President, to promote education, equality and recognition for the girls and women in our country and across the globe. A man benefiting from the love and support of a woman like Michelle must clearly have an appreciation for all of the roles a modern woman is expected to take on, and the importance, to society as a whole, of equal opportunity for women. Our nation is lucky to benefit from her wisdom as well as your own, and our country is stronger, your presidency improved, by her contributions. She is certainly not the only First Lady to have served her nation as well as her husband, and our country is in debt to many remarkable women who deserve so much more than a month on the calendar.
I hope that the First Lady continues to be an example for all of us to strive toward, even as her accomplishments make her a bigger target for those who fear her. Happy Women's History Month. May the sentiments that made such a month necessary be quickly outgrown.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Day 59
Dear Mr. President,
Tonight on the TV at my gym I noticed that the reporter was talking about the results of your physical. It must be incredibly surreal having to have your cholesterol numbers reported in the press. Anyway, I've been trying to make it to the gym more often lately, a new years resolution that I haven't kept as well as I'd hoped. I'm not sure what my cholesterol levels are, but, good or bad, I definitely wouldn't want to hear about them in the news. I'm sorry our culture is so strange.
When I got home, I was still thinking about health, so I decided to check out the First Lady's "Let's Move!" site. I thought most of the information seemed to be very common-sense, but I probably wouldn't have felt that way before I'd been exposed to Michael Pollan and Mark Bittman's books about food politics. The Healthy Food Financing Initiative seems like a great idea. The convenience store in my neighborhood is one of the few that carries fresh produce and a variety of cooking staples, and I've often wished that more convenience stores could be this way. But I don't think this initiative is going to go far enough to make healthy food affordable and convenient.
Mr. President, I love eggs. Eggs are a major obstacle between me and an entirely vegan diet. I was very strict about only buying the eggs from a local farm that my co-op carries. They were pretty expensive- $6+ a dozen- but I knew the chickens that produced them were not abused or mistreated, were fed organic feed, and had the freedom to run around and act like chickens, and that my money was supporting local farmers, so it was worth it. These eggs had different colored shells, bright orange yolks, and were easily the best-tasting eggs I'd ever had. I think that, when eating food that comes from animals, it is always healthier and tastier if the animals got to live happily, like animals, not like commodities in a factory. Unfortunately, last week the co-op had a sign up saying the eggs will no longer be for sale, because the farm has had to shut down, due, in part, to the rising costs of organic feed.
Wouldn't it make more sense to have a system that subsidized farms like this one? That made it easier for every one to have access to the healthiest and freshest food, with the least environmental impact? I think that more people would buy organic food if it were less expensive, and I think the farm subsidies would be better spent encouraging organic farming practices, which would lower prices. Instead of paying for large farms to grow tons of corn and soy that end up as cheap chemical additives in processed food, shouldn't our tax dollars go toward making the healthiest foods also the cheapest and most widely available? I think that convenience is paramount to so many families that all the education in the world isn't going to change some people's dietary choices so long as eating healthy is still time and cost-prohibitive.
It appears to me, anyway, as though we're paying to create the problem and then paying more to try to solve it. I think the steps you're taking in the 2011 budget are commendable, I just don't know if it will be enough to reverse the effects of so many years of bad policy.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Tonight on the TV at my gym I noticed that the reporter was talking about the results of your physical. It must be incredibly surreal having to have your cholesterol numbers reported in the press. Anyway, I've been trying to make it to the gym more often lately, a new years resolution that I haven't kept as well as I'd hoped. I'm not sure what my cholesterol levels are, but, good or bad, I definitely wouldn't want to hear about them in the news. I'm sorry our culture is so strange.
When I got home, I was still thinking about health, so I decided to check out the First Lady's "Let's Move!" site. I thought most of the information seemed to be very common-sense, but I probably wouldn't have felt that way before I'd been exposed to Michael Pollan and Mark Bittman's books about food politics. The Healthy Food Financing Initiative seems like a great idea. The convenience store in my neighborhood is one of the few that carries fresh produce and a variety of cooking staples, and I've often wished that more convenience stores could be this way. But I don't think this initiative is going to go far enough to make healthy food affordable and convenient.
Mr. President, I love eggs. Eggs are a major obstacle between me and an entirely vegan diet. I was very strict about only buying the eggs from a local farm that my co-op carries. They were pretty expensive- $6+ a dozen- but I knew the chickens that produced them were not abused or mistreated, were fed organic feed, and had the freedom to run around and act like chickens, and that my money was supporting local farmers, so it was worth it. These eggs had different colored shells, bright orange yolks, and were easily the best-tasting eggs I'd ever had. I think that, when eating food that comes from animals, it is always healthier and tastier if the animals got to live happily, like animals, not like commodities in a factory. Unfortunately, last week the co-op had a sign up saying the eggs will no longer be for sale, because the farm has had to shut down, due, in part, to the rising costs of organic feed.
Wouldn't it make more sense to have a system that subsidized farms like this one? That made it easier for every one to have access to the healthiest and freshest food, with the least environmental impact? I think that more people would buy organic food if it were less expensive, and I think the farm subsidies would be better spent encouraging organic farming practices, which would lower prices. Instead of paying for large farms to grow tons of corn and soy that end up as cheap chemical additives in processed food, shouldn't our tax dollars go toward making the healthiest foods also the cheapest and most widely available? I think that convenience is paramount to so many families that all the education in the world isn't going to change some people's dietary choices so long as eating healthy is still time and cost-prohibitive.
It appears to me, anyway, as though we're paying to create the problem and then paying more to try to solve it. I think the steps you're taking in the 2011 budget are commendable, I just don't know if it will be enough to reverse the effects of so many years of bad policy.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Day 45
Dear Mr. President,
When I was a senior in high school, my AP English teacher assigned an essay on the nature of marriage. It was a challenging assignment for many of us with divorced families. Growing up, it often seemed that marriages would either end up bitterly broken, as my parents' had, or long slow, decays into mutual unhappiness or secret infidelity, as with most of the married couples I'd encountered. Marriage seemed like a prescription for disappointed hopes and heartbreak. As I've matured, I've witnessed maybe three truly happy marriages, and each one makes me hold my breath, terrified of the crash and burn I see as inevitable.
Back in high school I knew that looking for evidence that I was wrong about love would consume me in a way I'd never be comfortable with. It feels almost shameful, devoting so much of my energy to seeking out the validation from another person. I should be more self-reliant. I should have greater, grander plans. But I had to know, if only by constant trial, if it were possible that I was wrong. I've had my share of heartache in the process. I've seen my friends and family, men and women who I admire, brought down, broken by this feeling. We always bounce back. We always move on. People are practical, if not particularly romantic.
When I lived in DC I worked with a man who became my mentor, and his devotion to his wife, their loving union that seemed so natural and easy, challenged my preconceptions about marriage. What was most amazing to me was the nonchalance with which they viewed their happiness, as though married people who like each other were the most normal things in the world. Since then, I've seen a few more stereotype-defying couples. A monk in Jerusalem who left his whole life behind for the woman he loved. Childhood sweethearts who still glow at the sight of one another after 50 years. Even, or maybe, in light of your career, I should say especially, you and the First Lady. You two seem to be genuinely happy and in love, in a way that seems too real to conceivably be for the public's benefit. None of this, of course, is as simple and perfect as fictional romantic love, but still, it gives me hope. In a simple, silly way, I think I just need to be shown that love does last for those willing to work for it. I might never believe it, all the way. I might never feel secure in love. But I like the anomalies that keep the certainty of absolute cynicism at bay.
It's Valentine's Day, and I suppose I don't have anything better to say than thank you for being a role model in more ways than just your professional success. It means a lot, even to those of us who should be old enough, and experienced enough, to know better.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
When I was a senior in high school, my AP English teacher assigned an essay on the nature of marriage. It was a challenging assignment for many of us with divorced families. Growing up, it often seemed that marriages would either end up bitterly broken, as my parents' had, or long slow, decays into mutual unhappiness or secret infidelity, as with most of the married couples I'd encountered. Marriage seemed like a prescription for disappointed hopes and heartbreak. As I've matured, I've witnessed maybe three truly happy marriages, and each one makes me hold my breath, terrified of the crash and burn I see as inevitable.
Back in high school I knew that looking for evidence that I was wrong about love would consume me in a way I'd never be comfortable with. It feels almost shameful, devoting so much of my energy to seeking out the validation from another person. I should be more self-reliant. I should have greater, grander plans. But I had to know, if only by constant trial, if it were possible that I was wrong. I've had my share of heartache in the process. I've seen my friends and family, men and women who I admire, brought down, broken by this feeling. We always bounce back. We always move on. People are practical, if not particularly romantic.
When I lived in DC I worked with a man who became my mentor, and his devotion to his wife, their loving union that seemed so natural and easy, challenged my preconceptions about marriage. What was most amazing to me was the nonchalance with which they viewed their happiness, as though married people who like each other were the most normal things in the world. Since then, I've seen a few more stereotype-defying couples. A monk in Jerusalem who left his whole life behind for the woman he loved. Childhood sweethearts who still glow at the sight of one another after 50 years. Even, or maybe, in light of your career, I should say especially, you and the First Lady. You two seem to be genuinely happy and in love, in a way that seems too real to conceivably be for the public's benefit. None of this, of course, is as simple and perfect as fictional romantic love, but still, it gives me hope. In a simple, silly way, I think I just need to be shown that love does last for those willing to work for it. I might never believe it, all the way. I might never feel secure in love. But I like the anomalies that keep the certainty of absolute cynicism at bay.
It's Valentine's Day, and I suppose I don't have anything better to say than thank you for being a role model in more ways than just your professional success. It means a lot, even to those of us who should be old enough, and experienced enough, to know better.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Day 40- The snow
Dear Mr. President,
My condolences for the extreme weather in DC. Seeing the reports online, and hearing from my friends who still live in the city, it sounds slightly magical, almost as though the Senate leadership really could be making snow angels out on the mall. Two years ago we had our own Snow-pocalypse in Seattle, and I remember it being anything but magical, so I'll try to reign in my whimsical envy of your real winter and appreciate the mild mid-50's and sunny that Seattle has been graced with.
During that unreasonable cold winter, I was reading Cormac McCarthy's The Road, not a book I'd recommend during weather that inspires comparison to the end times. That being said, McCarthy's writing is some of the most beautiful I've ever experienced. Working at a bookstore, I'm lucky to be constantly exposed to great writing, new and old, and the people who love it. Your own reading tastes often influence what people are buying- Team of Rivals, The Post-American World and Netherland all became very difficult to keep in stock after you were spotted reading them.
Having a President who regularly reads and engages the public in what he is reading is a nice change, after 8 years under President Bush. I'm sure President Bush did read books. Dick Cheney used to shop at the Book store I started at, on L street. The books I saw him buy were almost always by Tom Clancy or aspiring Tom Clancy-types. Thrilling books, with good guys and bad guys. Books that assured the reader of the righteousness of the protagonists and the absolute evil of the villains. I'm not saying that this makes you better or smarter than the former VP, but I do believe that what we read informs our worldview, and, in my mind, Vice-President Cheney did little to disprove this.
Just because it is my job, (and it may not be, forever,) and probably the thing I do best, in the world, I'd like to suggest a few books.
For First Lady Michelle, I'd suggest a memoir, The Bread of Angels by Stephanie Saldana. It is a beautiful book by a remarkable woman, and a really enjoyable read.
For Malia and Sasha, as I know they, like me, appreciate Harry Potter, I suggest UnLunDun, by China Mieville and Coraline, by Neil Gaiman. They are two of my favorite books for young readers, and both feature strong, original female characters.
If you, Mr. President, came to my bookstore looking for something to read, (this is assuming I regained my ability to speak long enough to put forth a suggestion,) I'd offer Aravind Adiga's White Tiger for enjoyment, Daniyal Mueenuddin's In Other Rooms, Other Wonders for beauty, and, because walking a mile in the shoes of another isn't always possible, I Saw Ramallah by Mourid Barghouti.
And that is absolutely the most presumptuous I'm prepared to be, at least for now. Thank you, for humoring me. Happy reading. Enjoy the snow.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
My condolences for the extreme weather in DC. Seeing the reports online, and hearing from my friends who still live in the city, it sounds slightly magical, almost as though the Senate leadership really could be making snow angels out on the mall. Two years ago we had our own Snow-pocalypse in Seattle, and I remember it being anything but magical, so I'll try to reign in my whimsical envy of your real winter and appreciate the mild mid-50's and sunny that Seattle has been graced with.
During that unreasonable cold winter, I was reading Cormac McCarthy's The Road, not a book I'd recommend during weather that inspires comparison to the end times. That being said, McCarthy's writing is some of the most beautiful I've ever experienced. Working at a bookstore, I'm lucky to be constantly exposed to great writing, new and old, and the people who love it. Your own reading tastes often influence what people are buying- Team of Rivals, The Post-American World and Netherland all became very difficult to keep in stock after you were spotted reading them.
Having a President who regularly reads and engages the public in what he is reading is a nice change, after 8 years under President Bush. I'm sure President Bush did read books. Dick Cheney used to shop at the Book store I started at, on L street. The books I saw him buy were almost always by Tom Clancy or aspiring Tom Clancy-types. Thrilling books, with good guys and bad guys. Books that assured the reader of the righteousness of the protagonists and the absolute evil of the villains. I'm not saying that this makes you better or smarter than the former VP, but I do believe that what we read informs our worldview, and, in my mind, Vice-President Cheney did little to disprove this.
Just because it is my job, (and it may not be, forever,) and probably the thing I do best, in the world, I'd like to suggest a few books.
For First Lady Michelle, I'd suggest a memoir, The Bread of Angels by Stephanie Saldana. It is a beautiful book by a remarkable woman, and a really enjoyable read.
For Malia and Sasha, as I know they, like me, appreciate Harry Potter, I suggest UnLunDun, by China Mieville and Coraline, by Neil Gaiman. They are two of my favorite books for young readers, and both feature strong, original female characters.
If you, Mr. President, came to my bookstore looking for something to read, (this is assuming I regained my ability to speak long enough to put forth a suggestion,) I'd offer Aravind Adiga's White Tiger for enjoyment, Daniyal Mueenuddin's In Other Rooms, Other Wonders for beauty, and, because walking a mile in the shoes of another isn't always possible, I Saw Ramallah by Mourid Barghouti.
And that is absolutely the most presumptuous I'm prepared to be, at least for now. Thank you, for humoring me. Happy reading. Enjoy the snow.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Day 5
Dear Mr. President,
I just watched the First Lady's appearance on Iron Chef America. I've been so happy with her campaign for healthier eating habits- I lived in Washington DC for close to two years during the Bush administration, and I recall how difficult it was to get good produce in the city. Between the farmer's market and the White House garden, I think it is truly admirable how the First Lady uses her considerable abilities to influence what is fashionable and popular to encourage people to be healthier.
Shortly before the 2008 election, Michael Pollan wrote a letter to the next "Farmer-in-Chief" The points he makes about how food policy affects health and energy policies demonstrates how urgently we need comprehensive changes in the way we consume, grow and subsidize food in our country. Of course, government mandates about what and how we eat would not go over well with most Americans. Making eating choices that are environmentally and health-conscious is something that many Americans would not do if they felt forced to, but making such decisions fashionable is incredibly smart. The media is inevitably going to waste time obsessing over the First Lady's toned arms or what dress she wears with which shoes to meet which head of state, and I think it is brilliant that she has turned this obsessive attention into something positive. (Though so much inane coverage would probably still make a lesser person crazy.)
I wasn't always particularly conscious about what I ate. I've been a vegetarian my entire life, but in high school I thought that my mother's quest to find bread without high-fructose corn syrup was just one of her silly eccentricities. Now I get a weekly CSA produce box and irritate the hell out of my non-Pollan-groupie friends by reading the ingredient lists on everything we eat. I'll admit, this change has been largely due to the fact that I'm better off financially than I was before. Eating organic and cooking fresh food can be affordable, but for many it remains a hallmark of elitism. I do feel that this is an area where the government could be of more help. Shouldn't it subsidize food that results in less environmental damage and less strain on our health care system? Isn't that just common sense? Why would we pay for the industrial corn and soy that make us sick and is grown with chemicals that destroy the ecosystems of our farmland? I understand that altering the flow of that much money is difficult when the recipients have so much power and influence, but shouldn't our health be worth more than that?
Regardless of the steps our government might take to make it easier, I still feel the American people, and not our government, are largely to blame. We have to start voting with our dollars, or the industry will never be forced to change. I suppose this is why I'm so pleased about the First Lady's campaign. Our approach to food as a nation does need to be re-examined. The farm bill subsidies that make corn and soy by-products so cheap should be changed. But until our country is ready for that kind of drastic change, or responsible enough to decide to do what is best for our long-term health rather than our short-term gratification, I think making it trendy to eat organic vegetables is one of the best things any First Lady could do.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
I just watched the First Lady's appearance on Iron Chef America. I've been so happy with her campaign for healthier eating habits- I lived in Washington DC for close to two years during the Bush administration, and I recall how difficult it was to get good produce in the city. Between the farmer's market and the White House garden, I think it is truly admirable how the First Lady uses her considerable abilities to influence what is fashionable and popular to encourage people to be healthier.
Shortly before the 2008 election, Michael Pollan wrote a letter to the next "Farmer-in-Chief" The points he makes about how food policy affects health and energy policies demonstrates how urgently we need comprehensive changes in the way we consume, grow and subsidize food in our country. Of course, government mandates about what and how we eat would not go over well with most Americans. Making eating choices that are environmentally and health-conscious is something that many Americans would not do if they felt forced to, but making such decisions fashionable is incredibly smart. The media is inevitably going to waste time obsessing over the First Lady's toned arms or what dress she wears with which shoes to meet which head of state, and I think it is brilliant that she has turned this obsessive attention into something positive. (Though so much inane coverage would probably still make a lesser person crazy.)
I wasn't always particularly conscious about what I ate. I've been a vegetarian my entire life, but in high school I thought that my mother's quest to find bread without high-fructose corn syrup was just one of her silly eccentricities. Now I get a weekly CSA produce box and irritate the hell out of my non-Pollan-groupie friends by reading the ingredient lists on everything we eat. I'll admit, this change has been largely due to the fact that I'm better off financially than I was before. Eating organic and cooking fresh food can be affordable, but for many it remains a hallmark of elitism. I do feel that this is an area where the government could be of more help. Shouldn't it subsidize food that results in less environmental damage and less strain on our health care system? Isn't that just common sense? Why would we pay for the industrial corn and soy that make us sick and is grown with chemicals that destroy the ecosystems of our farmland? I understand that altering the flow of that much money is difficult when the recipients have so much power and influence, but shouldn't our health be worth more than that?
Regardless of the steps our government might take to make it easier, I still feel the American people, and not our government, are largely to blame. We have to start voting with our dollars, or the industry will never be forced to change. I suppose this is why I'm so pleased about the First Lady's campaign. Our approach to food as a nation does need to be re-examined. The farm bill subsidies that make corn and soy by-products so cheap should be changed. But until our country is ready for that kind of drastic change, or responsible enough to decide to do what is best for our long-term health rather than our short-term gratification, I think making it trendy to eat organic vegetables is one of the best things any First Lady could do.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
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