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lune 29, 2005
Opinion articles do not
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New Food Pyramid Hard to Stomach
Industry influence
contaminated result
by K athryn M ulvey
Many o f us greeted the unveiling o f the
governm ent’s new food pyram id with a m ix
ture o f puzzlem ent and confusion. Indeed,
the dizzying layers o f rainbow -colored lines
helped distract from the fact that the food
industry’s fingerprints are all over the new
dietary guidelines-in ways that hurt rather
than help consum ers.
What most people d o n 't realize is that the
U.S. D epartm ent o f A griculture’s original
vision for the pyram id included visual indi
cato rs to show people how often they
should eat certain foods. Pastries and do
nuts, for exam ple, would be m arked “occa
sional.” But these guidelines are now no
where to be found in the new pyram id thanks
to giant food corporations and their lobby
ists.
P erh ap s the m ost g larin g e v id en ce o f
th e i n d u s t r y ’ s i n f lu e n c e is th e
g o v e r n m e n t’s r e f u s a l to re c o m m e n d
w hich foods not to eat, w hile p u ttin g a
strong em p h asis on in d iv id u al re sp o n si
b ility . T he only m ention o f u n healthy
foods in new dietary g u id e lin e s is a gentle
rem in d er to “know the lim its on fats, su g
ars and s a lts .”
Also m issing are recom m endations lim it
ing the am ount o f food people eat. C onsid
ering that 28 percent o f Am erican men and
34 percent o f women are obese, this om is
sion is especially troubling.
A m erica’s obesity epidem ic is now the
nation’s second leading cause of prevent
able deaths. U.S. governm ent guidelines on
food and nutrition should provide specific
recommendations to limit foods high in sugar
and salt, which can contribute to obesity
and other serious health problem s, includ
ing diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood
p ressure.
O ur o rg a n iz a tio n is c u rre n tly su p p o rt
ing national and in tern atio n al reg u la tio n s
that w ould hold food m an u factu rers ac-
co u n ta b le for th e ir c o n trib u tio n s to the
global obesity epidem ic. Specifically m ea
sures to cu rta il the p rom otion o f ju n k
food and inform con su m ers ab o u t the
dan g ers o f foods high in sugar, salt and
fat.
T he U SD A food pyram id is a trusted
A m erican icon th a t m any o f us first e n
c o u n te r in grade school. It then follow s
us th ro u g h o u t a d u lth o o d as we becom e
p a re n ts o u rselv es, resp o n sib le for p la n
ning m eals fo r our fam ilies. S om ething so
e sse n tia l to our w ell-b ein g sh o u ld n ’t fall
into the hands o f the food in d u stry — or
any o th e r p riv a te in dustry w hose bottom
line could c o n flic t w ith w h a t’s b est for
our health. T h a t’s w hat m akes the food
in d u stry ’s in cred ib le in fluence o v er the
g o v e rn m e n t’s dietary g u id e lin e s so hard
to stom ach.
Kathryn Mulvey is the executive director
o f Corporate Accountability International,
a membership organization that challenges
irresponsible and dangerous corporate ac
tions around the world.
our health,
cate of each other.
Planned Parenthood.
Community
Left Behind
“the interest of students at heart."
The fact that one is willing to volun
teer speaks clearly to the condition
of the heart. W hat’s important is for
people to be able to ask the hard
questions. When hard questions
by B yrd
have been asked before, they are
W hile some herald Portland often labeled as angry, hostile and
Public Schools Superintendent passionate and don’t get answered.
Vicki P hillips’ latest attem pt to
Those seeking a seat on the de
involve the com m unity in the re sign team were also asked to “pos
configuration o f Jefferson High sess a variety of experiences in the
School as a good faith effort, oth community.” W ouldn’t it stand to
ers view Phillips’ plan as yet an reason that if one is raised in a
other divisive tactic im posed by particular com m unity that they
the school district, and that these would have enjoyed a variety of
experiences?
efforts will com e to naught.
Last month, Phillips revealed the
The design team is supposed to
process by which the Jefferson clus be representative of parents, com
ter design and planning team will be munity and faith based organiza-
Jefferson cluster
planning team
should include all
I f Phillips truly wants to deal
with the predominantly black
Jefferson cluster, then she
should do just that, deal with the
entire Jefferson cluster.
comprised: The superintendent,
along with the student representa
tive of the board, would meet with
and take recommendations for stu
dents to sit on the design team from
W hitaker and Tubm an M iddle
Schools and Jefferson High School.
The Portland Teachers Associa
tion and principals would recom
mend teachers.
How can the design and plan
ning team be defined as involv
ing the com m unity w hile sim ulta
neously defining the com m unity ?
In addition, it sets an im m easur
able if not ridiculous criterion,
insulting the intelligence o f the
predom inantly black Jefferson
community. No such criterion has
ever existed in dealing with other
are a s w ithin P o rtlan d P ublic
Schools.
The superintendent also sought
individuals who possess the abil
ity, among other things, to have
tions, businesses, higher educa
tion and school-based partners. A
team made up of 15-20 individuals
is wanted.
This procedure m arginalizes if
not om its genuine com m unity in
put by creating a lottery like con
dition w hereby m any hope to be
selected to this so-called com
m u n ity p r o c e s s a n d th a t
shouldn’t be.
If Phillips truly wants to deal
w ith the predom inantly black
Jefferson cluster, then she should
do just that, deal with the entire
Jefferson cluster. Instead, Phillips
defaults to a handpicked selection
process that will not represent the
many voices within the Jefferson
community. She should reject this
filtered process and open it up to
the community. Otherwise, she will
leave an entire community behind.
Byrd is a local community ac
tivist.
c a t e u lt o u l
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I
Two Wrongs Do Not Make it Right
Appalling reactions
to a temper tantrum
by
J ermaine A. W yrick
tried to hit her principal, her arms were too short
to reach her which precluded her from causing
any harm. Moreover, five-year olds do not even
know what the word reckless means.
There is a clear line of delineation between the
goals of the juvenile justice system and the adult
criminal justice system. Certainly the measures
taken by the three sheriffs who handcuffed her
were punitive, which is consistent with the goals
of the adult criminal justice system.
A prom inent issue is whether the sheriffs
violated her constitutional rights. At the time
law enforcem ent arrived, the child was not
A whirlwind of contro
versy began when a video
tape was released depicting
the handcuffing of a five-
year old African-American
girl at her school by law
enforcement officials after
she was engaged in disobe
dient and mischievous be
havior. The public outcry led to an
investigation as to whether the
law enforcement officials exer
cised bad judgment or conversely
acted appropriately.
Was she treated fairly? As
with any five-year old, she was
small, dwarfed in size, outnumbered and outgunned acting wrong because she had calm ed down
by three law enforcement officials. Factually, and was sitting down. Consequently, she did
she was sitting in a chair and calmed down when not pose a threat to anyone whatsoever, not
the three sheriffs arrived. The sheriffs forcibly school authorities, classm ates, nor the sher
stood her up, pinned her hands behind her back, iffs. The egregious conduct in escalating the
put handcuffs on her. She screamed no and cried. situation - handcuffing her - constituted dis
The scene was videotaped as part o f a classroom ruptive, reckless, and violent behavior itself,
self-improvement exercise. Before the sheriffs and accordingly wrong.
arrived she tore papers off a bulletin board and
The actions of the sheriffs were reprehen
punched an assistant principal.
sible. unconscionable, and inexcusable. At her
Her temper tantrum was caused by her jelly tender age, does this teach her the right lesson?
beans being taken from her. What is appalling is Absolutely not! The law enforcement agency
the actions demonstrate perhaps one of society’s should be held accountable and implement self-
most pernicious evils - racism. A salient issue is improvement measures with respect to the treat
whether a five-year old Caucasian girl has been ment of citizens, even the youngest ones, with
treated the same way. Further, her behavior has respect to basic fundamental human principles
been characterized as disruptive, reckless, and of dignity, freedom, and liberty.
violent. How can a five-year old child who does
Jermaine A. Wyrick is an attorney from
not even have a weapon be violent? When she Detroit, Mich.
How can a five-year old
child who does not even
have a weapon be violent?y