Cold Cheese Sandwich Compassion

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2008
Cold Cheese Sandwich Compassion
67
Sat, 03-07-2009 - 3:04pm

Something for nothing is the new American way. Free school lunch, free housing, free day care, free health care. Everything now is to become free. We are all entitled.

The following article dares to look at what something for nothing really is. Let this serve as a warning while we leap into the world of endless entitlement. Something for nothing could wind up being a cold cheese sandwich, warm milk, and a mealy fruit.

http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/03/cold_cheese_sandwich_compassio.html

The "village" is dishing out free lunch. Unfortunately, the natives are restless because the only provision on the collective cauldron is a "cold cheese sandwich." School districts all across America are under attack over the sandwich, fruit and carton of milk provided gratis for students without lunch money or those who fail to pay the tab for charged lunches. The initiative is called the "cheese sandwich policy" implemented as an effort to prevent children from going hungry, while insuring the district's budget remains unstrained.

Tearful mothers pleaded with school districts to stop singling out children by feeding them cheese sandwiches. Students are vowing, they "...will never eat sliced cheese again" after having to eat them as a "courtesy meal." Cheese sandwich anger is palpable and is being interpreted as a "singling out or punishment" of poor children.

One example is the Albuquerque New Mexico school district, which is the fifth largest in the country and should serve as an example to the rest of us of what happens when governmental type entitlement programs are instituted to meet needs that are deemed "rights" for large groups of people. What occur are "cold cheese sandwich" programs considered adequate by dispensers of the privilege, but below the expectations of recipients?

We live in a deluded state of entitlement in this country. Our perceptions of what we deserve don't quite line up with our bottom line. Not being able to meet the expense of a house doesn't stop some of us from purchasing one, forgoing the mortgage payment, blaming predatory lenders for our predicament and expecting the government to come up with the monetary solution. This type of attitude is indicative of the practice of sending children to school without lunch, running up a delinquent tab, expecting kids to be eligible for free hot pastrami on rye and then protesting when all they get is a "cold cheese sandwich".

We were once a nation that assumed responsibility for the needs of our own family. Never would we expect our food or housing to be provided by anyone other than ourselves and we worked hard as proud providers. Over the last twenty years, we're become a country that views itself as "entitled" and deserving of governmental provision of shelter, transportation, education and of course health care. We're sucking our thumb, curled up in the fetal position on the lap of a lactating Nanny state. However, when the government provides what is standard government colostrums we're shocked, appalled and dissatisfied with the stipulations.

We've eagerly elected politicians who are "changing" America into something against the grain of who and what we've historically been, yet we're still expecting what we've been used to -- just minus a monthly statement of any kind. Sorry comrades it doesn't work that way. American's are about to find out that "cold cheese sandwiches" are government cuisine and like it or not we're going to have to gag down dry sandwiches, warm WIC milk and a mealy, rotten apple if we don't wake-up in a hurry.

It is going to be very interesting to see the reaction of American's, who are eagerly awaiting single-payer Universal Health Care and who falsely imagine that for "free" they will have the same access and quality they presently enjoy These are same hoodwinked individuals who think they can skip mortgage payments and remain in their homes or overlook lunch tabs but still demand personal size pizzas and Acai-Blueberry-Pomegranate Vitamin Water without charge.

We are an impatient nation griping on deli lines, exhibiting road rage when caught in traffic, avoiding the inefficient DMV, walking out of the diner if the waitress dawdles and buying stamps online because it takes too long at the US post office. Surprisingly, this is the same group that thinks Universal Health Care is a panacea in waiting.

Wait until Americans get a "cold cheese sandwich" slapped onto the lunch tray of reality.

"Many Americans look to Canada's Medicare program ...ignoring the very real costs that system imposes ... long wait times that can stretch into months or even years of painful and detrimental delay. Chronic conditions can become acute, with increased morbidity and mortality, and curable malignancies may become incurable" (Waiting Your Turn, Studies in Health Care Policy, Fraser Institute, October 2008).

If parents are complaining to school boards about children's free lunches wait until curable cancers become incurable because of rationed treatment.

The same citizens who are complaining about "government cheese" sandwiches will be begging for the right to eat one when Universal Health Care restrictions decide the menu. Wait until loss of personal freedom is driven home to dying people who, while waiting for treatment, crave a gooey, grilled cheese sandwich and are then forced to pay increased taxes on the meal because butter, cheddar and white bread are considered detrimental to health and responsible for putting undue strain the health care system. We are in grave danger of finding ourselves sitting around gumming government "cheese sandwiches" because a socialistic Sugar Daddy reprimanded us for the candy stuck in our teeth costing us our dentures.

The witch doctors are entering the village and we're on the precipice of giving government unprecedented control over our lives, which I promise will nurture a response similar to Danessa Vigil's over her free cheese sandwich when she said, "... it makes me feel like I want to throw up"

Wouldn't it be better to insure that the choices available to us are dictated only by our own resources, driven by personal responsibility and initiative? The American people should reevaluate the cost of what the federal, state or local government considers free and if they don't want to have their entire life transformed into a giant, "cold cheese sandwich" maybe they should bag their own lunch and accept responsibility for their lives.

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Avatar for claddagh49
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-20-2004
Fri, 03-13-2009 - 5:51pm

Here is a sample menu from my grandson's school. Like I said, if he knows they are having something he doesn't like, he packs, but lately my son hasn't bought lunchmeat. My grandsons favorite lunchmeat is lebanon baloney or turkey. My son buys thoes Marie Calander entrees for himself 3 days a week, and they buy out on thursdays. He only works till noon on Fridays. they also have a choice of getting salad bar, same price 2.00


http://www.qcsd.org/tohickon/cwp/view.asp?A=3&Q=286051

Avatar for lucy4980
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 03-13-2009 - 6:46pm

Of those options, it sounds like the PB&J with fruit is the most healthful - least processed and

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-30-2002
Fri, 03-13-2009 - 6:55pm
My SO and I were just


iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2007
Fri, 03-13-2009 - 6:58pm

We don't have section 8 here, but I have a friend that lives in a complex about 10 miles away.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2007
Fri, 03-13-2009 - 7:32pm

So,

Avatar for claddagh49
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-20-2004
Fri, 03-13-2009 - 11:06pm
Since when is tuna fish processed, when did salad become processed.
Avatar for claddagh49
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-20-2004
Sat, 03-14-2009 - 9:16am

Ok, I don't know what it is like in your area schools, but in my area a lot of the foods are made right there in the kitchens(just like home) I know this for a FACT. How do I know this? I worked in Food Service for 11 years. Five years in School Cafeterias. Are you aware that peanut butter and CHEESE are GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIZED? Yep, they sure are. the peanut butter comes in those big industrial sized cans. We had to open the can, put it in a mixer and pour a cup of oil(also subsidized) into the peanut butter and mix it until smoothe. I made amny more than my share of P&J sandwiches,LOL Usually like 7-11 loves a day.Yes, there are many items that come in from other food service companies(you know the type that service Restaurants,) and I'm not talking Mickey D's or Burger King.


I don't like those Lunchtables, I would rather my grandson eat in the school cafeteria, than eat a lunchtable. I'm curious what you think is a wholesome sandwich? What lunchmeat isn't processed? It HAS to be in many cases loaded with preservatives. If you want to send cut up fresh cold veggies, like brocolli or cauliflower, carrot sticks, celery sticks, with a dip, how many calories do you think is in ranch dip? Plus, it will need to be kept in a lunchbag with a cold pack in it. AND, yes, the schoold DO give that as a choice on many days. Plus fresh fruit like apple slices, or orange wedges, or grapes.


I am thinking the real complaint here is people not liking to see their tax dollars go to subsidize school lunches. Me, my complaint about the cost is my son doesn't receive any child support, for my grandson. She can't afford it,well, neither could he when she had the custody, but that's another long story. I think she could at least pay 40.00 a month for his lunches.


There are numerous things I don't like to see my taxes go to, WAR for one thing, an unnecessary war at that! I don't like our congresscritters getting an expense account and knowing they probably take family and friends out and charge it to their expense accounts!

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-05-2009
Sat, 03-14-2009 - 3:25pm

So on some level it is about fitting in socially. That's fine, whatever people need to get them by I guess. My child will have to grow a thicker skin and learn to stand up to being a social pariah.


Please take what I'm going to say as in I mean it in the nicest way.....


Don't be so quick to think your dd will be just fine living as a social pariah. I've been there with my ds-19. School was a nightmare. The bullying was unbelievable. There's not much more heartbreaking than this...


We also went without tv until DS was 11 or 12. Then we had it for a month or two (antennae that got 3 channels), and cable for a month or two when he was about 13.


I didn't do it for any greater purpose... just that when he was really small we couldn't afford it. Then we moved out to the country and cable wasn't available, and satellite was unaffordable for us then... it was just becoming popular.


We now get 1 or 2 channels on a windy day... 3 if calm.


There is some evidence that tv helps kids in socialization skills. I thought my son had all the skills that I provided.. but I was wrong.


I'm certainly not saying that is true with your dd... just a caution.


Maybe I just live in a really bizarre area, but I DO work with adults, that bring their lunch to work EVERY DAY. Often to the envy of the men/women they work with that are buying the fast food junk.


I guess I don't understand why an adult would be jealous of another's lunch. It's not like they couldn't figure out how to make their own. But anyway, I never worked with anyone that brought their lunch every single day....


I'm just wondering when brown bagging it became a bad/sad/deprivation thing to be avoided or one would be a social pariah because of it? When did sandwiches become the bottom of the food chain (no pun intended) or low/no class?


I don't know. But it doesn't change the fact that kids are cruel. And when it's your kid... the last thing you'll be thinking about is if she feels "entitled" to do what the other kids do. Or if you feel she might be "deprived" of fitting in.


It's sort of like making coffee at home instead of needing a blended half caf, mocha, skim , latte, no foam.......whatever.


I guess... I've never had anything but a regular cup of coffee every now and then from a convenience store.


If a kid has to eat a cold cheese sandwich or pb&j they are going to be mentally damaged for life now because they have been socially damaged? (Not speaking of claddagh, speaking of that mindset in general)


Oh hell no! You got that right! I don't know why the parents who didn't pay for lunches complained their child got something, instead of nothing, in the first place. Especially over a cheese sandwich.. geez.


There is a huge difference between no nutrition, and not being able to learn because of it, and nutrition that is labeled more "socially acceptable."


True. And I don't know if that's what the parents' problem was with the cheese sandwich, but again, I don't think we should judge if someone has their kid eat almost all their lunches at school.


My school lunches, nor my son's, were that horrible. We were in very rural schools, all the food was prepared in the kitchen of the campus... and the lunch ladies took pride in what they cooked.

Avatar for claddagh49
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-20-2004
Sat, 03-14-2009 - 3:51pm
I never said there was anything wrong with a child packing their own lunch. My DH takes leftovers from the night before all the time. he takes his own thermos of coffee, he says I'll be darned if
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2007
Sat, 03-14-2009 - 4:43pm

I just want to add,

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