Let Them Eat Cake

One of the great things about being an American is that we are a mixture of many nationalities and religions. I celebrate Easter and Christmas without being Christian. I celebrate St. Patrick's Day without being Irish. Tomorrow I will celebrate Cinco de Mayo without being Mexican. Cinco de Mayo (the fifth of May) is a holiday which commemorates the Battle of Puebla. For those of us who live in southern California, it is big. We drink cervezas and margaritas, and eat delicious Mexican food.  Even before I became a vegetarian, when in a Mexican restaurant, I would often order refried beans, rice and tortillas for a meal. The rice and beans are usually side dishes for entrees like enchiladas or chile rellano, but I think the beans and rice are the very best part. They are nutritious. Combined they also form a complete protein, important when meat is not a part of the diet.

One of the great things about being an American is that we have freedom of speech. The vast majority of people in the world do not enjoy this privilege, of saying whatever we want. Sean Hannity, an American media personality, recently commented that no one needs to go to bed hungry if they have some beans and rice. It is his right as an American to voice his opinion.

One of the great things about being an American is that we have a free market. That means that theoretically it is possible for any little child to grow up to amass a net worth of $35 million, which happens to be what Mr. Hannity's net worth is thought to be. It is his right to be wealthy, and anyone who is able to prosper financially in an honest way has my blessing. Go for it. There is nothing wrong with that.

One of the great things about being an American is that we have a lot of choices when it comes to food. Not long ago I heard a comment that many poor Americans are fat so obviously they aren't hungry. It is entirely possible to be overweight or even obese and be malnourished. That's because processed foods and fast foods are cheap and readily available. If money is tight, getting the $1 item at a fast food restaurant is actually cheaper than finding a supermarket with good deals on fruits and vegetables. Not that you can't be poor and still have a good diet, but it is challenge. If you're a child, you depend on what your parents provide for your meals. So while it is true that kids in our country don't have the bloated stomachs of children in third world countries who are literally dying of starvation, the problem of both kids and adults not having enough of the right kinds of food to not just survive, but thrive, is very real. To be fair, Mr. Hannity did say later on that rice and beans were not enough; fruits and vegetables need to be included as well.

One of the great things about being an American is that we are a land of plenty. Many of us thrive. The sad thing is, some of us just survive.

Susan