Letter to the editor: Milk bill was not a simple issue and called for caution

Just a few comments on the school milk bill that was voted down in the North Dakota Legislature recently. After reading an excellent editorial from the Grand Forks Herald about it on Tuesday, I was disappointed at the editorial from The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead and letter to the editor from Ashley Roeske in Thursday’s Jamestown Sun. Didn’t they read the Herald editorial? If they did they sure didn’t mention any of the very important points brought up on why the bill failed. People who truly are “for the children” should be working hard with organizations that are trying to help families be more responsible and place their priorities in the right order. For example, I would bet a lot of money that most parents who claim to not be able to afford break time milk or juice, are easily able to afford cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, gambling and on and on. Is paying for their children’s milk going to solve these chronic problems? Or make them worse? I would say give the children milk and work with social services to better educate the family on what their priorities should be and collect the money. If they really are in poverty with the booming economy we have in North Dakota today, they should be getting counseling anyway. All of the problems caused by the things I mentioned are going to be much much worse “for the children” than not having milk at break in school, I guarantee you.

People who are so quick to criticize what they see as a slam dunk, should take note of and give a lot of thought to the old but true axiom: “Give a person a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a person to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.” If you are brought up to rely on yourself for your own well-being and care you will never be disappointed. If you rely on government or others for support you will always be disappointed and never be completely satisfied. President Barack Obama and other liberals have succeeded in placing many millions of Americans into poverty and are by no means ready to change their mind or course. Sad as the national deficit and debt are, they are not the worst consequence of all this “help” that government doles out. The worst things are the destruction of the family, discouraging self- reliance, and, in the end, eliminating hope for the future.

Tags: north dakota legislature, opinion, letters