Obesity in the Desert

Michelle, Michelle, Michelle.

Side note: what do you call the First Lady? Is she "First Lady Michelle"? "Madame First Lady"? "Michelle, ma'belle"? "Anti-obesity Czar"?

You have opened up a whole new world to me. Food Deserts. I didn't even know they existed until you explained it to me! Actually, when I heard the term, I pictured my home town - it's literally a desert, and we had food...thus, it's a food desert. Then I thought maybe the term referred to the depressing situation where your town only has a few low-end, low-quality restaurants to choose from. Wrong again! You enlightened me that food deserts are areas in this country that do not have a grocery store close by. And based on your comments, it sounds like you think that having to take a cab, a bus, or a train to the store is just too far. Does that mean that the only people that don't live in food deserts are the ones who are within walking distance of a store? Wow! We are a solid 15-minute drive from the nearest grocery store...so we must be in the Sahara of Food Deserts!

Obviously, I find this "food desert" idea to be humorous and umm...WRONG. Mainly because of your proposed solution to the food desert issue. Your solution is typically liberal - have the government pay out millions of tax payer dollars to provide incentives for companies to build in the food deserts. What's another $400 million when we're so buried in debt already?! I'm sure we can look forward to a food desert tax at the grocery store soon. Here are my problems with your program, Michelle:

1. Having the federal government interfere with the free market by spending millions to bring in stores to "underserved areas" is simply another example of the government interfering with the private sector. Like it or not, grocery stores are built in places where it is beneficial to the company's bottom line. If there is an untapped area that has profit potential to a store, they will build there. If the area is not populated enough, or has a systemic crime problem, the economic incentive doesn't exist, and the company will look for another location.
2. Talking about "food deserts" really conveys the idea that people have had NO role in choosing where they live. It suggests that they were placed there - regardless of their preferences. If the distance to the nearest grocery store is really interfering with your life, you should move to an area that serves your needs better. Everyone has that option.
3. Mrs. First Lady, if you are interested in combating childhood obesity, then you shouldn't be trying to eliminate food deserts - you should be trying to create more of them! Common sense would suggest that the more limited ones access is to food, the smaller their waistline. Having a grocery store within walking distance of most kids would result in many of them using their allowance to buy the dreaded sodas and candy bars that they can't get at school any more. Save our children! Create food deserts!

All humor aside, this is yet another example from this administration of the underlying issue in this country: lack of personal responsibility. Once again, no one should have to face the consequences of their decisions. My husband and I moved to a different neighborhood last year. We did our research on the area, and we knew that we would be about 15 minutes from town. We still chose to move to the neighborhood, because we were willing to trade a little convenience for the peace and quiet of being in a more rural setting. When making our decision, we never thought that it should be the government's responsibility to make sure we had a grocery store nearby. We made sure that we would be satisfied with our new location "as is". The free market will take care of providing services where they are needed. Our freedom is that we can choose where we live - be it a food desert, or a food oasis. It's our choice, and not the government's business.


Every time we abdicate individual responsibilities to the government, it grows stronger and, in turn, more able to seize those freedoms that we treasure.