I’d like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the people who donated food, money and clothing to those people who are less fortunate than the rest of us during the past holiday season.

Despite all of their efforts, especially in the area of donating food and money for food, their contributions barely made a dent in the ongoing need, because community-based soup kitchens and food pantries will never solve the food crisis in America. The culprits are Congress and the federal government. Their policy is to pay massive amounts of taxpayer money to agribusiness, while cutting funds for food stamps.

Experience has taught me that most of the people who are very generous during the holidays go back to their homes until the next year. I want to encourage everyone to view the documentary film “A Place at the Table.” Then, after you watch the documentary, write your senators and member of Congress and demand a change in government food policy.

If you watch the movie, you will see that Congress pays agribusinesses not to grow food, while family farms and farmers who grow fruits and vegetables receive virtually nothing. The crime in this is that the agribusinesses grow corn, wheat and soybeans, which are turned into the cheapest and most processed food.

Food stamp recipients tend to buy this processed and junk food. The result is that their children suffer long-term deficencies and a lack of brain development and cognitive skills because the children do not eat foods that contain vitamins and minerals.

If a foreign country were poisoning our children, we would go to war with them to stop the destruction of our children. Because it is our government, we do nothing.

James L. Audiffred

Saco


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