Reply #101: I heard George McGovern speak on Sunday... [View All]

[prairierose]

about his new book which details his plan to end world hunger. He has been working at this project since 1962. He introduced legislation in this country that began the school lunch program here.

I can remember being in school as a kid, before that program began, and seeing kids who did not have any lunch at school. The milk program was the only ting there was in the early '60s and even that had to be paid for but it was at a reduced cost. There were kids in my classes who couldn't afford that.

Today, every kid that can't afford school lunch can get it through the school. So they get at least one decent meal a day. Many schools also have breakfast programs now which are an extension of the lunch program.

The program that the Senator is advocating & has advocated through the UN for many years is a global extension of what we think of as our school lunch program. He was explaining that studies show that in countries where they have started pilot programs, school attendance goes up. Families know that their children will get at least one good meal a day. They are also starting pilot programs to extend what we think of as WIC programs along with the school lunch programs, providing staple foods for the family.

Where girls can go to school and go through at least the first 6 years of school, the birth rate drops from 6 to 2.3. So this program also tangentially affects birth rate in areas where the program is in effect.

This is a significant part of what the UN is trying to do with ending poverty in the world...the program the bushites are trying to kill.

Of course, I have to admit that I am prejudiced in favor of McGovern. He was my Senator for a good chunk of my life. I first met him when I was about 10. I campaigned with him in 1980, the year he lost his Senate seat. I never heard him say anything negative about anyone. He was and is a truly nice man who cares about people. And he looks absolutely great for a man of 83, still strong and ready to travel and speak about this issue of world hunger that he has been so involved with for so long.