This came straight off Governor McCrory's official website:
"Governor McCrory announced today that approximately 6,700 pounds of fresh turnip greens harvested at the state prison farm at Caledonia Correctional Institution are being delivered to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina."
"Governor McCrory announced today that approximately 6,700 pounds of fresh turnip greens harvested at the state prison farm at Caledonia Correctional Institution are being delivered to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina."
This is the first of four planned deliveries. They plan to deliver a total of 26,800 pounds of turnip greens. It could be even more than that if the number of needy people increases.
The Governor presented cookies to women concerned about their reproductive rights and thought that cake was "a child's request" when I stood outside his mansion late at night with a protest sign.
Do you think North Carolina's citizens fell off the turnip truck, Governor? Are you just that out of touch with the citizens you represent?
Maybe you were unaware that in the Old South, the slave masters kept the turnips for themselves and gave the discarded turnip greens to their slaves. Perhaps you don't know how offensive it was to brag about giving turnip greens to hungry North Carolinians. This is your chance to apologize.
"Maybe you were unaware that in the Old South, the slave masters kept the turnips for themselves and gave the discarded turnip greens to their slaves."
ReplyDeleteExcept, this isn't the Old South and slavery has been abolished for 150 years. Turnip greens are a staple of nutrients found in most grocery stores with a significant number of recipes. Lots of foods that are common today started out as 'less than desirable,' but should the quality and value of food be measured by its quality and value nearly 200 years ago? What would you rather have had him do with the greens? Discard them? "I have over 13 tons of food here that we don't really need, but someone might make a vague connection to slavery so instead of deliver it to homeless shelters and food banks, I'm just going to let it rot into the dirt." This is a prime example of a 'cause' looking for a problem.
So last weekend I went to a fantastic restaurant and had a delicious Osso Bucco over spicy turnip greens. Am I to be offended the chef served me greens because 200 years ago plantation owners fed them to slaves? Should I go demand an apology for this injurious meal?
ReplyDeleteI’m assuming you realize turnip greens are a pretty common food in the South, despite their inglorious past. Also that they are VERY nutritious and have high levels of calcium, fiber, and Vitamins A,K, and C.
Do you honestly believe the Governor owes anyone an apology because he gave a nutritious, common, low cost food to a food bank? Will the hungry people turn up their noses at free greens because of their use 200 years ago? Or are you just clinging to a ridiculous imagined slight based on a historical anecdote to preen and feign outrage? I think we all know the answer is the latter. You undermine your credibility and make it clear you are a partisan ideologue who will criticize McCrory no matter what he does when you churn out such rubbish. No apology will be received as none is required.
McCrory is a politician. By nature he will say or do something stupid and worthy of apology before long. Save your indignity and hold your apology demands for a time when one is actually needed.
Chris and Matt, you totally missed the point of the post. And demonstrated that a 12 y.o. has the intellect and greater emotional IQ than the average grown-up. Madison, you keep on doing your thing. Girls rule, but smart girls ROCK!
ReplyDeleteMissed the point? Seems to me that the point was to declare that McCrory is, somehow, "out of touch" because the food he commissioned to be donated to needy people was once served to slaves. The point was that McCrory won't do anything right in her eyes - no matter how positive it is. The point is that people are still even today associating things in existence today with an institution that hasn't existed for two centuries.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Madison has notable intellect and articulation for her age. I just disagree with her on this issue - in fact, I believe that this isn't even an issue. She just needed content for her blog and this came up. I get that - I've run a few blogs, too, and sometimes you have to grasp for content.
It's just not very responsible turning a benevolent act such as donating significant amounts of nutritious food to food pantries into something nefarious just because you don't like the person who is performing the act.
I agree that Madison should continue to speak her mind and post things that are important to her. While I may disagree with some of the things she says, I certainly don't begrudge her right to speak it and applaud her for having the guts to speak out about what she believes in in public forums. Not many her age are able to do that. So yes, good job to her. I'm not discounting that at all and applaud her for it.
On the converse, though, she does need to accept that when she does post things that are politically-motivated and charged, she will take heat from the other sides of the fences. Political activism is a nasty arena at times and you have to know what you're getting into. I'm sure she's aware of that and, considering her articulation and rationalization, was not likely offended by either mine or Matt's responses and just took them as (albeit somewhat aggressive) differences of opinion.
I was not offended. Not at all. In ways we agree. In ways, I agree with McCrory too because I think allowing prisoners to grow food and helping them learn trades and contribute to a sustainable future is a good idea.
DeleteI'm sure these prisoners grow more food than just turnip greens though. Hopefully they grow other food used to feed the hungry. If the article on the Governor's website had listed lots of foods and turnip greens were just one thing on the list, I would have seen it differently.
However, just mentioning the turnip greens and nothing else was a little odd to me. I appreciate your comments and when dissent is expressed as rationally and reasonably as it has been expressed here, it makes the world better because it takes a lot of different ideas and opinions to make this country great. I'm not offended, but thankful.