I realize I’m going to lose some fans with this letter, but I hope that I was not the only one disturbed to read in The News on July 23^rd that TCS is going to be serving free breakfast and lunch to all school students.

I cannot think of a parental responsibility more basic than feeding one’s children. I can’t think of a better way to rob parents of dignity than to have Washington feed their children. No, it is not “…wonderful for our school district.” as Dr. Stephens states. Increasing “… our participation by 25 percent in breakfast and 12 percent in lunch” is not success, as Director of Nutrition Angela White states. It shows that we are failing as a community. We’re failing our children.

We are told to treat others as we would like to be treated. If I were a hungry child, I wouldn’t want someone to just hand me a sandwich. I would want someone to figure out why my parents weren’t feeding me. If I’m not even being fed, what is my home life like? If I were a responsible parent unable to feed my children, I would want a job that would allow me to do so, not a hand-out.

Logistically this is a terrible method. Government is taking on the responsibility of paying for kids’ food, causing families to get used to not needing to do so. What happens on weekends or when there is a multi-day snow event? What if Washington cuts the program? It is much better to have parents feeding their children, with relatives and friends backstopping them, then the community, then the city and state. The Federal Government should be the last resort and we should never get that far, especially with it $35T in debt. Because the government gives the minimum, food quality will also be substandard for all of our children (note the need to sell “extras” to increase revenue for the cafeterias).

Instead of solving non-existent food truck issues, how about the Tullahoma Government figures out how to attract good jobs like factories, expanded commerce, and services to the area so that parents can afford to raise their families. Let’s see churches and others step up to get people working and cover those who truly cannot support themselves. Let’s set the goal for no student in Tullahoma to need to rely on Washington to eat by 2028. Let’s have those kids grow up believing in standing on their own rather than relying on the government for basic necessities.

Joseph Sheeley

Tullahoma