Editorial

Remember the slogan, "You are what you eat"? Most of us agree that our choice of foods does play an important role in our health and well-being as individuals.

But food choices also go well beyond the personal level. They have an impact on society as a whole. How food is produced, its effect on the environment, and justice for farm workers are some of the issues surrounding the food we eat.

Promoting discussion. To promote discussion of these issues, the National Catholic Rural Life Conference (NCRLC) has developed a program with the thought-provoking title, "Eating Is a Moral Act." It includes an Eaters' Bill of Rights urging consumers to ask questions about the conditions of food production such as:

• Was the environment harmed?
• Is the food safe?
• Were the animals treated with dignity and respect?
• Was the food produced on farms by family farmers or by factories?
• Were the farmers paid a just wage?
• Did the farm workers have safe and healthy working conditions? Were the contracts used fair?
• Were the processing plant and warehouse workers paid just wages and given reasonable work schedules?
• Was the food produced locally or transported for thousands of miles?
• Is the food system controlled by a few cartels?

Go beyond giving thanks. Many of us take our food for granted. Of course, we should give thanks for the bountiful harvest we enjoy throughout the year. But beyond thanks, we should reflect on the source and condition of our food. It might promote some lively discussion around our dinner tables during the holiday season.

Make changes. We might also reconsider our own shopping and eating habits. My husband and I have already made some changes. This summer, we decided to resume shopping at one of our local farmers' markets. It was fun to browse through the stalls with colorful fruits and vegetables, to chat with the farmers, and -- best of all -- to eat absolutely delicious fresh food.

There are other ways to extend our concern about food beyond the dining room table. Some suggestions: visit a farm, enter into a partnership with a farm family, work on a community garden plot, or volunteer with a food pantry. Check the NCRLC website, www.ncrlc.com, for more ideas.

Eating is indeed a moral act. This year at Thanksgiving, let's think about ways to increase our understanding of the food we eat and those who produce it.

Mary C. Uhler, editor

Mailbag

To the editor:

	Mailbag policy We reserve the right to edit or reject letters. Limit letters to 200 words or less. All letters must be signed. Send letters to: Mailbag The Catholic Herald P.O. Box 44985 Madison, WI 53744-4985 Fax: 608-821-3071 E-mail: info@madisoncatholicherald.org

I was disturbed by the cartoon which ran in the Nov. 8, 2001 edition of The Catholic Herald. The cartoon implies that there is something wrong with the American Civil Liberties Union's attempt to defend freedom of religion in our country.

This country was founded on the idea that religious groups have the right to worship as they choose. As Christians, we ought to support any group that works to preserve the right to practice our religion freely.

Directly above the cartoon, the editorial policy of the paper states that the purpose of the paper is to educate " . . . through communications that proclaim Gospel values." The Gospel preaches love and tolerance for all people regardless of race, class, language, religion, gender, or lifestyle. The cartoon advocates intolerance and bigotry -- hardly Gospel values. I am disappointed that you chose to run it.

Furthermore, the artist is misinformed in the distinction made between "God" and "Allah." Allah is simply the Arabic word for God. The God who is worshiped by Christians is the same God worshiped by Muslims and Jews -- the God of Abraham and Sarah, of Isaac and Ishmael. The God who, as a mother, weeps upon seeing her children destroy each other.

Denise Boychuk Gorman, Madison