I’m Un-American

I just had to send the following letter to the editor of our local newspaper, as well as to the coordinator of the event I mention below:

This past weekend, my family and I attended our community’s Pumpkin Festival. I wanted to thank you for creating a family-friendly event that brings together the community, promotes local businesses, artisans, and organizations, and supports local schools. [Our town] is sorely lacking in off-season events and this is a wonderful way to revitalize the community outside of the summer season. For that, kudos!

The reason for my letter, however, is regarding one of the events held at the festival: the pie eating contest. Before I explain my aberration with such competitions, I want you to understand that I am fully aware that eating contests are almost a part of American culture. They can be good-natured, funny, and they are all-inclusive in that they require little skill. The fact that ESPN now broadcasts the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on the Fourth of July each year is a testament to the idea that “everyone loves a good time.” Eating contests can be a good time, when they are handled in an appropriate fashion. I felt that opening the pie-eating contest to children was a poor decision and I’d like to see the event canceled at next year’s festival.

It is no secret that children are products of their environment who also crave praise and attention. It is also no secret that our country is suffering from a childhood obesity crisis, evidenced by the fact that our state has initiated the [Title of Children’s Hospital Outreach program] in early-childhood education programs and school districts in order to educate children about healthy eating habits. When you hold a public competition, it announces to the community that the winner of the competition is someone the community should value, or someone the community will look up to. What message, then, does an eating contest for children send? I contend that, in supporting the idea of eating massive amounts of food (the children were given FULL-SIZED pies, for goodness sake!) in a short amount of time, we, the community are advocating that we are not only okay with this type of eating, that we view it as something to be “won,” and valued.

Add in the fact that the children were vomiting and almost taunted by the announcer at the event for doing so, and the entire scenario left ME with a sick stomach. I cannot support a contest that so blatantly goes against an important foundation for a long life: good health.

I’d like to suggest that at next year’s event, in lieu of a pie-eating contest, the children could participate in a pumpkin-rolling race or a pumpkin decorating contest. How about allowing the adults to take part in a pumpkin carving contest by bringing their creations to the event to be judged? This would eliminate any public show of support for an antiquated American tradition (the eating contest) that is, frankly, gross. Let’s create new traditions and show our children that we don’t always need to rely on the past to fuel our present ideas!

Thank you so much for considering a change in the way the community of [town name] represents health in the eyes of our children.

I look forward to next year’s event!

On a day-to-day basis, I’m pretty outspoken, to the point where I’ve stuck my foot in my mouth on many, MANY occasions, but I’ve never let that hold me back. I once had a seasoned teacher, a coworker at the time, tell me, “Gretch, ya gotta keep your mouth shut in those meetings,” because I always felt the need to voice my dissatisfaction with policies or procedures that could be CHANGED. Even as a high school student, I wrote a rather pointed letter to the editor in response to a local high school athletic director’s attack on my high school’s admission policies.

Why, then, do I feel as though I’m a spoil-sport on this issue? That I’m a very small fish in a very big sea? That I’m almost UN-AMERICAN for taking issue with, well, pie?! I’ll admit I’m fearful that my views will get tossed aside as “liberal agenda” in this small, conservative community, or worse yet, not get anyone’s attention at all.

I considered not writing to the paper. I considered contacting the chairperson directly, instead. But I realized: by making my views known to the PUBLIC, there is the chance that one of those kids’ parents (who let them sign up for a pie-eating contest) might think differently about his or her decision. That the childhood obesity I witnessed (and there was a lot) might, POSSIBLY, be confronted.

What’s your take? Was I right in my action or should I have let it go? Chalk it up to “not my business” and get on with life?