Recently, we lost former U.S. Sen. George McGovern. Although many will recall his disastrous 1972 loss to Richard Nixon and his subsequent leadership in getting us out of Vietnam, his truly lasting legacy will be his war on hunger and malnutrition.
In 1977, following extensive public hearings, McGovern’s Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs published Dietary Goals for the United States, a precursor to today’s Dietary Guidelines.
It marked the first time that a U.S. government document recommended reduced meat consumption.
The meat industry forced the committee to destroy all copies of the report and to remove the offending recommendation from a new edition.
It then abolished the committee, voted McGovern out of office, and warned government bureaucrats never to challenge meat consumption again. (Food Politics by Marion Nestle, 2007).
Yet, after 35 years of studies linking meat consumption with elevated risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and other killer diseases, the MyPlate icon, representing USDA’s current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, recommends vegetables, fruits, and grains, but never mentions meat, and shunts dairy off to one side. (www.choosemyplate.gov/).
And it all started with one brave senator from South Dakota.
Gerald Bernstein
Cumberland
Opinion
McGovern also left his mark on nation’s dietary guidelines
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High priority
Maryland school officials on Tuesday put an exclamation point on the need to take student-athlete concussions more seriously.
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Why are there no answers to these questions?
We currently have the most corrupt administration in the history of the country. Every day more and more lies come from the Obama administration.
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Roaming dogs prove menace to some residents of LaVale
I am writing to inform your readers and the animal control staff of Allegany about a problem that is dragging on and unresolved, yet.
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These types should look to the Boy Scouts for an example
Consider these headlines:
NRA will “Never Surrender.”
The Tea Party will “Never Surrender.”
The No Tax Group will “Never surrender.”
Neocons will “Never Surrender.”
Far Left Liberals will “Never Surrender.” -
Housing project will have bad effect on property in this area
I am writing to you to voice my opposition to a low income housing project that has been proposed for construction on a tract of land on Pine Swamp Road in Mineral County, W.Va. I am a registered voter and resident of Mineral County and live in the New Creek/Pine Swamp area.
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Why have the media been silent all this time?
When I read the Cumberland Times-News Editorial this morning, Friday, May 17, entitled, “Outrageous,” I laughed like a kid at a birthday party!
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What are chances this much money will be spent on road?
I was intrigued by cost data summarized in reporter Kathy Mellott’s recent article, “Completing southern link of U.S. Route 219 said to be best use of highway funds,” which appeared in the Cumberland Times-News on Tuesday May 14 (Page 1A).
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School board should be doing better job with less money
The Allegany County Teachers Association (ACTA) board of directors recently submitted a letter to the editor asking the Allegany County commissioners to fully fund the Board of Education’s budget request for the upcoming fiscal year (“Commissioners should fund school board request,” April 29 Times-News).
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Better ‘Click It’
If you notice more police on the highway this week, it’s for a couple of reasons.
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Were they really good old days? You decide
When a fellow gets old, it’s not unusual for his mind to wander back to the days of his youth. He may forget where he laid his glasses five minutes ago, yet he can remember events that took place a half a century ago. This is one of the interesting things of old age.
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