My Graphic

In my book for class, there are two graphics shown.  One is about this girl who is shopping.  She picks up all these clothes and says to the cashier as she’s checking out, “This isn’t for me-it’s for the economy.”  Although that made me laugh, the graphic that got me thinking was the other one.   On this graphic there are huge bold letters that say the following:  YOU ARE TOO STUPID.  Embedded in these words are food items such as donuts, pizza, cookies, ect.  Pretty much all of my favorite foods that are terrible for me!  Now the point of this graphic is to say that government should not put higher taxes or “fat taxes” on food that they don’t want us to eat.  It’s saying that we, as Americans, have the right to choose what we want to ingest.  I actually like this point.  I am aware that eating too much of these foods can clog my arteries and kill me early, but it should still be my choice to eat them.  Smoking is terrible for the lungs, everyone knows it, but it’s still a choice whether or not we wish to smoke or not.  The audience of this particular graphic are common people.  People who are not “government bureaucrats” as this graphic labels them.  Pretty much anyone who is not high up in the government “food chain.”  I don’t know if this particular graphic will change anyone’s mind.  It might, however, make them want to do what they can to fight the taxes.  There is a website right on the graphic that perhaps, after reading this, they will visit the site and see what they can do.  I don’t think this graphic will make the intended audience angry but it might make the government officials that are in favor of these taxes and lawsuits kind of angry.  I think it’s a great graphic to get people thinking.  It got me thinking and not just about food.  No, it got me thinking about much more than that.  For example, what if the government starts taking away other choices.  Or, simply starts making their idea of “bad choices” so expensive that no one can choose them.  Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s sweet how they are trying to take care of us, but it’s a fine line between democracy and the other guy that no one likes to talk about.  Someone starts making small choices for us, it won’t be long until the big ones follow.

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4 Comments

  1. trlevitt March 22, 2010

    I also thought that it should ultimately be our chose what we eat, not the government’s. I thought your point in the end about how if someone starts making the small choices for us it won’t be long until the big ones are made too was interesting. You have to wonder, if the government doesn’t think we can make the right food choices what else can’t we supposedly do?

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  2. josh March 22, 2010

    It is our choice on what we eat or do for that matter. I feel that if the the government starting doing this they might to start micromanaging our lives.

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  3. nipickar March 22, 2010

    I agree with you that eating too much of the bad food can cause serious damage. You said that people who smoke know that’s its bad for their lungs and they still do it. Well they pay a pretty hefty tax to smoke, so maybe the people who eat badly should pay a tax too…that’s what I think the graphic says.

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  4. brbrazer March 22, 2010

    Good point, if the government starts to make the choice of putting a higher tax on certain foods, what will be next

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