<This pertains to American citizens exactly how?

Perspective. That's all. If you don't see any historical irony in the poverty-stricken of our nation having a weight problem, I don't know what else to say.

I am also tired of hearing that we have no responsibility for each other because other people are so much worse off.

Never said that either. My biggest grouse is based on the conditioned reflex in liberals where you push a button that says "problem needs solving" and a little flag pops up that says "government program!" This whole line of thinking was less in response to your educational example, and more in response to alcaray's thesis that we can hammer the fast-food joints into a suitable mold if we just apply enough force.

You can help as many people as you want. Just keep the gun out of my face.

FYI, I'm coughing up canned food and a few turkeys myself for food banks this Thanksgiving, and it really kind of pisses me off that I have to push this kind of thing in front of the public to prove I'm not some kind of Ebenezer Wannabe, which is automatically assumed of all Republicans. Like a lot of other people, it goes against my grain to discuss what I do for charity, although keeping it quiet leaves us wide open as being selfish bastards.

It's interesting that when a politician is involved in creating a government charitable program, he generally holds a parade in his own honor.

Are you part of the same group that screams bloody murder every time a Jewish family gets upset when their 10-year-old sings "O Holy Night" in chorus at public school? Do you read the Gospels, or do you just wave them around?

Not sure where this came into the picture. I didn't drop a log when my kids cut menorahs out in class. If someone's religion is so damn fragile that it can't stand even brief exposure to anything else, then maybe the problem is on the complainer's end.