The Ethical Starvation of Children

When we were visiting my in-laws over vacation, we went to a Lebanese buffet. The spread was really impressive, including such delicious foods as hummus, unlabeled substance #1, and unlabeled substance #2. Often when I am eating, and some food looks disturbing, I like to know what it "is" so I can determine what the threat level is. However, it can also be rather frustrating when something tastes good (like just about everything at this buffet), but I don't know what it is so I can order it somewhere else when we're back home.

Anyway, while I was really enjoying my eating experience, I couldn't help but notice that my two nephews were rather uneager about the food. They poked at the hummus a bit. Our server tried to encourage them, saying, "I'll get you some more lemonade, just take one more bite." Face grimaced in determination, my older nephew took one for the team, placing a subatomic particle of hummus in his mouth for their promised lemonade. (Technically, I know the smallest unit would be a "hummus molecule," but the portion he took looked smaller.) Eventually, the server got tired of seeing their endless torment and brought them French Fries, at which time they seemed to grasp the idea of what a "buffet" was: a chance to eat tons of your favorite food and not to try anything new.

Now, I love my nephews. I want them to see them grow and flourish, as if they were two very manly flowers of the field. I don't want them to starve. And if they were just rejecting vegetables, that would be one thing. But they aren't rejecting vegetables. They're rejecting the buffet because it's foreign ... because it's not "American" food ... because oh no, my nephews hate diversity and other cultures! Left unchecked and unchallenged, my nephews are going to hate African Americans (whom they will call "black people," if not an even worse term). If something like 9/11 happened again, my nephews wouldn't just give into hatred of "the Other" by burning down mosques: no, they'd be the people who burnt down the funny-looking Christian churches that looked like mosques, because my nephews would be uncultured and wouldn't know the difference! They should be made to eat the Lebanese food right now so that they don't grow up to be evil. Even if they grow up looking a little malnourished because they never eat.

I know my response is illogical. They're just kids. But it just feels that, on some level, it's ethically wrong for kids to spurn food just because it's foreign, and it seems wrong to capitulate to their prejudices by giving them French Fries.

Nevertheless, at some point, I pondered whether the world might in fact be better off if academics like me were just sterilized, rather than subjecting their future children to impossibly high standards. (I have also had this notion after watching episodes of Jack & Bobby.) For instance, a married couple of professors in the English literature department here sent their kids (I believe they were high-school age) off to a literary theory camp. That is messed up. The kids are going to need therapy for that sort of thing. But what if I someday become so immersed in the academy that such an idea actually sounds appealing? What if someday I have kids and pontificate, "No, you can't have French Fries! You must appreciate other cultures even if I must break every hegemonic brain synapse in your body to do it! Now, let's start with the notion of 'Orientalism'..." Sometimes we academics need to lighten up. Like Freud might have said, sometimes a French fry is just a French fry.

P.S.-okay, I realize a "French" fry sounds "French" rather than "American," but go with me here!