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The Daily Tar Heel

Letter: We should all use our words more carefully

TO THE EDITOR:

Jalea Morris made several good points in her June 16 column, “It is more than just a joke.” As she pointed out, the relatively common “There are starving kids in Africa!” — a response to complaints over minor inconveniences — can misrepresent human societies in Africa, and, indeed, divert the conversation from the truth of problems closer to our Carolina home. That said, Morris’ column is also guilty of obscuring rather than exposing the truth.

She wrote that ”...there are starving kids in our own backyard. Food insecurity is common in over one in four North Carolina children.” This pairing — implying that one fourth of NC kids are starving — is misleading. The USDA defines food insecurity in two categories: “Low food security” it defines as “reports of reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet. Little or no indication of reduced food intake.” “Very low food security” it defines as “reports of multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake.”

According to a 2014 USDA report, 6.4% of NC households have “very low food security,” while another 10% have “low food security” alone. These statistics provide evidence of a tragic reality, but not of starvation. “Low food security,” indeed, excludes those who show any substantial evidence of “reduced food intake” at all.

As Morris wrote, “The thing is, there is power in language.” She, like all of us, should use that power carefully.

William Parker

Senior

History

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