william jackson
Becoming A Dollar and Discount People
Don’t be trained to a dollar down and
discount mentality.
Has anyone noticed in Jacksonville the
increased number of discount/dollar stores?
Before you continue to read this blog I’m
not demeaning these businesses, but
wanted to be cautious of the health concerns
in my community with the increase of
discount/dollar stores. There should not be
the growth of a discount/dollar mentality.
“If a man thinkith he shall be” as my Pastor
preaches from time to time and also found in
King James Version Book of Proverbs
Chapter 23 verse 7, “As a man thinketh in his
heart, so is he” and as he is trained and lead
by the hand and mind so he shall be and his
children.
A discount/dollar mentality is a mind that
accepts that it is only worthy of discount/dollar
merchandise, discount/dollar food. The food
is potentially high in fat, sugar (high fructose
corn syrup), sodium (salt), other ingredients
and preservatives that do not promote healthy
digestion, but unhealthy diets. The Healthy
kids and Healthy Jacksonville study of 2009
reported potential problems in Jacksonville;
” low-income areas in our city are home to
many people without vehicles and with no
access to the nearest grocery store. Instead,
these families have to choose between
convenient stores or fast-food
outlets; both of which are plentiful in
Jacksonville’s Urban Core.
Many studies show links between obesity and
fast food or convenience store density. These
studies also indicate that higher obesity and
chronic disease rates in low-income communities
are growing. The lack of access to fresh, low
calorie foods, high fiber, low sodium (salt)
allows families to make healthier choices when
they sit down to eat. In many neighborhoods
there is no access to healthier food choices.
I applaud the increase in jobs, providing opportunities
for residents to earn an honest wage and learn
management skills in this stained economy.
Addressing building so many discount/dollar
businesses my question is does this mean the
communities that these stores are built in mean
the community is not worthy of traditional
supermarkets that provides fresh fruits
and vegetables? Are the children only thought
of as small garbage cans, “garbage in – garbage out.”
Serving as disposal units to monetarily satisfy
makers of candy, high sugar drinks, easy access
to alcohol in the hopes that minors imitate
their older siblings or family members as they
consume alcoholic beverages that may lead to
alcohol dependency, substance abuse and a
growing dependency. This may lead to additional
lifetime substance abuse and the cycle continues.
Are the families in these communities only as
valuable as the artificial plants, disposable clothes,
household items that are there. I guess the quality
of life in these neighborhoods is not seen as
valuable as in other neighborhoods by a
River City or a Town Center?
I work too hard to be treated like a discount person
and given foods that are inherently unhealthy and
potentially dangerous. Questioning the
possibility of increased obesity from foods that
have lower nutritional value, but higher fat, sugar
(high fructose corn syrup), sodium (salt), that
medically shows to contribute to hypertension
(high blood pressure), diabetes (high blood sugar),
cancer (colon/rectal) from lack of fiber and other
health related conditions. There is a “racialized
neighborhood gap” in equality of services
(Structural Racism and Community Building ’04)
Studies conducted by JCCI have shown that disparities
of available healthy food in traditionally higher
minority resident areas than residents with higher
white residents suffer more. Minority neighborhoods
have more “local stores” than white neighborhoods.
The Healthy kids and Healthy Jacksonville 2009
states that, ”increasing access to healthy foods
in low-income, underserved neighborhoods is a
critical health priority.”
There must also be a focus on increasing demand
for healthful foods. Consumption of healthy foods is
influenced by a host of factors knowledge, beliefs,
accessibility to health and dietary resources,
there must be a commitment to including members
of groups in local health planning efforts and decision
making processes as we consider increasing access
and demand for healthy foods in Jacksonville.
What community planning was involved in putting
these stores in neighborhoods that could use these
employment opportunities and access to foods, but
did not need access to foods that further promote
unhealthy living? The Infant Mortality Study
JCCI 2008 “Food deserts” areas of the city, most
often in low income, predominantly black neigh-
borhoods, where no larger, completely stocked
grocery store exists and fastfood, convenience
stores, and “fringe food” proliferate make the
consumption of a healthy well-balanced diet
more difficult. As a Physical Education teacher
of over 20 years my personal observations are kids
are more obese, more kids have medical conditions
and growing unhealthy diets.
I’m not unappreciative to the jobs and services
these stores provide, just concerned with the
unhealthy ramifications that may result from
the increase of unhealthy foods introduced into
communities that already statically are shown
to have more health challenges.
Those that planned these stores should have
considered stores that provide increase fruits,
vegetables, high fiber, lean meats and lower fat.
What is not needed are foods heavy in dyes and
additives that contribute to ADD (attention deficit
disorder), potential increase in childhood diabetes,
high sugar that causes cavities in young teeth,
juices that have heavy dyes that could contribute
to urinary tract infections in growing bodies.
When looking at the shelves of potatoes chips and
other high sodium (salt) snacks our seniors may not
understand salt contributes to hypertension (high
blood pressure) and the retention of water.
The cereals of rings, stars and cartoon characters that
have toys and prizes. Parents may buy these to make
their children happy, but these cereals may lead to
increased constipation, because of low or nonexistent
fiber. Fiber helps to flush the body of undigested food
that is waste and harmful to the body. We wonder why
infants and young children are more constipated; have
intestinal problems and urinary infections. Look at the
foods they consume (eat).
Shown in JCCI studies, these studies help community
stakeholders to educate the residents on how the community
is perceived. If people allow themselves to be discounted
they will soon be treated like discounted people. Slowly
watching their lives lowered to the point of “dispensable value.”
Booker T. Washington stated, “if they (Blacks) cannot show
that Black lives are important they will be worthless and
recognized as not valuable and indispensible to society.
Blacks/minorities will not possess any economic power
in many cities if they are discounted and dollared down.
Event Malcolm X stated, “a people that don’t believe in
anything will fall for anything.” People must believe in
the value of nutrition, the value of quality services, the
value of their and the lives of their children. If not they
will be seen as worthless and expendable, sold any edible
item that can make money from the ignorant (uneducated)
and disenfranchised.
History has proven time and again when people are
treated like second class citizens their services are second
class or less. This ultimately leads to possible human
rights violations that are overlooked and devalued.
