GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist and her five parrots are currently relocating to Germany, where she will continue writing her blog while also writing a book and learning German. (Meanwhile, her parrots will continue to nibble on her extensive personal library.) If you appreciate GrrlScientist's writing, you can help pay her living expenses by hiring her to "blog" your conference, speak at your club or write articles for your publication (or by clicking on the Paypal button below). If you read an essay on this blog that you especially enjoyed, please nominate it for inclusion in 
In an outrageous and arrogant move, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has banished the use of the word "hunger" from its documents that describe, umm, you know, hungry people. Instead, the USDA prefers to camoflage reality with a new government double-speak phrase, "very low food security".
Just a week before most of America sits down for that excessive meal we call the Thanksgiving feast (second- and third-day snacking while watching football is optional) came a new definition for the millions among us who are more likely to turn up at a food pantry than at a well-set dining table. They are now to be known as people with "very low food security.'' They were previously known as "food insecure, with hunger.'' Those who had some, but not much, more to eat were known as "food insecure, without hunger.'' Now they're just suffering from "low food security.''
The linguistic legerdemain doesn't change the method the USDA uses to count Americans--it says there are about 35.1 million--who are uncertain of having enough food or simply don't have enough money to buy it
Using this same example, I think that the rethuglicans should refer to themselves as having "very low truth security."
Cited story.
Comments
So, the republicans have eliminated hunger in America! I wonder if Dubya will make the claim just to distract people from the worsening fiasco in Iraq?
Two more years! Sigh.
Posted by: Peter | November 25, 2006 6:08 PM
That'll be my new call to dinner. "Who has low food security!?!"
Posted by: Kerri | December 5, 2006 3:44 PM