Editorial

MIDWEEK MUDDLE

During my childhood, the lengthening days of spring which gave way to summer were thick with humidity and with opportunity. Lightning bugs affirmed the approach of June, July and August when the school doors would close, and the refrigerator doors would open wide with lemonade and Jell-O.

It was a magical time.

That is why it is so gratifying--some 50 years later--to be visited by the descendants of those same lightning bugs.

Dairy farmers and Mike Strain, commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, are pressuring lawmakers to enact “truth in labeling” legislation.

Some farmers claim use of the word “milk” when describing items like soy, coconut and almond milk has had a negative financial impact on their industry.

I love dairy products but I’m slightly offended Old MacDonald is suggesting the average person does not know milk alternatives and dairy are not one and the same.

Tom McCuin served two tours as an Army public affairs officer in Afghanistan, and worked closely with local nationals hired by American forces.

“They were not only our language interpreters, they were our cultural interpreters,” he wrote on clearancejobs.com , a site that lists openings for individuals with government security clearances. “Our interpreters were our bridge to the local population. They were locals themselves, who knew the lay of the land. Their service was, in a word, invaluable.”