What students eat is up to parents

To the editor:

What is going on with the bans on sugary snacks in the public schools? It is understandable that the schools have a right to say what goes into the machines on school property, but how can we justify telling the students what not to bring in their lunches? This is just plain silly. Do school officials really think that this type of freedom suppression will make the youngsters healthier? It won't. Leading a healthy lifestyle should be taught at home. Why do we punish all the children because some are overweight? It is obvious that many of us need to exercise more and eat less, but what the students bring in their lunches is not going to change anything. It is just another way of trying to control us.

THOMAS HAMILTON, Jackson