Self Editing and a Sociopolitical Statement re: Food of course!!

Hello Foodies,

It is always helpful to have an editor look at things you publish before you do.  In this case I was looking back at a previous article (  http://myhungrytum.blogspot.com/2009/12/this-is-not-paid-commercialalthough-it.html) and realized that I had written something that could be misconstrued.  In the beginning of this article I start down the path of demographics in relation to a grocery store.  I pigeonhole Compare Foods into the category of Latino Groceries. These were my words: "In the case of Compare Foods, it has been labelled a "Latino" grocery store. In fact, it tends to be located in areas of the city that are home to a brown and black demographic. The company has not gone to great lengths to beautify their properties or market their brand."  I am especially bothered by my choice of words in this paragraph and keep going back to it in my head.  Unfortunately after the fact.  

In my city, the Latino neighborhoods tend to fall into a specific income bracket. Other retailers have chosen their target demographics and are nowhere to be found in low to moderate income neighborhoods.  I am by no means wealthy, but I live in a medium income mixed race neighborhood and am surrounded by "higher end" retailers.  My food options are many and I am fortunate to have a choice of where I want to shop.  This is not the case for everyone.  If you don't have a car, or the money to shop at more expensive "high end" groceries, then you have to settle for what is at hand.  I see this as a problem.  Especially with something as basic as nutrition.

And so, I would like to apologize if my choice of words was deemed offensive to anyone.  I also want to say that Compare foods, like all retailers, has a business model by which it operates.  It does cater to a Latino community.  Because many of the "home cooked foods" ingredients of Latin American countries simply cannot be bought at most retailers.  I am glad that Compare foods offers such incredible selection and quality to its customers, including me.  I have been in other groceries in low to moderate income neighborhoods and I was simply appalled at the lack of high quality ingredients especially produce found there.  These so called cheap food choices really boil down to the choice being made for people who have no other option.  
 
In a country as wealthy as ours, I shouldn't have to read reports on the affordability of a healthy diet for low income households (http://www.ers.usda.gov/amberwaves/november08/Features/AffordHealthyDiet.htm).
 
Since this is turning into a rant, I will conclude by reiterating my apology for my choice of words.  I would much rather spend time and energy figuring out ways to help retailers like Compare Foods, continue to offer a wide variety of healthy whole ingredients to anyone who shops there.
 
Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly. ----M. F. K. Fisher

(Peace of Cake Photo found at www.cooking-gadgets.com/peace-of-cake/)