Blaming the victim...

[asta]

It could work though

Well, I see it as, nobody is force feeding them the Dew-they need to put their big mountain dew girl panties on and deal with it. I see a lawsuit against Pepsi soon because of their rotten teeth

No one has mentioned a law suit. I can't see any of these people being able to afford a law suit. I think some of you need a field trip into one of the hollers in Appalachia to understand the conditions and mind set of these people.

 

[luvmy3]

Are you saying it's a good thing that Appalachian children suffer, live in chronic pain, and have reduced life-spans because it will help improve the gene pool?

No, thats what you assume I mean

The problem is, they don't. The parents don't know or care or understand the ramifications of these things. And the schools are no better. It is generation after generation stuck in this rut of ignorance.

Yes that just proves the point, we can blame them for their own problem.

 

[themarquis]

No, thats what you assume I mean

Gosh, I'm sorry.

Why don't you go ahead and explain what you meant so that I can understand better.

 

[joviroxx]

No one has mentioned a law suit. I can't see any of these people being able to afford a law suit. I think some of you need a field trip into one of the hollers in Appalachia to understand the conditions and mind set of these people.

I get that, but does this make them victims of Mountain Dew?

More and more threads on this board just make me shake my head and go "huh"?

 

[joviroxx]

No one has mentioned a law suit. I can't see any of these people being able to afford a law suit. I think some of you need a field trip into one of the hollers in Appalachia to understand the conditions and mind set of these people.

People don't need to afford lawsuits, they just pay the attorneys with a cut of what they win and ironically, a lot of the times, the lawyers end up with more than the claimant.

 

[Nik's Mom]

I was watching GMA this morning and they had a dentist on that was talking about a problem Diane saw on her new special "Children of the mountain".

Apparently they drink A LOT of Mountain Dew. Mountain Dew contains a lot more sugar and acid than other sodas. The people of Appalachia have developed "Mountain Dew Mouth" which is severely rotted teeth. They sip MD throughout the day (the children keep it on their school desk).

On GMA Diane said that Pepsi (makers of MD) said they (the people of Appalachia) need to have better dental hygiene. The dentist said that's like "blaming the victim" for their MD mouth.

I really don't think this a case of "blaming the victim".

What say you?

I say, why are children being allowed to drink soft drinks all day? What kind of school allows a child to have a can of soda on their desk? That is crazy!

 

[luvmy3]

I get that, but does this make them victims of Mountain Dew?

More and more threads on this board just make me shake my head and go "huh"?

Why don't you look up the meaning of the theory of Darwinism. Stating that something fits a definition doesn't make one believe that it is "okay or right for children to suffer".

You are right, some make my head go "huh" too
Joviroxx, the above is not directed to you, I meant to quote themarquis' post too

 

[bluesaturn]

I don't think these people are victims of Pepsi Co., nor is Pepsi responsible. It really just seems like these people don't know about basic dental hygeine and the effects of MD on teeth. I don't think this is a money issue at all. Yes they probably do have enough money for toothbrushes and toothpaste and water, especially if they stop buying MD. But they would have to know about the importance of these things to actually buy it. If you've never been to the dentist in your life, and your parents didn't know and didn't tell you to brush properly, and everyone around you has rotten teeth, how would you even know the right way to care for your teeth.

I agree with the poster that said there needs to be a culture change. They need to start educating the youngest children now, and maybe they will be able to pass it down to their children. The adults aren't going to suddenly change their lifestyle, because they've made it this long the way they are.

 

[rabx5]

If that is all you realize you have no concept of poverty. If it was as EASY as drinking water the problem would be solved. It is as much cultural as it is economic. Appalachia has been left in the dust. The hopelessness is profound. And just like any cultural shift, the only way to make a difference is one generation at a time.

I don't think this is fair-IMO soda is NOT cheap. If they can afford to buy Mountain Dew, they can afford a Britta filter ect... They are not so impoverished to spend that money on that sugar water

 

[Cindyluwho]

I never can understand how parents can let toddlers and preschoolers drink soda and eat bags of candy everyday.

My family hosts children from the Chernobyl region every summer for six weeks. The dental visits are horrifying. For example, in her first year our Akulina had: 8 cavities, 2 teeth pulled and one crown. The two teeth that needed pulled had rotted all the way to the gum line. The pain she felt must have been terrible. The day they pulled the two teeth was the first time I saw her eat a real meal, the pain had been keeping her from eating. The night of the dental surgery she ate ribs, corn on the cob and mashed potatoes - two plates full!! And that's not just her, it's all of the children!

It's the same with the folks from the mountains. I see so many of you blaming the parents. Please understand that these folks have almost zero education in most cases. Brushing their teeth! Seriously, many have no indoor running water and most have no indoor toilets. THEY DON'T KNOW ANY BETTER!! It's not their fault. We get so wrapped up in starving children in Africa or Chernobyl for that matter, we forget about our own children here in the US. And the mountain people are very proud and very suspicious, it's not easy to educate them, to tell them any different. It would be unusual for an adult to have any teeth by the time they're 50, that is NORMAL for them. They love their children as much as we do, please believe that. And they're doing the best they can with what they have and what they know. They may be uneducated but please dont' judge them as if they should know better.

 

[rabx5]

No one has mentioned a law suit. I can't see any of these people being able to afford a law suit. I think some of you need a field trip into one of the hollers in Appalachia to understand the conditions and mind set of these people.

I didn't say there was mention of a lawsuit, I said I "see"a lawsuit coming like a prediction that I am making. If you get enough lawyers pushing this into their minds- they just may do it-once again, just my opinion

 

[cheermom1]

I don't think these people are victims of Pepsi Co., nor is Pepsi responsible. It really just seems like these people don't know about basic dental hygeine and the effects of MD on teeth. I don't think this is a money issue at all. Yes they probably do have enough money for toothbrushes and toothpaste and water, especially if they stop buying MD. But they would have to know about the importance of these things to actually buy it. If you've never been to the dentist in your life, and your parents didn't know and didn't tell you to brush properly, and everyone around you has rotten teeth, how would you even know the right way to care for your teeth.

I agree with the poster that said there needs to be a culture change. They need to start educating the youngest children now, and maybe they will be able to pass it down to their children. The adults aren't going to suddenly change their lifestyle, because they've made it this long the way they are.

I have a question, how would they know that something is wrong then? i mean if everyone around them have rotten teeth and they don't know any better then how do they know something is wrong? they have to have some kind of idea that they are doing something wrong if they are all of a sudden saying that pepsi is to blame! me thinks they are thinking of money to get out of the situation they are in!

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

My family hosts children from the Chernobyl region every summer for six weeks. The dental visits are horrifying. For example, in her first year our Akulina had: 8 cavities, 2 teeth pulled and one crown. The two teeth that needed pulled had rotted all the way to the gum line. The pain she felt must have been terrible. The day they pulled the two teeth was the first time I saw her eat a real meal, the pain had been keeping her from eating. The night of the dental surgery she ate ribs, corn on the cob and mashed potatoes - two plates full!! And that's not just her, it's all of the children!

It's the same with the folks from the mountains. I see so many of you blaming the parents. Please understand that these folks have almost zero education in most cases. Brushing their teeth! Seriously, many have no indoor running water and most have no indoor toilets. THEY DON'T KNOW ANY BETTER!! It's not their fault. We get so wrapped up in starving children in Africa or Chernobyl for that matter, we forget about our own children here in the US. And the mountain people are very proud and very suspicious, it's not easy to educate them, to tell them any different. It would be unusual for an adult to have any teeth by the time they're 50, that is NORMAL for them. They love their children as much as we do, please believe that. And they're doing the best they can with what they have and what they know. They may be uneducated but please dont' judge them as if they should know better.

THANK YOU! This post illustrates exactly what I've been thinking!

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

I have a question, how would they know that something is wrong then? i mean if everyone around them have rotten teeth and they don't know any better then how do they know something is wrong? they have to have some kind of idea that they are doing something wrong if they are all of a sudden saying that pepsi is to blame! me thinks they are thinking of money to get out of the situation they are in!

It's the dental hygienist that is blaming pepsi. Not so much the people.

 

[freckles and boo]

I have a question, how would they know that something is wrong then? i mean if everyone around them have rotten teeth and they don't know any better then how do they know something is wrong? they have to have some kind of idea that they are doing something wrong if they are all of a sudden saying that pepsi is to blame! me thinks they are thinking of money to get out of the situation they are in!

Bad teeth is the NORM for many people. They have accepted it, which is very sad to me. If they were opportunistic people they would have been looking for lawyers a long time ago and demanded clean water. In fact, if they were opportunistic people, they would probably have sent their kids to college. The whole "lawsuit" thing is a red herring.

 

[Nik's Mom]

I didn't see the story on the news. But according to the first post, kids are drinking soda at school all day. Why can't the school work on educating these kids (and parents) about the effects of too much soda? Is the school doing anything to educate them on this topic?

 

[luvmy3]

My family hosts children from the Chernobyl region every summer for six weeks. The dental visits are horrifying. For example, in her first year our Akulina had: 8 cavities, 2 teeth pulled and one crown. The two teeth that needed pulled had rotted all the way to the gum line. The pain she felt must have been terrible. The day they pulled the two teeth was the first time I saw her eat a real meal, the pain had been keeping her from eating. The night of the dental surgery she ate ribs, corn on the cob and mashed potatoes - two plates full!! And that's not just her, it's all of the children!

It's the same with the folks from the mountains. I see so many of you blaming the parents. Please understand that these folks have almost zero education in most cases. Brushing their teeth! Seriously, many have no indoor running water and most have no indoor toilets. THEY DON'T KNOW ANY BETTER!! It's not their fault. We get so wrapped up in starving children in Africa or Chernobyl for that matter, we forget about our own children here in the US. And the mountain people are very proud and very suspicious, it's not easy to educate them, to tell them any different. It would be unusual for an adult to have any teeth by the time they're 50, that is NORMAL for them. They love their children as much as we do, please believe that. And they're doing the best they can with what they have and what they know. They may be uneducated but please dont' judge them as if they should know better.

What a wonderful thing your family does.

As far as the people in these mountains, if the childen are school, they are being educated. Do state laws regarding education not apply to this area? I have a hard time believing that teachers here don't know any better than to let students suck down soda all day.

 

[bluesaturn]

I have a question, how would they know that something is wrong then? i mean if everyone around them have rotten teeth and they don't know any better then how do they know something is wrong? they have to have some kind of idea that they are doing something wrong if they are all of a sudden saying that pepsi is to blame! me thinks they are thinking of money to get out of the situation they are in!

THEY didn't blame Pepsi. Someone made a documentary about them, and then blamed Pepsi. As you said, I doubt these people see anything wrong with their teeth.

 

[bluesaturn]

I don't think this is fair-IMO soda is NOT cheap. If they can afford to buy Mountain Dew, they can afford a Britta filter ect... They are not so impoverished to spend that money on that sugar water

It's not that they don't have the money, I don't think. It's that, do they even know they need a Brita? Do they know the importance of clean water in relation to dental hygiene. If no one you know owns one, and they're still alive and kicking, why would you suddenly think you need one.

 

[SDFgirl]

I think they are just in a cycle of complete ignorance. That sounds harsh, but in some of these places it is like looking into the past. While the rest of the world has grown, expanded, and come into the future, they are stuck in the middle of nowhere with the same small minded ideas because no one is coming in to change that perception.

You're absolutely right. And it cycles down generation through generation. Rarely do these residents leave Appalachia. They stay put. They grow up, get married to someone they've known all their life, and raise babies the way they were raised. It's a different world than 99% of us live in.

It's not that they don't care about their kids - it's just that this way of life is what they know. It's all they know. College is generally out of reach for these people. NO, I don't believe it's Pepsi's fault, but I don't necessarily believe it's as simple as telling them to brush their teeth. This way of life (Mountain Dew, not going to the dentist very often) is the way of life that they've known for a loooong time. To go in and change the basic assumptions and perceptions of a community is a tough thing.