Taco Bell Rant
March 2003

I realized at the tail end of last week that perhaps owning 
the text book might help me on my upcoming POS2112 midterm.  
I arrived on campus for my Russian class slightly early and 
headed straight for the Hub.  On the way, I passed a Taco Bell 
protest and smiled to myself, fondly remembering my days at 
New College.  I didn't have time to stop and chat or wave a 
placard, but I felt a bit better knowing that these students 
were out here making their voices heard.

I entered the bookstore and headed straight for the shelf, 
grabbed my book, and walked up to the cashier.  The girl 
behind the counter took my book, only half paying attention 
to me as she watched two of her colleagues, a male and a 
female, chatting fifteen feet away.  I glanced over as well, 
realizing that they were discussing the protest.

That is when I heard what I easily deem to be the least 
intelligent comment I have ever heard.  The female said, 
"I wish I hadn't already had lunch so I could go buy a taco 
and eat it in front of them."  The male snickered, my cashier 
started to rung up my textbook, and I suddenly felt nauseous.

So you like tacos.  You like your minimum wage or above job 
at the Hub.  You like your education and your apartment and 
your three square a day and the opportunity to take off to 
the beach for a weekend with friends.  You will never wake 
up at 4 am every morning hoping to be picked so that you 
could earn far below minimum wage for your family.  You will 
never engage in hard labor under typical Floridian weather 
conditions.

I could understand disagreeing with war protestors if you 
feel that military action is justified.  I could understand 
frowning upon the sometimes violent methods of Greenpeace.  
But where does this mindless venom come from that leads 
people to disrespect people peacefully fighting for the 
rights of others?

I would love to see this unnamed girl attempt to defend 
her comment.  From what I can see, she has no leg to 
stand on -- certainly not a human leg.