On the radio this morning I heard that 4th of July "kicks off the competitive eating season."  You know - competitive eating - people shoveling hundreds of hot dogs/ wings/whatever down their throats.  Really?  There's a "season"? 

I know, I know - some people love these events and some consider Nathan's 4th of July Hot Dog eating contest a time-honored tradition.

But with the emerging food crisis, I was imagining telling someone in Haiti who is resorting to eating dirt mixed with cooking oil to stay alive because there IS nothing else to eat - that people in America have contests on who can inhale the most hot dogs...for fun.  It makes me wanna throw up.

I don't mean to dampen anyone else's idea of a good time, but can we please agree to end these ridiculous contests while there are so many people starving?