Local Boy Must Choose Between Yams and Sweet Potatoes For Thanksgiving Dinner

11/5/02 - 13-year-old David Hancock was handed an ultimatum Tuesday afternoon that he claims infringed on his rights.

"'But there are other choices for side dishes,' I said, and pointed to aisles of other foods," said David, about the mandate given to him by his parents that he must choose between yams or sweet potatoes to serve as a side dish at Thanksgiving Dinner. Asked about details on the eventual consumption, David remarked that he would have to stay at the table until the all of the yams, or sweet potatoes, in the amount decided upon by his parents, had been "eaten, and swallowed".

"They told me 'life isn't fair, kiddo', and then they forced me to choose between yams or sweet potatoes. I told them they were both awful and pretty much the same."

David's parents were quick to defend their actions.

"Whether it's highway choices from point a to b, or choosing between working over the weekend or late at night, the sad fact of life is the choices we make are often a choice of 'which is not worse'," said Betty Hancock.

"The exercise in choosing between the lesser of two evils is harsh, unfortunate, but a necessary lesson in the development of children. Take the 2000 election. More people voted for 'the lesser evil', and still the more evil guy won. That's evil.," she continued, as David and his father went next door to Best Buy to watch an action movie on a 53 inch TV.

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