Three questions/one answer

This week, "Parade" magazine, one of the quintessential purveyors of pop culture, asked, in their cover story, "What can we do about underage drinking?" C'mon parents, drinking alcohol is a voluntary behavior. Start by abstaining yourselves, and then teach your children that people of intelligence and creativity don't need artificial stimulation to enjoy life. Also, you might point out that "peer pressure" is a specious concept, and your child is an individual who will be more respected if he follows his/her own mind and morals, and doesn't emulate the behavior of weaker people.

I'm sure you've noticed the high cost of corn, beef and milk this summer. In large part, this has been caused by the conversion of food producing land to corn crops for ethanol production. Would you rather import food from places like Mexico and China, or oil from the Middle East?

If we can fly into space, walk on the moon, drive a car that parks itself, replace human body parts, and make electronic components that fit on the point of a needle, why can't we invent the technology to mine coal without endangering human life?