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im Hightower Susan DeMarco at home in Austin. Photo by Alan Pogue Bite Back! How Americans can reclaim their food: An excerpt from Swim Against the Current. by JIM HIGHTOWER with SUSAN DeMARCO 16 THE TEXAS OBSERVER APRIL 4, 2008 Sometimes, it’s the small things in life that leave me stumped. Things like: Glue. Why doesn’t it stick to the inside of the bottle? When Noah brought two of every species aboard the Ark, where did he put the termites? The guy who invented bagpipeswhat was he really trying to do? By nature, we are a questioning species. After “Mommy” and “Daddy,” the first word shaped by our baby brains is “Why?” Indeed, many a toddler has driven parents bonkers with the incessant, highpitched repetition of this query. But as we get older, “Why?” becomes a radical question when directed to the actions of the Powers That Bewhich is why most established institutions go out of their way to teach us, from school age forward, that ours is not to reason why. Accept things as they are, we are instructed, and just keep repeating to yourself: