Apparently, some people have gotten it in their heads that Ronald McDonald, the spokesperson for the fast-food company, is making their children fat.

Some of these people even have medical degrees.

This author believes they have no idea what they are talking about.

It’s not a clown that’s feeding these children garbage, advertising or not.

It’s the parents who are to blame for a large part of their children getting fat, not counting the obesity gene, anyhow.

The way these people are making it out, a bright red and yellow clown is breaking into their houses and force-feeding their children hamburgers and really salty fries.

Anybody who honestly believes that needs to have his or her head examined.

Now that the readers have that horrifying picture stuck in their heads, just remember, that is not how things happen.

The only ones who are responsible for what children eat are their caretakers. If parents don’t want their children to be beach balls, they should control what their children eat.

It’s not that hard to say “No [insert name here,] that food is really bad for you.”

In fact, there is one doctor that is actually in your face about it. Australian physician Joe Kosterich, said what children eat is a function of what they are fed.

“The people responsible for feeding children are parents,” Kosterich said. “If we are going to see any changes, then it is parental behavior that will need to change.”

If people are going to feed their children McDonalds, and then blame the company for the resulting weight gain, they need to evaluate their priorities, or check themselves into an institution for the mentally deficient.

Now, on to the 550 people that signed this petition to have Ronald removed as the mascot. How can someone, much less a doctor, blame a fictional character for kids getting fat instead of the parents?

The author believes that the movement was spearheaded and followed by idiots, and doctors who got their medical degrees at the Dollar Tree — or Walmart if they felt like getting something fancy.

To contact Robert Bolton, email onlinewriter@occc.edu.