Roger’s Rules

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July 9th, 2009 4:48 am

Annals of the Nanny State

Watch that snack, Junior! And you, Mr. School Administrator: thought you would foist off something salty, something fatty, or something sweet on your innocent charges? Think again. Mr. Big Government is here again to stop you from giving the kids what they want.

Yes, that’s right, folks, just as New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg has banned smoking and transfats, and is even now waging war against the demon salt, so the United States government is getting into the business of telling schools what they can–and cannot–serve in their refectories. If our masters in Washington have their way, “The U.S. Agriculture Department would be given the power to regulate all food sold in schools — including vending machine snacks — when Congress renews child nutrition programs.” Oh, frabjous day! The instrument of choice for this latest intrusion of Big Nurse into a neighborhood near you is the Senate Agricultural Committee whose chairman is Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa. Senator Harkin is a–can you guess? Yes! He’s a Democrat all right. The party of slavery in the 19th century. The party of segregation in the early 20th century. And now the proud party of neo-segregation (a.k.a. political correctness) and every more cumbersome virtucratic over-regulating nanny-state intrusiveness.

When, I wonder, will people rouse themselves from their somnolent habits of dependency, take charge of their own lives, and throw the bums out?

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11 Comments

1. Scott:

..and as soon as they’re done with the schools they’ll go after the workplace and start regulating the vending machines there as well; there’s no stopping the omnicompetent state when they’re deluded(as they have been since at least the sixties) into thinking they know what’s best for us.

Your home refrigerator will be next, Mr Kimball.

They can pry my hostess ding dongs from my cold dead fingers!!

Jul 9, 2009 - 9:08 am 2. John Frary:

A couple of weeks ago I testified before the Maine legislature’s Criminal Justice in favor of allowing adults to purchase fireworks. The State Fire Marshall showed up to warn of the dire consequences of treating adults as if they were grown up. The bill failed of course.

On the fourth of July the fire marshalls arrested a Democratic legislator along with 6 other malefactors for possessing less than $100 worth or pyrotechnic material.

Maine has had two full days of sun in the last month. You couldn’t start a fire in our woods if you had a 50-gal barrel of gasoline.

Jul 9, 2009 - 9:16 am 3. sam:

roger on this one you are wrong. the kids eat all kinds of junk and they are out of shape and in many cases obeese and getting worse. kids are not adults ,it’s ok to tell them to eat their veggies.

Jul 9, 2009 - 9:34 am 4. Scott:

Sam,

I think the point here is that it’s not okay for the government to tell kids they have to eat their veggies; it’s the parents job to do so, not the governments.

Most kids will naturally eat junk food. When it comes to my own, I let him eat it, but not before he eats the good stuff.

They can still pry the ding dongs from my cold dead fingers!

Jul 9, 2009 - 10:59 am 5. bibio44:

‘Roughly 17 percent of school-age children are obese, triple the rate in 1980 and “an epidemic in the United States,” says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and other chronic illnesses.’

Good enough reason for me for the gov’t to help assure kids get healthy food and snacks. (And judging by your photo, Roger, you might take these warnings to heart, literally.)

As for fireworks:
#2: “Maine has had two full days of sun in the last month. You couldn’t start a fire in our woods if you had a 50-gal barrel of gasoline.”

Well then, I guess Maine should allow the private purchase of fireworks — and then amend the law during dry spells.

Jul 9, 2009 - 1:08 pm 6. Al Reasin:

Slightly off message, but Senator Harkin would have been placed in prison under today’s laws since he falsified his Vietnam War record. Running for Senator and President he claimed he was a fighter pilot when in fact he ferried fighters from Japan. Senator Goldwater exposed his lies, yet he continues to be reelected and therefore can offer such nanny state solutions.

So votes do count and anyone who is from Iowa and has voted for this man should not complain.

Jul 9, 2009 - 6:12 pm 7. Peter the Australian:

This is how socialism accrues in the bloodstream of the society. it is the constant drip, drip, drip of government interference in the little things of life that clogs the arteries of freedom, not the swift injection of economic socialism.

Unfortunately,too many simple people are ready to be nannied and coddled by the Government and are blind to the fact that the pushers of big Government are not motivated by by a sense of altruism, but by a desire for power.

Jul 9, 2009 - 6:40 pm 8. Roy Lofquist:

The rise of obesity in the US corresponds with the invention of high fructose corn syrup in the early 70s. Senator Harkin is a major supporter of everything corn. Pot and kettle?

Jul 9, 2009 - 8:28 pm 9. SAB:

A friend and I were wondering: Is the McNamara post brewing? We’ve been in an incredible state of anticipation remembering the fine job you did on Norman Mailer…. Please don’t disappoint.

Jul 10, 2009 - 1:25 am 10. Scott:

Interesting, there seems to be a fair amount of love of government. If any of the government uber alles folks can provide an argument as to why the goverment should have control over ours and our childrens bodies, I’ll personally send you a lovely portrait of George Washington on fine rice paper.

I have yet to see, in my 43 years, a satisfactory argument supporting more government; in fact, I haven’t seen one that can be described as promising.

Jul 10, 2009 - 9:27 am 11. SoberHorseThief:

Every time I see one of those anti-smoking ads the government pays for, it makes me want to start smoking again. If only I knew some reputable smugglers….

Jul 10, 2009 - 12:29 pm