Gillibrand focuses on the important stuff: counting calories
You’d think Senator Gillibrand would have important things to do, as both a member of the US Senate and as a member of the Agriculture Committee. Things like dealing with the economy, for example (not that I necessarily want her to and her Democrat allies to be passing legislation and such, but, still). But evidently, what she and others find to be of surpassing importance is a bill to require calorie counts on chain restaurant menues.
Well, I for one wish her all the luck in the world. After all, clearly the only reason I’m fat is because I just don’t understand how many calories I’m putting into my body. Well, that, and because soda is just a few cents too cheap. Please, Federal Government, save me from myself. If only I knew how fattening these foods are, I could stop putting them in my body. Just like how everybody quit smoking after the Surgeon General made them put all the cancer warnings on packs of cigarettes. And the children! How are parents supposed to know that chicken wrapped in starch and fried is actually not the healthiest thing their kids could eat, without proper labeling on the menues to tell them?
But, you know, why stop there? If the government is to be in charge of my safety and well-being (like all good governments should), why even give me the option? Why not just outlaw fatty foods? And cigarettes. Driving faster than 35 mph? Driving at all?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITPTJzPv4J8
(warning: some strong language)
I am a local DJ here in St. Lawrence County, NY. My wife's name is Melanie, and we have four children.
I really like knowing how many calories and sodium are in the foods we eat. Restaurants know these things and it is very little effort for them to publish that info in their restaurants.
Yes, excellent point, Judy. So, clearly, we should have the federal government force them to do so.
Seriously, do you not understand that these small “conveniences” are WAY outside the purview of the federal government, and that every time they take these sorts of steps ALL Americans lose freedom?
Which freedom is lost?
Freedom to run your business the way you see fit. Is a calorie-counting bill going to bankrupt these places? Of course not. But we seem to forget in this country that every law limits somebody. We’re very quick to support federal legislation for no better reason than “I really like knowing…”
By allowing the federal government to mandate “best practices” in even the most minor details, not only are we allowing the government to step far outside its charter, but we are setting a destructive precendent.
What about my freedom to know what I am being sold? Why can’t I know what is in a product and what it’s worth is, say, in calories, protein, carbohydrates etc. How can I be sure that I am getting what they tell me I’m getting? I want to know what I am buying.
What about food borne illnesses, like TB in milk or salmonella in chicken. Is it the companies right to sell products that have these things in them?
Personally I think that when companies became persons, they legally stepped over the line. We the people, give companies the right to operate, why can’t we tell them what to do? “Free markets” is an oxymoron. We all know that nothing is ever really free.
You have the freedom to ask that your local restaurants supply that information. You have the right to go to restaurants that do. Forcing them to do so is for convenience.
We, the people, do NOT give companies the right to operate. They HAVE the right to operate. We, in turn, have the right to give them our money or not. If they decide it’s a good business decision to supply nutrition information on the menues, or to have it available, more pwer to them.
I read a good book a few years ago by a gentleman who started and ran his own business, “Peach Pit Press”. He was very sucessful and eventually sold his company to a larger publication firm. Retired early and began to research the rise of corporations from the beginning of our country. It is very interesting, you’d enjoy it.
Our forefathers worked hard to limit corporations after their experiences with British companies.
You can read the book here:
http://www.gangsofamerica.com/read.html
This explains what our forefathers thought about giving companies the right to exist.
http://www.gangsofamerica.com/5.html