Let's talk real quick about the "Childhood Nutrition Bill" which present a pretty complicated problem. With big government comes many intertwined issues, and it gets complicated! With the government's compulsory public education they have their hands full with various responsibilities for Americas problems. One of the best things public education has done for our country is provide the government with an venue to make sure that America's children are being kept safe (vaccinated, not abused or neglected, etc.). And while I am very against the Nanny State that Obama (and Bush, yes) preach, as I do think adults should be allowed to make their own decisions, including the decision to fail (or decisions The Government deems "bad"). When it comes to children and how parents raise them, I (and the general population), don't believe that parents have free reign. The question is when to intervene, and how much to intervene? A secondary and important question, which I won't touch today-- does intervening even help for the majority of cases?
Of course it is expensive to take a child away from their parents and have the government act as guardian ad litem (you think having 1 child is expensive... now imagine your tax dollars going to take care of ALL the kids in America with severely neglectful, abusive, or absent parents! and THEN paying their lawsuits! AH!), and whenever $$$ comes into play in government decisions you can bet that the government won't consistently enforce rules, regulations, or consequences, and will have that good ol' strict versus loose interpretation of laws, including the definition of "harm to a child." This is why I am normally against large government involvement and I think leaving most things to Free Market is best for this country. And while I don't trust or agree with many of the decisions the government makes on a case-by-case level for the safety of our children, I haven't heard of a better system to protect the unprotected youth and until I do, I will support and fight to better the one we have.
Now we can all agree that abusing a child physically, mentally, and sexually is bad, and most often warrants the child's removal from the home. We all also can admit that not providing proper nutrition, care, or shelter for a child (neglect) is also wrong and most often warrants removal. If a child comes to school severely underfed, after a little research by Social Services, that child will probably be taken into protective custody. But what about children that are severely overfed?!?! in America, 21-24% of children are overweight and an additional 16-18% of children are obese (that's in the upwards of 42% of the nations children being over the normal, healthy weight!! Source:
Pediatric Obesisty) When studies show that childhood obsesity can lead to not only to emotional and social stigmas, but serious and dangerous physical consequences, including, but not limited to: type 2 diabetes, metabolic disorder, sleep apnea and other breathing conditions, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, asthma and other breathing disorders, early puberty, (source:
mayo clinic ), liver disease, bone and joint problems, and skin infections (source:
childhood obesity foundation). All of these dangers combined with obesity itself has been linked to cancer, heart disease, liver disease, dementia, and much more. Childhood obesity (via American parenting) is killing the future of America, and with the high percentage of children overweight we can't exactly take them all from their homes. But that's a funny thought because let's say the government did... they probably would feed these newly orphaned children what they feed children in our public school systems: Sh*t! So what are we to do?
Michelle Obama has been up and about making speeches preaching that children need to have healthier school lunches. I agree, they do. If they are mandated to go to school and the government is already willingly paying their welfare, then the government should be making sure they are fed with proper nutrition. That is, NOT cardboard pizza or paper towel sub sandwiches (which we appropriately titled these meals in my public schools growing up) but rather food that won't actually
inhibit their learning, and perhaps, (novel idea) promote learning and acute minds! Though, ass Michelle Obama stated in a speech to school children: "The solution to this challenge has to come from the bottom up. The gov't can't be in a position to tell people what to do in their own homes. That generally doesn't work." (surprising to come from an Obama!!) But actually on this issue, I disagree with you Ms. Obama. While it pains me to say it with my Libertarian ideals, if parents are killing their children by overfeeding them (and vis-a-vis under/over-nourishing them) the government needs to tell them what to do, in fact the government needs to demand of them better nourishment of their children (particularly young children)! No, of course I don't believe in a "fat tax." Unhealthy food should remain on the shelves. If you want a Little Debbie snack you shouldn't be penalized, you're just dumb or indulging. That's allowed. But if you bring your child to school on the first day and he's a 4 foot tall 115 pound 3rd grader, then you are endangering that child's present and future life!! He is NOT an adult who can care for himself, he is NOT educated or mature enough to know better about his nutrition. I think a child (and again, a young child) that is obese (and not just the fattest girl on records
video of the fattest little girl) deserves suspicion from child protective services. The government must first conform and feed children healthy meals, and for once lead by example, as it is doing by passing the Childhood Nutrition Reauthorization in December and with Michelle Obama's continued advocacy for childhood healthy eating.
I don't agree with everything Michelle Obama advocates about nutrition, I still think children should be allowed to have birthday parties at school. I do NOT believe in a big government...BUT I do believe children should not get abused, and I DO BELIEVE childhood obesity is a sign that child is being neglected! I have the mightiest wish that something like this did not come down to the government responsibility. American culture and American parenting needs to change when it comes to food intake, but the government shouldn't stand by and let children be abused, either.
