The Government will save us from bioterror... No, no... Fast food?

The quarter-pounder, Prince George's Style

ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE

Concerns over the slide of the United States into a "nanny state" have increased during the current administration, and they have become even more evident with a recent bill introduced in the Maryland State Legislature. The bill, sponsored by State Senator David Harrington (D-Prince George's County) and supported by community activists in PG County, aims to curb the number of fast-food restaurants in PG County.

Supporters of the bill state that there is an "epidemic" of obesity and coronary artery disease, and that the epidemic is being fueled by the availability of cheap fast-food in poorer neighborhoods. Without outwardly saying it, the contention is that people cannot make a decision on their own and that the State needs to help them choose the right foods. They contend that fast-food is readily available and cheap, but it is of poor quality and very high in fat.

Mom doesn't choose whether or not
the kids get pizza, the Nanny State does

The government (at all levels) has leaned on the General Welfare clause of the United States Constitution to impose on the people living in the country all sorts of interesting laws. Some laws make sense; second-hand smoke is dangerous to people who are not making a choice to smoke. Others are making the State (the government) seem more and more like a nanny to the public, where the State and only the State know what is right to consume.

My parents don't listen to reason,
but they'll listen to the Government

Rather than educating the consumer (the public), someone in Annapolis (or Baltimore) will have the power to determine what consumers will have access to. This makes sense when there is a clear and present danger to Public Health (like when toys from China have lead or other heavy metals in them). But does it make sense in this debate? Does the Senator believe that people in his constituency will not understand if he or any other knowledgeable person tells them that deep-fried food is bad for them in the absence of vegetables, fruits, fiber, and exercise?

Don't expect this to be the end of this issue... The restaurant associations, employee unions, voters, and politicians will all have something to say.