Posted on 03/25/2008 7:51:46 PM PDT by VermiciousKnid
AUGUSTA, Maine - While in a small southern Maine grocery store with his mother last June 12 to buy sandwiches, Shane St. Pierre picked up a miniature baseball bat and flicked the switch to see what would happen.
A flame shot out, singeing the 6-year-old’s eyebrow and burning part of his face. His parents called the state fire marshal’s office and were surprised to learn that Maine had no law banning so-called novelty lighters.
That’s no longer the case.
Today, Shane stood next to Gov. John Baldacci as he signed legislation that makes Maine the first state to outlaw the sale of cigarette lighters that are particularly attractive to children because they come in the shapes of cartoon characters, toys and animals.
(Excerpt) Read more at bostonherald.com ...
I feel safer.
The land of my birth is no longer my home.
Sounds like Mom is at fault, here. Not paying attention to her child. Call social services.
you can also cause harm by biting someones ear off. just ask mike tyson. maybe we should ban teeth, hands, feet, pencils, wire, and any other sharp (or blunt) object. for the sake of the childrens, doncha know.
I know, me too! Now that those Twisted and Evil lighters that look like frogs are off the street...well, I can finally sleep at night!
Regards,
When those of the homeland are no longer brave, it will soon no longer be the land of the free.
Namby-pambies need their nannies.
They've already effectively banned tobacco.
Sheesh!
This is just stupid. What will be next? Shaking my head again.
SheLion, this one’s from your state...
And Gabz, I thought you might like a look-see at this one.
Regards,
I’ll bet he doesn’t do THAT again.
Lifes lessons sometimes hurt
I like the ones that look like minature guns.
When I was six years of age, my parents would have descended on me like a hive of hornets if I'd started screwing around with anything they either didn't intend to purchase or we didn't own already.
The makers of the novelty lighters aren't at fault. The parents clearly are.
Indeed, I bet he does NOT play with lighters again.
You know, those disposable lighters are just about the safest kind of fire-starters there are. Remember Zippos? If you lit one, got scared, and dropped it, it would keep right on burning. Same for matches, come to think of it...
But the disposable ones? Heck, if you let it go, it goes OUT! How much safer can they be?
Regards,
For God's sake, does ANYONE parent anymore?
That’s right. If one of my kids touches something he shouldn’t, I ask, “Does that belong to you? No? Then DON’T TOUCH IT!!!”
Learned that one at my Mama’s knee. Still works, too.
Regards,
“A flame shot out, singeing the 6-year-old’s eyebrow and burning part of his face.”
I lived for stuff like that when I was a kid.
OK, now THAT’s a cool lighter. I mightv’e touched that one as a kid. And then I’d have gotten my hand slapped but good.
Regards,
What do they call it, the Idiot Kid Law?
There was no law, no law! Hey, did it ever occur to these people to supervise their son? If they spent half the time parenting as they do crying to nanny government for a solution, the kid would have a much better chance of making it to adulthood, eyebrows intact.
Those are cute! I like the little one my daughter got for me, that has blinking colored lights all over it.
Simple toys for grownups. ;-D
I don't suppose these socialists ever thought maybe they should have just, instead, said lighters need to be above small children's reach?
Nah, that would too simple =
This is the final straw! I say, “Legalize Class “B” Fireworks Everywhere!”
This is the final straw! I say, “Legalize Class “B” Fireworks Everywhere!”
Do Class B Fireworks make a great big BOOOM?
Regards,
That's still the way I groom my unibrow.
Hmmm....interesting. Death penalty for the gun, but the perp lives on. Don’t think I’d find “solace” in that. I think I would have wished my daughter had had the condemned gun instead of the bad guy having it. But hey...that’s just me.
Regards,
One kid, unsupervised, has a problem and there is a law banning whatever it may be, you fill in the blank.
If the liberal lawmaker gets one phone call about anything that they already have on their sheet to get to, they act on that one complaint and a law is made. Ridiculous. This is happening in CT a lot. Our Atty General acts on anything, even if it doesn’t relate to CT.
“For God’s sake, does ANYONE parent anymore?”
IMO most of today’s parents, coming from broken homes don’t know HOW to parent, having never grown up in a stable home environment, and Mom out trying to conquer Wall Street, etc. They’re afraid too, of being brought up on child-abuse charges-yell at your kid in a store today, and bet it will be recorded on video!/rant off;)
“Do Class B Fireworks make a great big BOOOM?”
The best money can buy up in Washington State.
Regards,
Oregon Politicians Are The Absolute Worst.
Be careful out there ;)
I’m knocking on 40 and am a child of divorce yet I was never raised that way. I don’t buy it. It’s lazy parenting at best.
I hear ya, mojo...I hear ya.
I won’t cast a vote for anyone who utters the words, “If it saves just ONE LIFE...” That phrase is the most ridiculous load of horse hockey ever spoken by man or beast.
Regards,
Hey, it's me too. It's pretty bad when you have a serial killer travel from Maine to Texas with victims in both states and negotiate a transfer in order to skip the death penalty. Too many people up here are willing to trade freedom for a deep embrace by the State.
OK then! Class B Fireworks — Bring ‘em on!
“It’s lazy parenting at best.”
Well I agree with that-we don’t know how this particular mother was raised, but there definitely are a LOT of people out there who would seem to prefer to let the kids run wild in public rather than make any attempt to discipline.
“OK then! Class B Fireworks — Bring ‘em on!”
A novelty lighter would barely even qualify as a Class “C” firework which every kid in America handles and lights with guess what?...more often than not, a lighter. Way too piteously ironic.
Protecting children too much will kill them. This new generation should be a doozy. Idiots
One day, I hope to be “from” NY.
Regards,
I guess a parent watching their 6 year old to make sure they don’t play with lighters and burn themselves is... well, just TOO much to ask. Better to have the Nanny State make a new law.
Pathetic bunch of losers.
LOL. THat looks almost like a cheese grater with arms and legs.
Being one of those Eeeeeevil smokers, I cannot for the life of me fathom how a 6 year old could possibly reach the counter where lighters are usually kept???
Most counters and/or displays, are at least 5' high and most times lighters are kept behind counters.
There is something that doesn't pass the smell test here and banning novelty lighters is simply another feel-good-nany-state approach to a solution looking for a problem.
And should you ever return Down East from Away, the state will still be standing ... unburnt. And all due to the vigilance of our great and good Governor and his ever growing, and ever more powerful force for the greaer good: Baldacci's Sexually Ambiguous Wonk Corps B-SAWC)
Matches are also soon to be banned because they can start dangerous fires. Also banned is the eating of lobster and other cholesterol-laden crustaceans. Theys always saying that Baldacci is a a wimp. Well, no. He and the B-SAWC's have reintroduced the Death Penalty. For smoking.
If you are smart enough to obey our laws and speak Spanish, why not drop by for Somali Independence Day?
You mean your kids still have their eyebrows??!!!
There is no end to the cute ideas. They’re just fun.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.