Posted on 07/29/2003 1:41:40 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
According to an article in Friday's Washington Times, trial lawyers have sent letters to Baskin-Robbins, Ben & Jerry's, TCBY Treats, and other ice cream chains telling them to "add healthier alternatives and put nutritional facts on their store menu boards or face potential litigation."
The letter read, "Your failure to disclose such obviously material information as unusually large calorie and saturated-fat loads may violate state consumer-protection laws and/or your common-law duty to disclose material facts, and may invite lawsuits from concerned consumers, legal-action organizations, or even state officials."
Last month, a San Francisco lawyer sued Kraft Foods, the company that makes the Oreo Cookie. The fanatical lawyer sued when he read about the dangers of trans fat in the cookie. He dropped his suit soon after the announcement when learning that Kraft will be taking steps to create a healthier cookie. Early this month, the company also announced that they will be reducing portion sizes and will stop marketing in schools because of concerns about the increasing rise in obesity.
These events come after we hear of fat people, lacking self-control who wish to sue fast-food chains. Who would have thought that grease, cookies, or ice cream is unhealthy?
These public menaces have been around for sometime, but just in recent years have gained publicity and success. Unfortunately, the news media have taken these suits and concerns seriously, making it a national issue.
According to these "consumer advocate" groups, Americans are people who buy and eat the first thing that their eyes come across and have no brain to think about their decisions. Therefore, they must be protected and any source of food that is not nutritional must be eliminated.
If we follow this logic through, wouldn't it be reasonable to sue morbidly obese Americans for setting a bad example for the rest of the nation? Maybe we should cut off Jerry Springer and the rest of the daytime trash who show off these people to the rest of the country.
The underlying belief at work is this: Once you eliminate any detrimental aspect of society, you create a utopia and life is perfect. However, this relies upon the idea that all people are ultimately good inside – I believe God would differ with that idea.
This belief also relies upon government regulating the nutritional value of food sold to Americans. Bad idea; historically, bloated bureaucracy and government do not work. Additionally, if these frivolous lawsuits are ever looked at as legitimate, the justice system will become even more of a car wreck than it already is.
A utopian society is unattainable – government, bureaucracy, lawsuits, and consumer advocates will never create one. A society based upon reality would do better: Freedom to sin, freedom to eat bad food, freedom to break laws, with the responsibility and the accountability to God for our actions.
The reason this is even an issue is that Americans are increasingly lazy and averse to responsibility; thus, they rely upon anyone to solve their problems.
Essentially, you and I have the right to be disgustingly obese and unhealthy if we would like. And no slimy trial lawyer or tyrant in a black robe can say otherwise. But actions have consequences and hopefully people will learn to act maturely when making decisions.
A word of advice: Quit attempting to create a perfect life – it will never happen on Earth.
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