Perhaps you\u2019ve noticed the latest, looming crisis…<\/p>\n
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Via the Board of Health, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg banned the sale of sugary drinks over the size of 16 oz.\u00a0 No pitchers.\u00a0 No Ventis.\u00a0 No accompanying 2 liter bottles.\u00a0 But alas, on Monday \u2014 one day prior to the law going into effect \u2014 a state Supreme Court justice overturned the ban, calling it \u201carbitrary and capricious.\u201d\u00a0 As Huffington Post host, Mike Sacks, inferred the ruling, such is \u201claw-speak for too stupid to be legal.”<\/p>\n
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(Talk about a new sugar high.)<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n First are the facts:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Reacting to the ruling, Mayor Bloomberg said he disagreed with the court decision and cited his intent to appeal.\u00a0 With a rising number of overweight and obese people, he said, “It is reasonable and responsible to draw a line.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ok, sorry, but the Intramuralist must pause and take a deep breath (… those deep breaths, uh, assist in articulating a respectful response…).<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n When I look at this sequence \u2014 and I do believe that the Mayor was attempting to do what he sincerely believes is honorable and right \u2014 I see one huge, glaring bottom line that makes this semi-humble current events observer cringe.\u00a0 Follow me here; perhaps the discomfort will dissipate (… although I highly doubt it).<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bloomberg wants to ban large sugary drinks.\u00a0 Understandable.\u00a0 Excess sugar puts excess weight on excess people.\u00a0 Excess isn\u2019t all good.\u00a0 Granted, pizza, chips, candy bars, milkshakes, etc. also contribute to \u201cexcess,\u201d but none of the above were covered under New York\u2019s regulations (hence, the \u201carbitrary\u201d distinction).<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n But besides the arbitrary and thus inconsistent application of the regulations, there is a more significant cause for my discomfort.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bloomberg wants to help the obese among us, yet in order to assist the obese, the assumption must also be made that people are incapable of controlling their consumption.\u00a0 People are incapable of wise decision-making.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In other words, according to Bloomberg:\u00a0 people cannot control their own choices. \u00a0Therefore, our ever-more-caring government will control their choices for them… We\u2019ll take the big drinks away.<\/em>\u00a0 Under this line of thinking, if citizens are left to their own decision-making, they may make poor choices; thus, it’s government’s duty<\/em> to\u00a0protect citizens from themselves.<\/em>\u00a0 Government must keep the negative, \u201cexcess\u201d consequences from ever occuring.\u00a0 Government, my friends \u2014 according to Bloomberg \u2014 knows best.\u00a0 Government knows better than the people.\u00a0 Excuse me, but has government not realized that negative consequences are often the most effective actual deterrent to negative decision-making?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n True, this regulation only regarded plus size soft drinks… but what will be next?<\/em>\u00a0 That\u2019s the concern:\u00a0 what will be next?<\/em>\u00a0 There is no way soft drinks are the end of the extent of government interference.\u00a0 There is no way soft drinks are the end of the extent of government arrogance, believing they somehow know best.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What\u2019s next?\u00a0 Something bigger.\u00a0 Something more.\u00a0 Something more intrusive.\u00a0 Something far more than 16 ounces.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Respectfully,<\/p>\n AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Perhaps you\u2019ve noticed the latest, looming crisis… Via the Board of Health, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg banned the sale of sugary drinks over the size of 16 oz.\u00a0 No pitchers.\u00a0 No Ventis.\u00a0 No accompanying 2 liter bottles.\u00a0 But alas, on Monday \u2014 one day prior to the law going into effect \u2014 … <\/p>\n\n