If You Want Good French Fries, Don't go to New York City!

Tuesday night, the Board of Health in New York City voted to ban trans fats in New York City.  The ban is going to be phased in, and will not take complete effect for several months yet; but it's obvious that the "food police" have found a home in New York City.  (Next time I visit the Northeast, remind me to get my fill of French fries in New Jersey--unless, of course, the food police have taken over the entire northeast corridor by that time.)

 

We used to complain that the federal government was taking our rights away from us, treating us like children, and watching over us like a nanny.  Increasingly, though, it's happening at every level of government!  I would be tempted to laugh at this move against trans fats by New York City's Health Department.  (It reminds me of a school board voting to take certain kinds of snacks out of vending machines.  (That strikes me as rather silly, too; but at least, that's a school board acting ostensibly to take control of what kids eat.  They're merely acting as a "Big Parent.")  This is a board of city government acting to protect adults, and that's quite a different matter. After all, I don't have to eat French fries if I don't want to; but I happen to like them.  I'm not sure I'll like them quite so much now.

 

I realize that trans fats have limited--some would say questionable--uses.  I'm not arguing that they're good for me, any more than I would argue that Coca-Cola, beer, or chocolate candy are *good for me.  I don't believe it's wise to ride in a car without fastening my seat belt. There are lots of things people probably should do, and lots of other things people probably should not do--things we should eat, things we should avoid, things we should take only in moderation.  The point is this:  The government has far more important things with which to concern itself than how a restaurant fixes its French fries, or whether I get my daily fix of trans fats!  

 

Is it really worth the financial cost to the city of New York to make sure the local "greasy spoon" isn't quite so greasy?  Do we now take our Constitutional and individual rights so lightly that any legislature, board, or governing body can regulate our lives down to the smallest detail without anybody making the slightest peep?  Or, worst of all, have we become so dependent as a nation that we will let city hall, state legislature, and the federal apparatus in Washington make all our decisions for us so that we no longer have to make any choices for ourselves--whether it be taking the fun out of our French fries or restricting our rights to display nativity scenes?  

 

It would be a little strange if French fries became the new symbol of freedom in America now, wouldn't it?

 

     

Straight ahead!  See my blog at:   www.noblindbluff.blogspot.com