Newsflash, it doesn't matter who owns them and I'd disagree that "most" are owned by pepsi and coke (especially water)...the ones that are owened by them are run independently and have substantially smaller marketing budgets...do you really think Pepsi or Coke would pour more money into marketing one of their juice or water subsidiaries at the expense of their main brand name? no.

chocolate almonds are hardly on the same level of "junk food" as pop. Do you really need me to post the nutritional info for each or can you accept that fact? There is ZERO nutritional benefit from pop.

I think obesity, unhealthy eating, and poor home-based health education is a major issue and worthy of further scrutiny.

I personally see schools as needing to take a bigger responsibility in the OVERALL education of children and teens...especially given that most kids spend a substantial portion of their time at school, if not even more time then they do with their own family.

I'm all for free choice and non-interference from the gov't...but that seems to only work as a theory because so many people are sooooo ignorant and irresponsible...and that's fine when their actions affect just themselves...but kids need to be educated and develop good habits early on.

So your theory is that since people arent capable of thinking for themselves then the government should do the thinking for them?

Thanks Stalin!

PS the people who are against pop also use chocolate bars in their arguement as examples of food they want kept out of schools.

You constantly use slippery slope arguments...no, I don't think the gov't needs to think for us...and I didn't say that people are not "incapable" of thinking for themselves...they're just ignorant and LAZY. You advocate individual free choice. I support that...to a point.

We have gov't for specific reasons...one is to maintain order...even the most ardent anarchists recognize the need for at least a minimal gov't for that reason. You seem to be in favour of a minimalist gov't...a "laissez-faire" approach...fair enough...but while I agree somewhat, I think there are some very specific areas where our society benefits from gov't involvement and two of those areas are education and health care. Health care doesn't just mean having doctors available to treat illness...THAT is exactly what's wrong with our society...we treat symptoms instead of focusing on prevention.

Parent are no longer just "thinking for themselves" when they have kids...they're affecting the lives of their kids and they should be responsible for that...since many are not...and there's no legal or moral way to police the way they raise their kids, I think it's beneficial for schools and gov't to step in and fill the disturbing void in kids health education, for one.

Why is that so wrong? You're one of the people that always says "why" instead of "why not". You think it's "fair" for Coke and Pepsi to be able to throw money at school boards who are desperate for funds, to give kids "free choice" about what they eat, instead of promoting healthy eating and living in schools, where kids BY LAW must attend? I wouldn't even support water and veggie producers signing contracts with school boards. It's not a balanced relationship...school boards are crying for money...corporate sponsorship from unhealthy food and drink producers is a sad, pathetic band-aid solution.

Individual rights are important, but a mild paternalistic approach in this case is hardly stripping the "freedom to choose" away from kids. You're so high on this silly notion of eveyrone having 100% free choice...well...if kids CHOOSE not to go to school, why should the gov't force them to go then? There ARE reasonably limits on choice and I thinking canning pop machines, at least from elementary schools, is a very good idea.

quote:

Originally posted by Jayx1 The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Sounds like a fortune cookie message!

















































Yes, I know that is actually a common saying.

quote:

Originally posted by Jayx1 Sadly the government seems to keep trying to be our second parent from cradle to grave and increasingly so. Im sick of the government treating all of society as if it were 10 years old.

Hear Hear

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