Food fascists

Michelle Obama received a standing ovation during her husband's State of the Union address for her crusade against obesity. A worthy cause considering how yesterday's "fat" has become today's norm. Unfortunately, naked enthusiasm is not sufficient to bring good results. The first lady's noble intentions are sabotaged by the socialistic bootlickers around her who are pushing the idea of a ban on the expansion of the fast food industry. Yes, there is an epidemic of obesity, but its epicenter is in Washington, D.C. It is the government that has to go on a diet, more so than the people who feed it. And we could start by financially starving the food fascists.

Why do some people think that it is legitimate for our federal or local governments to make our lifestyle choices for us? Why do such policies deserve the label "socialist?" I will let Tocqueville answer these questions for us. What characterizes socialists of all parties, according to him, is "a continuous, many-sided, incessant attempt to curtail . . . human freedom in every way; it is the idea that the State must not only direct society, but must be . . . the master of every man . . . that for fear of letting man fail, the State must always be beside him, above him, around him, in order to guide him, protect him, sustain him, restrain him."

I personally have nothing to fear if all fast food places disappear tomorrow. My wife cooks delicious meals. Our daughter loves helping in the kitchen. I can prepare a hundred things from scratch. So we can do great without the occasional cheeseburger with fries. What we can also do without is a government treating us as drooling idiots. The government is not our mom, or schoolteacher, or boss. It is not our doctor or pastor. And it is not our friend. It is our servant. So please stick to the Constitution and do not violate our God-given rights to choose what to eat or how much to exercise.