Ban Obese From Restaurants?
You Just Can't Fix Stupid!
Some of you may have already heard that that Representatives Mayhill, Read and Shows of Mississippi have prepared a bill to put before Committee that, if passed, would mean that restaurant owners caught serving the obese could be closed down by the Mississippi State Dept. of Health.
Granted, this has been explained by Mayhill as what is referred to as a "joke bill" that he does not even believe will pass but was simply presented to draw attention to the fact that Mississippi is in the #1 spot for obesity in the U.S. This comes only on the heels of the Oprah Winfrey show in which she travels to her home state simply to drive this point across the airwaves, even though she didn't have time to spend (herself) on the coast of her home state following the Katrina disaster. She, instead sent representatives on her behalf while she spent her time with the New Orleans victims. But then that is a whole other Hub in itself in my mind!
While I feel sure that this bill will be laughed out and never become law, I have a few questions for these people. With all of the negativity, rude comments, stares, laughs and other hurtful events that torment the obese every day, why would anyone who is supposed to be considered a leader even think about adding even more humiliation and insult to the lives of these people whom they are supposed to be so concerned about?
Then, there is the fact that some restaurant owners themselves are obese. Many people who are employed in restaurants are also obese. So, who is supposed to run the businesses? And what about the obese Representatives themselves? Yes, they are either obese or formerly obese themselves! I suppose all of their luncheons and elbow rubbing dinner dates with the high and mighty would have to come to a halt!
This has to be the stupidest idea that any leader in our state has ever put before our people! Sad thing is that you just can't fix stupid! And to think that I have been so proud to live in Mississippi all of my life and will defend it to the end! Something this idiotic coming from someone who is supposed to be a leader of my state almost makes me ashamed to live here! But then, I can't let the actions of a few cloud the pride I have had in my state through many disasters in past years. The way that we came together after Katrina has been one of my proudest moments in our state. Rather than shaking a fist and blaming others for the disaster, we buckled under to rebuild a better, stronger Mississippi. And instead of loitering and stepping over our wounded and bleeding, we reached out to help them up! I will always have this image in my head to outweigh situations like these where a few of our so-called leaders decide to use the emotional welfare of their own people to bring attention to their cause. It is the only thing I can do to keep the pride going in my heart when faced with stupidity of this nature.
So what if it was your state? What would you think if your state attempted to pass a law saying that obese people weren't allowed to eat in public places? Even if you aren't obese yourself, how would this effect those in your circle? Friends, loved ones, business partners? I would love to get your comments on this idiotic bill!
Bonnie Ramsey
Still a proud Mississippian
