In The News: Happy Meals

Calif. kids can have Happy Meals, judge rules

By The Associated Press


Children in California will still be able to get toys with their Happy Meals.

A San Francisco judge has dismissed a proposed class-action lawsuit that sought to stop McDonald's Corp. from using toys to market its meals to children in the Golden State. The suit had been filed in late 2010 by Monet Parham, a California mother of two, and The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.

The suit had claimed that the world's biggest hamburger chain was violating consumer protection laws and exploiting children's vulnerability by using toys to lure them to eat nutritionally unbalanced meals that can lead to obesity. The lawsuit did not seek damages.

McDonald's spokeswoman Danya Proud said that the lawsuit was without merit and detracted from "the important issue of children's health and nutrition."

"We are proud of our Happy Meals and will vigorously defend our brand, our reputation and our food," Proud said in the statement. "We stand on our 30-year track record of providing a fun experience for kids and families at McDonald's."

The Center for Science in the Public Interest said in a statement that it will discuss with Parham whether to appeal the case. The group called the use of toys to market food a "predatory practice that undermines parents, causes rifts in families and harms kids' health."

The suit, filed in the county of San Francisco, was dismissed by Judge Richard Kramer on Wednesday.

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Finally! Commonsense is starting to prevail here. That and democracy. Had this ruling been the other way around, I was sure we were heading head first into communism.

I have said it before and I will say it again. Toys in happy meals are not the problem for obesity. Hell, not even eating the occasional unhealthy food. The biggest contributor to childhood obesity is technology.
We keep inventing ways for our kids to sit in front of a TV all day playing video games to the point that they don’t want to go outside and play and get some exercise.

I also blame the media for thrusting panic into parents about letting their children play outside to begin with what with all the “sex” predators on the loose. It just doesn’t happen as often as the media would like for you to think that it does.

There were sex predators when I was young too but I didn’t let that stop me from going out and enjoying myself. The thing to remember is, the government, the laws, they aren’t going to stop horrible things like that from happening. Life is not a right by rule of Mother Nature. The best anyone can do is just live it while you have it because nobody is going to live forever. And yes, it is sad when someone doesn’t get to live it fully to a ripe old age because of somebody else or what have you. Which is why everyone should cherish it when you wake up in the morning, you never know if it will be your last one.

Still, the law of nature is simple, some are lucky and some are not. That’s just the way it is. The one thing you shouldn’t do is live in fear. But we do. Well, most of us I think.

When people talk about the economy and wonder why it’s so bad, the media and the government want to point the finger at Wall Street and bankers and the housing market. And they are half right. But what they don’t want to tell you is the other half truth and that is: All the billions of dollars we have wasted with useless programs like the sexual predator registry.

This program does nothing to stop, halt or prevent anybody from doing anything. But it is a very expensive night light. It’s kind of like when your child is scared of the dark so you buy him or her a 2.00 dollar night light. It makes them feel safe from the boogey monster. But you and I both know there are no such things as boogey monsters. (Just very bad and disturbed people) Still, that light won’t save the child from anything. And that is what the sexual predator registry law is, a night light. A very expensive night light, but a night light none the less.

We spent billions of dollars on it and for what? … Now, The Amber Alert, Megan’s Law, these work I think.

Then look at all the billions of dollars we lost when this country went to war on tobacco. A product that actually built this nation. A product that actually freed us from the British during the Revolutionary War. Without the money from tobacco, we would not be America. But look at all the tax dollars our government lost.

The proponents said that the reason health care was so out of whack was because of tobacco products. Of course, we now know that wasn’t accurate, was it? Never let it be said that communists play fair. They don’t. The trick is: Being able to think for yourselves and let PEOPLE decide for themselves if they want to smoke themselves into lung cancer. And in fact, did you know that cancer patients have increased as smokers have decreased?

Figure that one out.

Now our country’s infrastructure is falling apart without that sweet tobacco tax. And from all the businesses that went away because of it. Banning smoking from restaurants, gas stations, drive thru’s that relied on the sales of beer and tobacco that went belly up. And in Ohio, that’s exactly what they did. I saw it coming. Sometimes I feel like I am the only one who did. So many companies went under, jobs lost, less tax dollars, and then we got “tricked” into two wars. This was the real beginning to our current government fiscal problems on local levels and federal level. And if we do not reverse our mistakes then we will not recover anytime soon from it. Don’t be misled, we are not recovering now either. Sure, it’s getting a little better in some places, but the worse of it is yet to hit us. Not to worry though because it’s coming.

Meanwhile, this is a victory for the kids and their right to have a toy with their hamburger and fries. Now, if only we can get the parents to understand that McDonald’s isn’t for eating every single day of your life. Cook your kid a healthy meal once in a while and for goodness sakes, restrict their time on the freaking X-Box. Make them go outside and freaking play.

Oh, and don’t talk to freaking strangers. (Unless of course they’re looking for their lost puppy)

What the ….? …….

Bon appetite, kids.