Nothing new under the wingnut sun. Reagan broadcast, early - TopicsExpress



          

Nothing new under the wingnut sun. Reagan broadcast, early 1977: “When if ever will do-gooders, busy-bodies, and bureaucrats learn that human beings don’t like being regimented, even when they’re told it’s for their own good? He then responds to Arizona Republic editorial on the “latest caper in education carried out from Washignton D.C…. ‘You can lead a high school kid to yogurt, but you can’t make him drink.’ Now this isn’t a criticism of yogurt, which is unquestionably a fine, healthy source of nourishment. It is instead a story of about $64,000 worth of foolishness by the Washington D.C. school board. “Of late there’s been much ado about so-called ‘junk food’ in schools. Like so many of the causes a grapevine communication system carries the word all over the land. But in the nation’s capital, they had their way. The Washington school board banned the sale of quote ‘junk food’ unquote in schools and even at football games. Happily, the school nutritionist got to work on a new mentu for teenagers. And from a health standpoint you can’t fault them! “The soft drink machines were emptied, bake and candy sales were halted, and the cheering sections at football games carried on without hotdogs, popcorn, or potato chips. Available were milk, hot chocolate [?!], vegetable juices, hard-boiled eggs, sandwiches made of whole-grain-enriched bread, unsalted nuts, and yogurt. “Now, I’d have no quarrel—indeed I’d join a campaign to educate all of us that such things are good for us! Good heavens, as an ex-sports announcer, I remember when the great Babe Ruth missed a game because he ate thirteen hot dogs washed down by as many bottles of root beer! “But kids are kids. And sometimes persuasion is better than dictatorship [!] When the lunch bell rings now in the Washignton schools students happily flock to the nearest places where the so-called junk food is for sale. The school eat shops with their healthy new menus are deserted. One school reports that they used to net $2,000 a year from soft drink sales alone, and an equal amount from such things as candy. All this profit went to support sports and other school activities. It even bought gasoline for the lawn mowers! “You might think the school board would admit they made a mistake. But noooo, the ban on junk food remains! And here’s where you and I come into the picture. To make up for the loss of profits, the school board is giving the principles from the various schools a total of $65,000 from federal impact aid money. In other words, the nation’s taxpayers will underwrite this failing experiment in nutrition. “No one [==absolution] wants kids to fill up on junk food instead of a proper diet. But whatever happened to ‘eat all your spinach or no television tonight’? This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening.”
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 15:58:25 +0000

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