Willravel

I know it's popular to be libertarian these days, but this issue needs to be put in the proper context. Children are not allowed to smoke. It's not because we hate business and want to put working people in the tobacco industry out on the street, but because the consequence of smoking has been clearly, consistently, and repeatedly verified to the point of medical certainty. Smoking causes cancer. Smoking is physically dangerous. While adults shouldn't be prevented from purchasing cigarettes, the fact is that children are still developing the ability to determine right and wrong. Children aren't able to vote, fight in a war, and enjoy other liberties adults enjoy because they are still developing the ability to understand the real world consequences for their decisions.

Happy meals include a hamburger, French fries, a soda, and a toy. The hamburger and French fries are very high in salt and fat, each of which have been demonstrated to have a causal link to heart disease (much the same way smoking has been linked to cancer). The soda is very high in processed sugar, which has been demonstrated to have a causal link to diabetes. These are not opinions, but rather facts. Worse still, like nicotine-packed cigarettes, high sugar and high fat fast food is addictive.

I'm going to make this very clear: Happy Meals are like when cigarettes are marketed directly to children. They're seeking to take advantage of a group of people who are still developing the cognitive ability to make an informed choice about endangering their health.

But we all know you weren't referring to Happy Meals above when discussing Pelosi and San Francisco. I'd like you to say what you mean and mean what you say. I've never once thought that the red areas of the country are disloyal or don't have people with values. I'd like to understand why I'm not extended the same courtesy.