16 Aug 2012 Nanny State Goes for the Gold

After bringing home the gold with her incredible gymnastics performance at the London Olympics, Gabby Douglas admitted that she “splurged” and had an Egg McMuffin.

It annoyed the heck out of Michelle Obama.

Douglas and Obama were appearing together on the August 13 edition of the “Tonight Show” when Douglas made the shocking revelation of her apparent disregard for her diet and overall health.

Obama leaned over to Douglas to caution her about tempting portly host Jay Leno, pleading with Douglas, “don’t encourage him.”

Following up, Obama added: “You’re setting me back, Gabby.”  When Douglas tried to apologize, Obama reminded the gold medal athlete about how she was toiling away for our collective well-being, saying, “It’s so hard.”

The exchange got lots of laughs at the time, but it speaks to the larger problem of the nanny state taking over our everyday lives.  And, while this is just some overbearing woman complaining about fast-food it is likely to only get worse.

After all, Project 21 member Robin Martin was castigated on the PBS show “To the Contrary” in February of 2010 for having reservations about the First Lady’s burgeoning “Let’s Move” nutrition and exercise program.  Robin is fine with teaching good nutritional habits, but she said at the time that she didn’t want to someday lose control of what she could put in her kids’ lunches.

At the same time as she lectured Robin that kids learn more eating fruits and veggies than French fries, Melinda Henneberger of PoliticsDaily.com assured Robin that her fear of lunchbox police raids were “not gonna happen.”

Oh, really?

Fast-forward just two years, to February of 2012.  A pre-schooler at West Hoke Elementary in Raeford North Carolina had her lunch that consisted of a turkey and cheese sandwich, banana, potato chips and apple juice taken from her by school officials because it was determined that it did not meet federal nutritional guidelines.  Her homemade lunch was replaced with chicken nuggets.

It’s a slippery slope like this that should make us concerned about places such as New York City, where Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been on a tear when it comes to regulating individual’s behavior.

So far this year, the National Center and Project 21 called out Bloomberg on issues such as a ban on food donations to homeless shelters, a ban on the sale of large-sized sugary beverages in restaurants and insisting on breast-feeding over baby formula for newborns in city hospitals.

While the Bloomberg Administration’s antics are high-profile and highly offensive to so many people when it comes to a respect for freedom, it may be nothing compared to what the Obama Administration might have in store for us.

Project 21 member Dr. Elaina George notes how Bloomberg’s actions may just be an opening salvo in a larger nanny state assault on American freedom of choice.  And the government will be fighting this war  against its people with a very big gun — ObamaCare.

Dr. George says:

Mayor Bloomberg’s ban on large soft drinks, trans fats, salt and his latest assault on a new mother’s right to choose how to feed her baby is a stark reminder of the government’s power to control.

It is no mistake that these rules are an attempt to control behavior.  They are likely trial balloons sent up to see how far the American public will allow themselves to be pushed before they say enough.

Now that ObamaCare has been upheld by Chief Justice Roberts, we can all look forward to the government deciding what medical services will actually be covered.  After all, under Medicaid and Medicare, the government is footing the bill — and private insurance companies follow their lead.

In the era of healthcare under ObamaCare, costs will become the driving force.  Ultimately, it will be the government that will decide who lives and who dies.