nymd4liberty
A Concerned Citizen
Hello Fellow Forum Members,
Like most Americans, I have been closely following the current health care debate. For quite some time, I have been looking for a venue to speak out about how I feel in regard to the House bill that is currently threatening to revolutionize our present health care system. I finally decided to let my voice be heard after I became aware of a bill being pushed by NY Mayor Bloomberg and democratic assemblyman Felix Ortiz that promotes a legislative ban on the use of Salt by restaurants in NY.
Please see myfoxny chefs call proposed new york salt ban absurd
Although this bill "may be" good intentioned, I see it as just one more blaring example of big government overstepping its bounds by interfering with the freedoms of U.S. citizens.
Below are some of my thoughts in regard to this matter. Please read the following with a "grain of salt" LOL. : ) , as I am really quite a laid back person and am not often as outraged as I sound in my rant below:
Are Mayor Bloomberg and assemblyman Felix Ortiz for real? Now liberals actually want to take food out of our mouths? Salt is one of the most rudimentary and essential staples of the human diet and they want to put a law in place that bans its use in cooking!
As a medical professional, I fully comprehend the woes that can be associated with too much sodium intake. However, I also know that salt is as much a necessity for the body as air and water. As with all things in life, everything must be taken in moderation. Such moderation is the responsibility of every individual and I believe it is not the place of government to legislate the flavor of one's food. I imagine liberal legislators must be aware of the catastrophic consequences such legal action could have on the food industry, as salt is a necessary ingredient of most dishes. If they are indeed serious about this bill, then I can only assume that this is yet another radical progressive motion that is intent on forcing social policy down the throats of the American people even if it means bankrupting our economy. If this bill is simply a ploy to bring awareness or to instigate some public action, then I submit that this bill represents a frivolous wielding of legislative power without a true regard for the consequences of such actions. I ask that all who value freedom would please carefully consider the ramifications of creating a legal precedent for government interference in areas as close to home as the seasoning of food. What is next, eliminating spicy food or coffee because it aggravates stomach ulcers, or legislating sun exposure because it predisposes you to cancer? I know these are extreme examples, but one never would have thought that the U.S. judicial system would have become as controlling and micromanaging as it already has. True, life does have its inherent risks and we must all exert our own autonomy in limiting our personal exposure to such risks. However, it is out of control legislators that threaten to reduce human existence to mere subsistence. There are somethings that should be left up to individual discretion and this is one of them. Eating out is a commodity and not a necessity, nor a right. If anyone is eating out enough that it presents a threat to his or her health, such a one should cut back. This is where moderation and self control comes in. The food industry is no more responsible for ones health woes than the TV is responsible for people not exercising. We all chose our path in life. The government should not choose it for us. I know that one argument is that legally restricting salt intake would significantly reduce health care costs related to cardiovascular disease, hence saving the government a bucket of money. In this regard, I say that there are many private insurance companies that would be happy to assume the responsibility of providing cheap and effective medical coverage to the American people. The fact that health care is causing such a financial drain on the government is just one more piece of evidence that they should not be involved in it in the first place. Medical care is a commodity and should be under the control of the private sector, where competition naturally drives down cost and promotes medical ingenuity and progress. To the long arm of the government I say, "Please keep your hands out of my pockets and away from my dinner plate!"
Like most Americans, I have been closely following the current health care debate. For quite some time, I have been looking for a venue to speak out about how I feel in regard to the House bill that is currently threatening to revolutionize our present health care system. I finally decided to let my voice be heard after I became aware of a bill being pushed by NY Mayor Bloomberg and democratic assemblyman Felix Ortiz that promotes a legislative ban on the use of Salt by restaurants in NY.
Please see myfoxny chefs call proposed new york salt ban absurd
Although this bill "may be" good intentioned, I see it as just one more blaring example of big government overstepping its bounds by interfering with the freedoms of U.S. citizens.
Below are some of my thoughts in regard to this matter. Please read the following with a "grain of salt" LOL. : ) , as I am really quite a laid back person and am not often as outraged as I sound in my rant below:
Are Mayor Bloomberg and assemblyman Felix Ortiz for real? Now liberals actually want to take food out of our mouths? Salt is one of the most rudimentary and essential staples of the human diet and they want to put a law in place that bans its use in cooking!
As a medical professional, I fully comprehend the woes that can be associated with too much sodium intake. However, I also know that salt is as much a necessity for the body as air and water. As with all things in life, everything must be taken in moderation. Such moderation is the responsibility of every individual and I believe it is not the place of government to legislate the flavor of one's food. I imagine liberal legislators must be aware of the catastrophic consequences such legal action could have on the food industry, as salt is a necessary ingredient of most dishes. If they are indeed serious about this bill, then I can only assume that this is yet another radical progressive motion that is intent on forcing social policy down the throats of the American people even if it means bankrupting our economy. If this bill is simply a ploy to bring awareness or to instigate some public action, then I submit that this bill represents a frivolous wielding of legislative power without a true regard for the consequences of such actions. I ask that all who value freedom would please carefully consider the ramifications of creating a legal precedent for government interference in areas as close to home as the seasoning of food. What is next, eliminating spicy food or coffee because it aggravates stomach ulcers, or legislating sun exposure because it predisposes you to cancer? I know these are extreme examples, but one never would have thought that the U.S. judicial system would have become as controlling and micromanaging as it already has. True, life does have its inherent risks and we must all exert our own autonomy in limiting our personal exposure to such risks. However, it is out of control legislators that threaten to reduce human existence to mere subsistence. There are somethings that should be left up to individual discretion and this is one of them. Eating out is a commodity and not a necessity, nor a right. If anyone is eating out enough that it presents a threat to his or her health, such a one should cut back. This is where moderation and self control comes in. The food industry is no more responsible for ones health woes than the TV is responsible for people not exercising. We all chose our path in life. The government should not choose it for us. I know that one argument is that legally restricting salt intake would significantly reduce health care costs related to cardiovascular disease, hence saving the government a bucket of money. In this regard, I say that there are many private insurance companies that would be happy to assume the responsibility of providing cheap and effective medical coverage to the American people. The fact that health care is causing such a financial drain on the government is just one more piece of evidence that they should not be involved in it in the first place. Medical care is a commodity and should be under the control of the private sector, where competition naturally drives down cost and promotes medical ingenuity and progress. To the long arm of the government I say, "Please keep your hands out of my pockets and away from my dinner plate!"
