We Keep Doing It To Ourselves

I wish that I could pass on some good news. If anyone has any, don't be shy; post it. Maybe it's just gray skies and a return to colder temperatures that has me a bit gloomy today. Or... maybe it's what "we" keep doing to ourselves.

I listened to a local news report last night reporting that research keeps showing that healthy lifestyles curb cancer. That's the good news. Who wants cancer? As you no doubt already know, healthy lifestyle includes eating more fruits, vegetables, and such and staying physically active (otherwise known as exercise). Certainly not bad things to do. I think that there is enough evidence to convince anyone paying attention that better eating and activity choices generally lead to better health. That's fine.

But easily discernible in the report is the not-so-good news. Researchers, medical professionals, and cancer survivors (those in this report anyway) indicate that this should be a "government concern." Of course. No individual can take informative data like this and choose to apply it to his/her personal life. We need a government to step in and make us do the "right" things. Some of the comments I recall: government needs to provide biking & hiking trails; abolish advertising of sweet foods & drinks to children; making healthy foods more affordable; government take on this problem like they did tobacco.

Obvious conclusions... Americans (some) have disconnected themselves from all reality. We have been a great nation because we have demanded liberty. Now we want to surrender that hard-fought liberty to the nanny state. Dining establishments can serve salads and fruits and such because they are good for us. No more burgers and fries and shakes and soft drinks. We cannot take care of ourselves; we are helpless. We are fallible people, so we must trust our elected politicians - also fallible people - to save us from our self-destructive behaviors.

How is this going to be stopped?