Print3 Cheers for the Cheeseburger Bill!!!
Two things continue to make this country what it is: hamburgers and litigation. However, we agree with our nation's normally befuddled legislators that they are two great tastes that don't necessarily go great together.
Consider this A Hamburger Today's endorsement of the Cheeseburger Bill, currently trying to squeeze its way through the refuse-strewn small intestine of Congress. The Cheeseburger Bill (not to be confused with our nation's 42nd president) seeks to curb obesity lawsuits against fast-food restaurants.
Passing the bill, officially known as the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act, would be welcome news for McDonald's, one of the only companies so far to have seen (unsuccessful) legal action taken against its restaurants. However, that particular case is down but not completely out, and, combined with attacks from the Morgan Spurlocks
Striving to ensure respect for and fear of the nation's beloved and beleaguered burger, heavy lobbying by the restaurant industry has resulted in more than 20 states taking legislation into account that would reduce obesity suits against restaurants and food manufacturers or would sentence them completely to the fate of the McRib.
Although I'm always on the hunt for the next frivolous lawsuit that's going to enable me to "super size it" for eternity, it's time people take responsibility for and pride in their fast-food overindulgences. If we want to be a nation of fatasses, we should be free to be just that, dammit! With motorized scooters to back us up for long trips through the grocery store. After all, we know what freedom smells like, and it reeks of partially hydrogenated grease and secret sauce. The day we have to sue Grimace and the gang is a day when children weep for an innocence that once was. You're either with us or against us, folks!
For more information on how a bill is passed, please refer to School House Rock.
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3 Comments:
This is a great blog.
That said, since when did you guys decide to shill for big burger? Look, I understand that in your gut(along with some hamburger leftovers) you probably feel that people shouldn't eat a quarter pounder a day and sue the guys at The Golden Arches when they drop from a heart attack at the tender age of 35. But when you think about it a little more it's fairly clear that:
(1) Giant fast food chains should be liable for making a potentially dangerous product the same way other industries are.
(2) Since there are poor people in this country whose sources of nutrition are limited by both geography and class, it might not be such a bad idea to spend money improving their access to nutritious daily food instead of essentially locking them out of the court system when they try to extract compensation for the crap they've been eating.
(3) There's really no good reason that the courts can't decide this question. If a lawsuit has no merit the judge or a jury will make that determination. It seems that congress shouldn't be going around preemptively deciding which kinds of liability claims are justified.
(4) Hamburgers are great. I like people serving hamburgers. I can't imagine that Burger King is going to go broke because some people say and do nasty things to them. Have some sympathy for the people living under the thumb of the big fast food companies.
Thanks
Dan
Hamburger Dan Berkman at 2:16PM on 05/16/05
Good points, all, Dan. I'm especially swayed by No. 3.
Adam Kuban at 2:52PM on 05/16/05
Well Dan~ I am against big business strangling us to death, but really feel we need to take responsibility for our choices. When we eat a Big Mac a day and want to blame others for getting fat, we are in a culture of denial that needs to be halted. I agree, it's sick that living in a low-income neighborhood, it is almost impossible to eat healthy, but if a health food store could prosper in one of those neighborhoods, don't think they would not be there. Companies have one obligation unfortunately, to increase profits, and their only obligation is to its shareholders, not the public. This system, in ideals and essence, allows health food chains to compete with McDonalds. If making a bigger juicier burger is more profitable, they will make it bigger and juicier. If making it carb-free is more profitiable, they will do just that. Cash rules in this society and dictates what companies do. If we lived in a culture of responsibility we could hold both humans and corporations more responsible. But McDonalds never made a pact towards being helth food, why would we limit their freedom to make whatever product they wish. If parents, teachers and the nutritional advocates of the government cannot teach people to make smart choices, why should it be up to fast food to lose profits in attempts to be something they never claimed to be. Still, good points to be had, Dan. Change of consciousness against commercialism seems more important these days, then forcing anyone to change themselves.
Hamburglar Hadley at 12:37PM on 07/19/05