Principles in Practice: The Blog of the Objective Standard

Monday, October 01, 2007

Don't Ban Fast Food by Don Watkins

Posted by ARI Media at 10:23 PM

The proposed two-year moratorium on new fast-food restaurants in South Los Angeles will do nothing to make people lose weight. But it will make their lives less free and fulfilling.

Despite the demonization of the fast-food industry, places such as McDonald's and Wendy's provide Americans with a convenient source of tasty, affordable food. Millions of Americans enjoy these restaurants without ever becoming obese. To punish them—as well as potential fast-food restaurant owners and employees—in order to control what they eat is a shameful violation of their rights.

The government has no business dictating where and what people eat, or what their waist-lines should be. Those are decisions that properly belong to individuals. The Los Angeles City Council should reject this disgraceful ban.

Labels: Healthcare, Individual Rights and Law