Chicago school accuses parents of poisoning children

By Warner Todd Huston

The nanny state in the people's republic of Chicago rears its ugly head once again where a school principal has accused parents of trying to poison their own children with "unhealthy" bag lunches. And so, in her infinite wisdom, Principal Elsa Carmona had banned all lunches brought from home. I guess it's just a coincidence that the school gets more federal money for lunches served by the school, eh?

Little Village Academy Principal Carmona, you see, is better and smarter than the vile parents of the children for whom she is the keeper... at least she thinks she is, anyway. She has determined that kids are not getting healthy lunches from parents, so she's decided that kids can only eat the bland pabulum she serves in her school cafeteria.

"Nutrition wise, it is better for the children to eat at the school," Carmona said. "It's about the nutrition and the excellent quality food that they are able to serve (in the lunchroom). It's milk versus a Coke. But with allergies and any medical issue, of course, we would make an exception."

Sorry Chairman CarMAOna, but it is just not your business to decide what our children are allowed to eat. Perhaps "Carmona" is a Cuban name and she gets her communist ideology honestly (not that all Cubans in America are commie-lovers, by any means), but whatever the case she is definitely not observing an American sensibility.

Chicago Public School spokeswoman Monique Bond told reporters that she couldn't say how many school principals in Chicago had banned lunches from home but she assured everyone that these principals use "common sense" in their own individual policies.

One school reported that teachers go through lunches and "confiscate" food that the teachers don't like.

At Claremont Academy Elementary School on the South Side, officials allow packed lunches but confiscate any snacks loaded with sugar or salt. (They often are returned after school.) Principal Rebecca Stinson said that though students may not like it, she has yet to hear a parent complain.

The last line of that is the shame of it all. Not a parent has complained.

We are giving our freedoms and liberties away to government one cookie or one bag of chips at a time. It's time to reassert our freedom from government. It's no wonder home schooling has been growing by leaps and bounds.

© Warner Todd Huston