Demanding more

The hearing yesterday went much like I expected. I did very little talking as it started off with the HUNGRY representative, Joe Ruthesburg, who talks with a very strong New Yorker accent. He filled up much of the time listing arguments against the cookie, such as:

The weight consequences of getting such a large quantity of sugar thrown into the lives of people everywhere.

The cavities caused by such an excess amount of chocolate in the cookie.

The increased dependency on blood-sugar increasing foods, greatly adding to the list of people currently in need of artificial insulin.

(of course, all this really took six hours, but to sum it up...)

"This will not only destroy our eating habits for generations," the representative concluded, "but it will absolutely and fundamentally eliminate any chance at us reaching the health goals set by Congress for 2010. This date is fast approaching, and the goals must be met. So I ask you, is that what you want? A sugar-high, and a broken promise to the American people that you will keep them healthy?"

That really did it. I know a thing or two about politics, and very many congressmen and women have staked their careers on this goal being met.

"Do you have anything to say to that, Mr. Vanderdecken12?"

"No, what Ruthesburg says is all true."

"Then I proceed," Ruthesburg took a deep breathe and began again, "to suggest a more assurant law, a guarantee that this health-goal will be met. I would like to call for the elimination and prohibition of all cookies, making it a punishable crime to create or to ingest anything that is or resembles a cookie."
I was taken aback. Outlaw cookies completely? Could such a thing be done?

He continued, "This is a free country. However, many times certain freedoms must be limited to keep people truly free. It is time for America to realize that this government must destroy all unhealthy foods. Americans have been babied for far to long. We are childish. We want things we can't have. Cookies must be eliminated entirely. We can't be kids anymore. It is time to grow up."

I didn't think of eliminating all cookies. I'll have to think it over. My response is due on Monday (they took today (Sunday) off). There really is a lot to think about. I thought the two, the giant cookie and cookies in general, were different, but if they're really the same, and I guess they ought to be, but, well, should we get rid of cookies, then? And where does it stop? If cookies, then why not cheesecake? Why not ice cream? Why not apple pie? But is that really a bad thing? I don't know what to say anymore...