They used to have these things called "Parents"

[Sarge]

What the hell is wrong with this country? Must we be babysat in every aspect of our lives by the nanny state? How about a parent, responsible adult, significant other, whatever is PC nowadays, maybe actually cut up the hot dog for kids that are too small to swallow one whole. Maybe they could just not give a two year old a hotdog and an episode of SpongeBob to amuse them while they go do whatever

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,587133,00.html

CHICAGO — When 4-year-old Eric Stavros Adler choked to death on a piece of hot dog, his anguished mother never dreamed that the popular kids' food could be so dangerous.

Some food makers including Oscar Mayer have warning labels about choking, but not nearly enough, says Joan Stavros Adler, Eric's mom.

The American Academy of Pediatrics agrees. The nation's largest pediatricians group is calling for sweeping changes in the way food is designed and labeled to minimize children's chances for choking.

Choking kills more than 100 U.S. children 14 years or younger each year and thousands more — 15,000 in 2001 — are treated in emergency rooms. Food, including candy and gum, is among the leading culprits, along with items like coins and balloons. Of the 141 choking deaths in kids in 2006, 61 were food-related.

 

[Neophyte]

Real parenting would be too difficult by far, Sarge.

 

[Sarge]

Oh I know. I'm still convinced you should have to take a test to be a parent.

But what is this incessant need of the government to regulate everything? I had an email one time that showed how much the government is in your life from the time you get up to the time you go to bed. It's crazy

Concentrate on curing cancer or something useful for cryin' out loud

 

[InsaneBoost]

They should remove all baby making goods from that family.

 

[Miles Monroe]

Who feeds that junk to kids, there poison to begin with....... OH wait, everybody does.

Right there with ya Sarge. I'm just waiting for regulations on how many sheets of paper to use when you wipe, and how many times to shake it before constituting pleasure.

It's like everything else, people are ignorant to the dangers in everyday life, and more so when it comes to their kids for some reason.

It's like I say about BMW and their motorcycles. When you work to build an idiot proof motorcycle, you wind up with idiots riding them.......

 

[InsaneBoost]

Exactly, same with my family. You did something, you were getting hit. I love how everyone today tries to say spanking is beating. There's a BIG difference. I think if spanking happened a little more kids wouldn't be such smartasses nor do such stupid crap. Hell is having a little respect that bad of a thing?

 

[riggins44]

My wife once said you buy a car, appliance, or whatever and you get an owners manual. Many things in life they give you classes so know how to do whatever it is. However you give birth to this little helpless human being and they say here is your child, then send you out in the world. She feels many new parents need training.

I was swatted or spanked more than once growing up (regardless if I felt it was needed). Once when one my kids was younger they said you can't spank me cause if you do will claim child abuse. My wife and I said difference between a spanking and a beating. Wife then said go ahead and claim child abuse, then they will put us in jail and you in a foster home.

Where was the parent when this child choked? Maybe this was new parenting where give the kid a hot dog and turn on the TV so as not to interupt what you want to do.

 

[Om]

I dunno, gents. Sometimes **** just happens.

Kids have choked on food (not to mention non-food) items since long before there were governments around. Neanderthal babies tried to swallow plums whole just like little Marvin down the street will next week. It doesn't necessarily mean their respective parents were out to lunch (if you've raised kids, you've probably been to the doctor's office at least once to have a kid stomach x-rayed) ...

Nor does it mean that government shouldn't at least try to make the more obvious danger areas less so by putting "hey stupid, don't eat this" labels on the Extreme Ice Melt, however. It won't stop little Marvin necessarily--if he decides to eat a pound of rock salt, and he's motivated enough, chances are he's going to eat at least a quarter pound of it at some point while Daddy's got his back turned taking the state-of-the-art car seat down out of the storage closet. Kids are fast man.

A kid choking to death on food is a tragedy ... I'm just not sure it's one that necessarily requires blame be affixed, be it to the mourning parents or the government machine trying to accomplish its impossible task of balancing "helping them" too much versus not at all.

 

[Boone]

I agree with you Mark - the only caveat being that knowing that some food items (such as grapes and hot dogs) are a choking risk is basic parenting 101. I mean, in my opinion, you'd have to almost be ignorant, or living in Kevorkian's cabin somewhere not to know it. That may sound harsh, but I guess I feel many parents are just way too careless to begin with.

The idea that parents aren't motivated enough to learn basic recommendations on safety, but will read food caution labels - well, that may be the most ludicrous aspect of the discussion.

All that being said, a tragedy is a tragedy, and I can't imagine how a parent would feel who loses a baby to something like this. Awful.

 

[Elephant]

I can see how this turned into a parent bashing issue. I think the tragedy is the child dying, but the travesty is the mother of this child placing blame for her child's death on the packaging of the hot dog manufacturer.

Accidents happen, just like Mark suggests. The problem in this case is the immediate reaction to blame the hot dog manufacturer rather than realizing it was a freak accident or that she had some responsibility.

 

[Rdsknbill]

I can see how this turned into a parent bashing issue. I think the tragedy is the child dying, but the travesty is the mother of this child placing blame for her child's death on the packaging of the hot dog manufacturer.

Accidents happen, just like Mark suggests. The problem in this case is the immediate reaction to blame the hot dog manufacturer rather than realizing it was a freak accident or that she had some responsibility.

THANK YOU!

Why does this new PC effing society always have to find a scapegoat for a tragedy that has happened previously. But NO! They have to go after the manufacturer of the product. While I understand the lead based paint from China, hot dogs makers? Really?

 

[Sisyphus]

food caution labels

Do you think grapes will be labelled individually or will it be safe enough to label a whole bunch?