Illinois sweetened beverage tax goes into effect July 1st 2017-moved to the 12th now

[palou]

shikamaru317 said:

palou said:

These ARE habits that you take as a child, though, wouldn't it be fair to deincentivise families from preparing their children to an unhealthy life?

Responsible parents already limit their children's sugar and fat intake. Sure there are plenty of irresponsible parents out there, but it's not really the government's job to try to force them to be responsible, at least in this regard. It's one thing for the government to intervene in the case of abuse or neglect, but I'd hardly call letting your kids have large sugared drinks either abuse or neglect. Irresponsible? Yes? Neglectful? No. 

My opinion differs there quite a bit, I guess...

 

I believe that children are, and should be considered as people (and citizens) with their own full rights; simply with the inability to act independantly. I consequently don't believe that parents can have ownership of any sort over their children, as a person cannot be owned. Their rights on the life of the child, to me, thus only extend as far as they act in the interest of the child. As citizens, in spite of the lack of representation, I believe that the government has the repsonsibility of acting in the best interest of children - more directly so than adults, as they do not act independantly, and there is thus no liberty to impede.