Let's Put THEM in a Time-Out

by
Suzann Darnall

I'm not a journalist or reporter. I'm a writer. But, first and foremost I am a mother, a grandmother, and a wife. I raised my children and now enjoy my grandchildren. I care for my husband, my animals, and my home. I see many things in the world from my viewpoint and experiences as a woman, as well as my relationships and trials with my children or my animals. I write my opinions. For me, this is not about reporting the news or the facts, it is about sharing my emotions and reaction to the threats I perceive and the fears I have.

A fear I have right now is about my free country becoming a nanny-state. And, I don't think it will be a kind-hearted, loving, benevolent caretaker like Mary Poppins. I think it will be something more like Cinderella's stepmother, where she sits on her butt, and we do all the work.

I don't want a caretaker-government of any kind. I most certainly don't want the kind that Obama and his Progressive cohorts are trying to ram down our throats. I think it is time we put Obama and his ilk in the corner, so to speak, for a time-out to think about what they are doing and what we don't want them doing! Not that I actually think they will learn anything, but they might at least be kept somewhat out of trouble for a short while. Often, with out-of-control children, that is all you can hope for: a brief respite from the chaos. And, I think DC's political denizens have more in common with toddlers in the terrible twos stage than we ever thought possible.

One reason I do not want a nanny-state is that I think it is like putting the criminally insane in charge of running the loony-bin or letting the kids make the house-rules. Probably not the best decision-makers in the mix! While doctors and parents aren't perfect, they may have a wee bit more experience that will perhaps lead them to go slightly less astray first thing off the bat.

History shows me that nanny-state tactics don't work. The worst thing that ever happened to the American Indians were the reservations. It stripped Indians of their pride and their self-reliance. The same thing has happened with welfare. Populations that rely on others to feed, clothe, and house them soon become riddled with vice, crime, hate, and anger. Just look at the inner-city ghettos, especially the housing projects.

Another reason I abhor the idea of a nanny-state is the loss of freedom that it would entail. Freedom of choice would become a thing of the past. We already see harbingers of it with intrusive laws and the possibilities of even more intrusive laws being passed. Most of our communities have an example of this kind of lack of choice that takes place nearly every day somewhere nearby: Food Banks, to wit.

I am not saying Food Banks are a bad thing. I'm just saying they are a prime example of the nanny-state reality. A reality that I don't want invading all aspects of my life!

People from my church volunteer once a month to help pass out food. Most of the food is provided by local grocery stores, with some being donated by local citizens during various food drives throughout the year. The people in need of groceries come and pick numbers, line up and pass by the numerous tables holding the food. They tote boxes or bags, and volunteers place items in their carriers.

I usually work the bread tables. Since we live in Texas, this often contains various types of tortillas, along with the usual loaves, buns, and biscuits. None of it is at the start of its freshness date range. My husband, Pete, most often works the produce table.

If you have never thought about the blessing of being able to go into a grocery store and select what you want, I hope you do so now and give thanks to the Lord for that opportunity. I did not fully appreciate what an amazing blessing there is in the act of grocery shopping. I do now!

When I go to the store to buy bread stuffs, I read labels and make choices based on ingredients, calories, sugar content, flavors, etc. As I go through the produce aisles I select the fruits and veggies that I am in the mood for and that are the freshest or most appealing. Similar choices and experiences take place in all others parts of the grocery store as I make my rounds.

In the Food Bank lines there are few, if any choices. Most items are take-it-or-leave-it. I buck the trend when I do the bread tables, 'cause I let the patrons select what breads they want. Most volunteers just pick one up and place it in the patron's tote.

One of the things that gets to my husband is the less than pristine condition of some of the produce he must pass out. A prime example is the usual quality of the bananas. They often have splits or the stems have popped-open. He used to put these aside, thinking they were not to be passed out, but was told to hand them out anyway 'cause the patrons would find some way to use the bad ones. While I know some of the patrons may not have a choice and possibly something is better than nothing, I detest the inference that they just have to take what they can get and don't deserve being treated better.

When I shop for bananas I select them individually. I pick about 4-6, ranging in color from yellow to green, with both large and small sizes, to make use of over the next few days. This allows me to have perfectly ripened bananas for days. I do not have to worry about them ripening too soon, spoiling, or needing to be thrown away. I get great taste and no waste. I never before realized what a luxury it was to be able to shop for my bananas this way. Until I saw the Food Bank bananas. A real eye-opener.

If the Progressives, like Obama and the Far Left, get their way, all aspects of our lives will be like the Food Bank. We won't be able to select the car we want, we will just have to sign up on a list and take whatever is turned out by Government Managed Cars-r-Us. We won't be able to select the kind of bread we want, we will line up outside the store and be told which kind is available that day, assuming there is enough to go around and that we aren't on a government-enforced diet 'cause we put on two pounds over our government-mandated healthy weight limit. But, we won't have to worry about what kind of produce we are given 'cause there probably won't be a lot of fresh produce due to the Environmentalist Progressives who have decided that farming is bad for the endangered species and trucking is bad for the air-quality. But, some of us won't need to worry about all of these restrictions, since we will already be dead 'cause the death panels have already counseled us to kill ourselves for the good of the majority.

This is not the future I want for me, my children, my grandchildren, or my country. Let's stop them now! Vote out any and all Progressives, no matter which side of the aisle they are on!

© Suzann C. Darnall, JANUARY 2010