The War on Children

Full Article

The War on Children

By Michaela L. Duckett – July 27, 2011

Font Size:

Share:

Good Morning! The weatherman says today will be another hot one. We will see a mix of sunshine and cloudy skies with a high around 97°.

Did you know that on average, 675 people die from complications related to extreme heat each year in the United States – more than tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, lightning or any other weather event combined. Extreme heat can also lead brain and organ damage. Click here for tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how to stay cool and be safe in the heat.

Here’s what’s brewing in the news

No Kids Allowed

Have you ever been in a movie theater or out to dinner and had your good time interrupted by a screaming or ill-mannered child? Well this summer, you may have some “relief” as you travel. More businesses are telling parents to leave their children behind.

Brenda Armes, owner of the Olde Salty restaurant in Carolina Beach, N.C. made national headlines last year after posting a sign that read "Screaming children will not be tolerated." While it may have raised some eyebrows, Armes said she saw a boost in business after making it clear that parents with noisy little ones would be asked to step outside.

After receiving noise complaints from customers about crying children, Mike Vuick, the owner of a Pittsburgh-area restaurant, is hoping to increase sales at his casual dining establishment McDain’s with a similar move. Starting this month, children under 6 are no longer welcome.

In an email to customers, Vuick explained: "We feel that McDain's is not a place for young children. Their volume can't be controlled and many, many times, they have disturbed other customers." He has called the endless screams at public dinner tables “the height of being impolite and selfish.”

It seems that so-called “brat bans” are a growing trend across the country, as many businesses are turning their establishments into kid-free zones during certain hours or all together. Many restaurants are banning children. So are airlines, hotels, movie theaters and even some grocery stores. Yes, grocery stores. Whole Foods stores in Missouri offer child-free shopping hours.

Some people don’t even want children playing outside. A homeowner’s association in Florida sparked controversy when it announced plans to enact a ban on children playing outside in a 48-townhome subdivision. The ban would carry a $100 fine for each violation.

An entire website called Leavethembehind.com is solely dedicated to kid-free vacation destinations from yoga retreats to luxury resorts and bargain hotels around the world that ban children.

While the movement is welcomed by many, others find it discriminatory and offensive. What do you think? Sound off in the comment section below.
***

Restaurant calorie counts off

Speaking of restaurants, the calorie counts some provide on their menu listings may be inaccurate. A study looking into the calorie content of 269 menu items from 42 restaurants found that nearly 20 percent of the items contained more than 100 calories per portion than was represented by the restaurant. Quick-serve (fast food) restaurants, which generally serve pre-portioned foods, did a better job of providing accurate calorie information than sit-down restaurants, researchers said. (Read more here)
***

Switchboard overload on Capital Hill

During his Monday night primetime address, President Barack Obama told Americans to let their member of Congress know their thoughts about the debt-ceiling impasse. Apparently, many took that call of action to heart. The Capitol switchboard reported being on the verge of being overloaded with calls from across the country Tuesday morning. “Due to the high volume of external calls, House telephone circuits serving 202-225-XXXX phone numbers are near capacity resulting in outside callers occasionally getting busy signals,” read an e-mail sent from the House Chief Administrative Officer’s Technology Call Center to members’ offices. The message also suggested that members’ offices provide district staff with an alternate number to help them get through. (Read more here)
***

Another Congressman resigns amid a sex scandal

Just weeks after the Anthony Weiner sex scandal, Oregon Rep. David Wu has announced he is stepping down after his office received a call from a distraught 18-year-old woman accusing the politician of aggressive and unwanted sexual behavior. The woman is said to be the daughter of a longtime friend of Wu. In a statement to The Oregonian, Wu, 56, said, "This is very serious, and I have absolutely no desire to bring unwanted publicity, attention, or stress to a young woman and her family." He has since announced he is resigning from office once a resolution on the debt ceiling is reached. “I cannot care for my family the way I wish while serving in Congress and fighting these very serious allegations,” Wu said in a statement. (Read more here)