Insane. Ridiculous.

Two notes:

1: On the one hand, this is an utterly devastating law on Chicago children's health.  Remember, the national school lunch program still thinks pizza is a vegetable.  Essentially, then, the program has monopolized power over determining what children eat.  I don't trust that the school lunch program actually promotes health among children, so giving that a monopoly over child eating habits doesn't help.

2: On the other hand, though... there are definitely some instances where the food children bring to school is dangerous.  My favorite example is the elementary school classic, a peanut butter sandwich.  Although it's probably a good meal for me, there are people who are deathly allergic to nuts, who could literally be killed just by being near  (I personally know at least 4 people with this severity of a nut allergy, none of whom are related to one another).  There are other examples of these types of allergies, which have both lethal consequences and are sensitive enough to where a reaction can occur simply by inhaling particles from the  substance.  Either way, bringing a lunch to school creates a confined, yet uncontrolled, environment at schools, creating circumstances where an allergic reaction, as described above, may be more likely.

Not that #2 is necessarily a good reason in itself to throw out home lunches... just thought it was worth consideration here.

"That isn't the reason behind the law" is never a good reason to reject the law.  The Civil War was entered over the right to secede, although most people wouldn't dispute whether it was good, largely because it was essential to freeing slaves, a largely unintended consequence of the war, especially since at least 3 Union states were still holding slaves during the early war.  Evaluate the bill on its merits, not on what the people behind the bill wanted (now, if the people behind the bill crafted the bill in a way to change the bill's merits, there's reason to consider the people, but that isn't yet shown with this bill).

(this has turned into a big argument in the office, focusing on whether home-schooling or public schools are better, this happens approx once a month as one guy is very outspoken over how great homeschooling your children is)

"there are people who are deathly allergic to nuts, who could literally be killed just by being near"

You can add me to that list...When I was little, a friend ate a peanut butter sandwich, an hour later touched me, and I needed to go to hospital (and I don't suffer from anaphalaxis so the epi-pens do nothing). Thankfully nowadays my allergy is alot less severe but is very painful to eat peanuts (and the Chinese like to conceal them...already fallen for it once, and almost again the other night...most restaurants/friends now know I am allergic so I get by nicely, but can never be too careful).

And to bring this back to the argument at hand, my teacher in Grade 1 was informed that I was dangerously allergic to Peanuts, yet she still gave me cake that she knew contained peanuts. So I dunno...could be good, could be bad...but PBJ sandwiches on the lunch menu could be bad, considering the surfaces used to make them would also be used to make other options (yes, that is a problem).

"1: On the one hand, this is an utterly devastating law on Chicago children's health.  Remember, the national school lunch program still thinks pizza is a vegetable"

Is not 100% sure this is correct?
i am 100% sure they still consider ketchup as a veggy.

Also many parents around the usa are to proud to get there child on the free lunch program. Many will not go to food banks or any other resource out there to help, which is why around here.. There is local agencies that place food on the doorstep of known needy family's to proud to take a hand-out. Also why food pantries are hidden in basements of churches or on hardly ever/less traveled roads around here.

> ~Wornstrum~ wrote:

> "there are people who are deathly allergic to nuts, who could literally be killed just by being near"

You can add me to that list...When I was little, a friend ate a peanut butter sandwich, an hour later touched me, and I needed to go to hospital (and I don't suffer from anaphalaxis so the epi-pens do nothing). Thankfully nowadays my allergy is alot less severe but is very painful to eat peanuts (and the Chinese like to conceal them...already fallen for it once, and almost again the other night...most restaurants/friends now know I am allergic so I get by nicely, but can never be too careful).

I shouldnt have said anything. Not 1 week later, and I land in hospital after accidently consuming peanuts...it was not pleasant!

Women like sensitive guys though...