No Soda for Philly Schoolkids

January 17, 2004

We see (by way of Number 2 Pencil) that Daryl Cobranchi questions the Philadelphia school district's decision to remove soda machines from school cafeterias.

Noting that the machines will still be available in faculty lounges, he writes, "I guess fat teachers are ok. What a stupidly mixed message." One of his commenters, a homeschooler, says of her daughter, "I'm glad that she doesn't go to public school to be put on a diet along with all the fat kids."

Please, people.

When we were young'uns, not only did we have to walk to school, barefoot, in the snow, uphill both ways, but there were no soda machines in any school!

In elementary school and middle school: no vending machines of any sort. You either brought your lunch, or you bought lunch (which we remember was actually really good) from the Lunch Ladies. In high school, there were vending machines in the cafeteria, but these were limited to juice and snacks.

And as we recall, there were no howls of protest that vending-machine choices didn't include soda. And we certainly didn't complain that everyone was being put on a diet.

So Philly's removing soda machines from cafeterias? More power to 'em!

They're not removing choice from students, they're simply making a less-healthy choice less convenient.

If the school banned all children from bringing soda in their home-packed lunches, then I could understand the uproar.

We are all for the steady forward march of progress, and think it is pathetic when some folks strive to "turn back the clock."

But this isn't one of those cases.