Fed up with what she sees as a health hazard for thousands of children, Flowers has introduced legislation that would require Chicago schools to make students wash their hands with antiseptic soap before eating.
Coming up next: brushing/flossing afterwards, ensuring students wipe after taking a poop, and requiring students to carry handkerchiefs.
Sneezing. Good gawd. Does your school supply Kleenex? Mine doesn't. Want to stop the spread of germs, lady? Require the schools to have Kleenex available in each classroom. With about as much science behind my opinion as Ms. Flowers has behind hers, I'd say that having Kleenex will prevent more germs from being spread.
But school officials and teachers say the measure seems to reflect misplaced priorities at the state capitol. They say teachers are already doing a good job of keeping kids' hands clean for breakfast and lunch.
And one Chicago parent said promoting cleanliness among students would be a good idea, but questioned whether it deserves the attention of state lawmakers.
"I think they should be focused on the issues," said Mona Van Kenegan, a dentist for a public health clinic at a Chicago high school who has a 7-year-old in a Chicago school.
That one parent is correct. Not every single issue on the planet merits the attention of lawmakers. Otherwise, we get socialism.
The measure passed the Illinois House 100-14 Thursday without any debate. It now goes to the Senate.
*sigh*
Heh, when I was a kid my mom intentionally tried to expose me to every non-lethal illness other kids managed to come down with.
ReplyDeleteI see these parents today surrounding their offspring in a cloud of Lysol and sanitizers, and just see a mega-bacteria breeding ground and an allergist's dream come true.
I remember those days!
ReplyDelete