Oh…how I love this kid! 


In an act reminiscent of Sally Field’s iconic movie scene in Norma Rea, one child is standing up for his rights and objecting to the way his school is treating him…and his parents.  The Chicago Tribute reports (h/t Drudge):  


Fernando Dominguez cut the figure of a young revolutionary leader during a recent lunch period at his elementary school.  “Who thinks the lunch is not good enough?” the seventh-grader shouted to his lunch mates in Spanish and English. 

Dozens of hands flew in the air and fellow students shouted along: “We should bring our own lunch! We should bring our own lunch! We should bring our own lunch!” 


But these kids aren’t allowed to bring their own lunch.  In what can only be called the nanny-state on steroids, Little Village Academy on Chicago’s West Side (a public school), has banned the good ‘ole brown bag lunch.  


The Commendant General…oops, I mean, the Principal said she only wants to protect students from their own unhealthful food choices saying “Nutrition wise, it is better for the children to eat at the school,” Carmona said. “It’s about the nutrition and the excellent quality food that they are able to serve (in the lunchroom). It’s milk versus a Coke. But with allergies and any medical issue, of course, we would make an exception.”


Oh that’s nice.  What about parent’s preferences for what their child eats?  Is that a good enough reason to pardon a child from eating cafeteria food?


Make no mistake; this is not a stand-alone case of government overreach. Many other schools are flirting with this idea–convinced that they, the school administrators, not parents, are better equipped to make the proper decisions about a child’s well-being.


I’ve written a lot about studies that show a parent’s involvement is key to a child developing proper eating habits.  Schools should be encouraging parents to pack their kids a lunch, not telling them their efforts are unneeded.


My hope is that parents will be outraged and will work to overturn this preposterous school policy.  If parents don’t, maybe more kids like plucky Fernando Dominguez will!