It's nearly Christmas, and the Center for Consumer Freedom is at it again. Far be it from "Dr. Evil" lobbyist Rick Berman to miss an opportunity for turning the birth of baby Jesus into pro-corporate and anti-consumer propaganda. And shame on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for falling for CCF's bullshit by printing the article Cookie Waiver for Santa:
In today's litigious society, serving baked goods to the jolly old fat man could set you up for a very un-merry obesity lawsuit.
So before he wolfs down the cookies left by the fireplace on Christmas Eve, the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) suggests demanding that Kris Kringle sign a "Christmas Cookie Liability and Indemnification Agreement."
The tongue-in-cheek liability waiver includes an agreement that Santa won't haul you into court for "failure to provide nutrition information and a list of ingredients," or "failure to caution of the potential for overeating because cookies taste 'yummy' and are provided at no cost," among other things.
You'll find the liability waiver at: www.consumerfreedom.com/downloads/promotional/2008_christmas_cookie_waiver.pdf
What the article doesn't say is that Santa's dietary habits are deadly. A diet of milk and cookies alone is a fast track to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and basically death. Is it Santa's fault that he eats such junk, or should he sue? In most cases, it's probably Santa's own fault. But when the legislative and executive branches do not keep consumers safe from predatory corporations, the courts are all we have left to hold those who wrong us accountable. |
