Your freedom to get sick is being well protected by right wing zealots
by digby
“I was having a discussion with someone, and we were at a Starbucks in my district, and we were talking about certain regulations where I felt like ‘maybe you should allow businesses to opt out,’” he said, “as long as they indicate through proper disclosure, through advertising, through employment literature, or whatever else.”
Tillis was, at the time, the minority whip of the North Carolina House of Representatives.
“She said, ‘I can’t believe that,’” he continued in retelling the story. “And at that time we were sitting back at a table that was near the restrooms and one of the employees just came out. She said: ‘For example, don’t you believe that this regulation that requires this gentleman to wash his hands before he serves your food is important and should be on the books?’”
“I said: ‘As a matter of fact, I think it’s one that I can [use to] illustrate the point,’” he remarked. “I said: ‘I don’t have any problem with Starbucks if they choose to opt out of this policy as long as they post a sign that says “We don’t require our employees to wash their hands after leaving the restroom,”’” he recalled, as the audience chuckled. “The market will take care of that.’”
Sure will. But isn’t that requirement to post a sign a rather tyrannical requirement designed to infringe on the freedom of business owners? I think it is. Better to just let the buyer beware — if a few customers start barfing into their cappucinos word will eventually get around. Let the market really decide.
I know it’s totalitarian to require employees who handle food to wash their hands after going to the bathroom. They might as well be sending people to the gulag. But I suspect that until they install an attendant in the washroom to force the employees to do it, it’s actually just a recommendation. This fine fellow can relax in the knowledge that if a food server decides to exercise his god-given right as an American not to wash his hands, he can.
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the feces of patriots and tyrants.
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