Chalk up another worthy project that has fallen victim to our litigious society: Cookies, fudge and other homemade goodies for the troops passing through Bangor International Airport in Maine, either going to or coming from Iraq and Afghanistan.
According to the Associated Press, since 2003 volunteers known as the Maine Troop Greeters have been welcoming troops coming through the airport with homemade cookies, brownies, fudge and other assorted treats like strawberries and Girl Scout cookies. The airport even allocated a room to the volunteers, who have welcomed almost 500,000 troops as a way to show support and thanks.
However, the room was provided before airport authorities became concerned about liability issues and the fact that the homemade goodies were not under the same “strict regulations on food preparation, temperature control and handling” that govern the airport’s concessionaires, the AP reported.
While we certainly can understand the fear of being sued, we think banning the practice is an overreaction. Here in Kentucky, food that is sold is held to higher standards than that which is given away. That’s why Sister Bertha’s famous banana pudding and Brother Hank’s delicious homemade apple pie are favorites at a church’s potluck dinner but banned at dinners for which the church charges.
We say let the troops decide. Tell the soldiers that the cookies and other goodies offered them by the Troop Greeters have been made in the volunteers’ own kitchens, free of any federal, state or local supervision, and that, even though almost a half-million of their fellow soldiers have eaten them without harm, the troops do so at their own risk.
Once informed, we suspect most soldiers not only will decide to partake of the goodies but will appreciate that some thoughtful strangers have made the arrivals a bit merrier and their departures a little less sad. After all, for those either returning from a year or more in a war zone or heading into battle, we suspect eating a piece of fudge from someone’s kitchen does not sound all that risky.
Editorials
Let troops decide — 06/27/07
Airport overreacts in declaring homemade goodies off limits
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Focus on music
There will be no new trophies for winning marching band competitions for the Boyd County High School band. Nor will band members be spending as many summer days in the hot sun in band camp and autumn Saturdays taking long bus drives to compete in band festivals in distant communities.
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Memorial Day
Unlike our other wars, the American people were never asked to sacrifice for the war in Iraq and the one still ongoing in Afghanistan. They have been wars fought by an all-voluntary military and by the “weekend soldiers” in the National Guard and in the Army, Navy and Air Force Reserve
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Still more cuts
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Earmarks again?
Immediately, following the midterm elections of 2010 which saw Republicans regain control of the House of Representatives and capture seats in the U.S. Senate, Republican leaders in Congress announced they had heard the voice of the voters and vowed to cease using “earmarks,” the name given to appropriations slipped into bills by influential legislators without a vote.
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Best in the nation
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After the vote
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A mild winter
As we approach the Memorial Day weekend, long hailed as the unofficial start of the summer vacation season, we pause to reflect upon the winter that wasn’t.
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Devices banned
Emergency breathing devices that tests have proven unreliable are being phased out under a directive issued by the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration. However, MSHA has given mine operators more than 18 months to remove all the air packs from underground mines.
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A free weekend
In an effort to promote increased recreational use of the two lakes in the Daniel Boone National Forest, the U.S. Forest Service will offer free fishing and boating during the first weekend in June.
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Ho-hum election
Psst! Want to know a secret? There’s a primary election Tuesday. And it’s right here in Kentucky! However, there has been so little interest in this election, that Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, the state’s top election official, is predicting that only betwixen 10 and 12 percent of the state’s eligible voters will take the time to go to the polls tomorrow.
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Focus on music
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