Nominee for the silliest legislation of the year award: a New Jersey bill restricting the sale or gift of toy guns to anyone under the age of 18. This almost makes the effort to ban “provocative cheerleading” seem reasonable.

LRC reader Dave points out that my prophecy that doctors would soon deny treatment to the overweight has already come true.

The nicotine Nazis have been busy in Europe. British doctors will now deny surgery to smokers unless they quit. Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) claims that this is motivated solely by a deserve to improve the lives of Britain’s smokers, the fact this will save the government money never entered their minds. Wonder how long it will be before NHS is refusing treatment to the overweight until they drop a few pounds…and what new restrictions on our freedom to make our own choices regarding smoking, eating, and exercising Hilliary, Obama and John Edwards have in mind as part of their “universal health care” plans?

Meanwhile, the EU is considering extending its’ indoor smoking ban to doorways. No doubt the ban will soon be extended to all “public” sidewalks and roads.

Paralleling the US Government’s scheme to subject all children to mental health screening Britain plans to began monitoring children to determine which ones are at risk of becoming criminals. Can a full-fledged Department of “Pre-Crime” be far behind?

Thanks to LRC reader Eric for altering me to the Tories “conservative” alternative to banning trans fat and alcohol:giving private firms “fat” and alcohol permits they could buy and/or trade. The number of permits a firm possessed would determine how many fatty foods or alcoholic drinks they could sell. So the Tories have no problem with the government interfering in our diets, they just want to see our liberty violated in the most “efficient” (re: friendly to business) way possible. Of course, either way, our diet will be subjected to state control–either via a direct ban or through having a limited number of options to obtain our fill of fatty foods and booze. If the Tories are successful, watch for the beltway libertarians to advocate something similar in this country as “a market alternative” to criminalizing trans fat.

The nicotine Nazis have captured my beloved Pittsburgh. However, I am confident that trans fat fascists will never rule the home of Primanti’s Brothers, the greatest (and unhealthiest) sandwich known to humanity.

Bill, American homeschoolers may not, yet, be subject to Belgian-style political persecution, however, I agree with you that libertarian and conservative homeschoolers will soon face new attacks on their right to teach their children things not approved of by the state. The assault on parental rights has reached the point where some are actually discussing subjecting pregnant woman who smoke and drink to state sanctions.

Eventually, I expect these type of infringements on parental rights to be justified in the name of “national security.” After all, how can government protect freedom if parents don’t take proper care of their children and educate them according to state standards? Remember, one of the first federal education programs was justified by the need to improve science education to help win the Cold War.

New York City is requiring laboratories to provide the authorities with detailed information on tests measuring blood sugar levels(registration is required for the link.) Of course, it is for the good of those whose medical privacy is being violated, since the information will be used to help the government learn how to better “help” diabetics manage their disease. But how long before the government’s health suggestions become mandates…after all, what good is it to spend taxpayer funds collecting information on how to improve one’s health if people are going to refuse to take the state’s advice?

Psychiatrists consider whether “extreme” bias is is a mental problem. Are bigots now a protected class under the Americans with Disabilities Act? If so, how does this effect the effort to criminalize “hate”?

Just in time for Christmas, the EU orders people to stop capitalizing the name Christ. After all, we wouldn’t want people to think this simple carpenter was anything special, otherwise they might put their faith in Him instead of in the almighty State.

An English man is arrested and taken to a mental home against his will, and his family’s wishes, for the “crime” of being fat, even though he recently voluntarily began a program of diet and exercise.