Lew, a year or so ago, misplaced facts spread like wildfire on the Internet about the banning of candy cigarettes. People got their facts wrong — it was actually candy-flavored cigarettes that were banned. Though the kiddie “smokes” will surely be banished in short time. As of now, not a lot of candy retailers will carry the politically incorrect candy cigarettes — but you can go to Nostalgiccandy.com and get cigarettes and cigars for the kiddies, along with other great retro candies. There were a few (very sensitive and hysterical) people who were appalled that I posted this photo — on Facebook — of my favorite nephew indulging in a shipment of retro candy from Auntie Karen. All the things we did just one generation ago are now deemed irresponsible, dangerous, appalling, and unconscionable. Candy cigarettes, real chemistry sets, steel lawn darts, dodgeball, you name it. We have become a nation of perpetually offended, hysterical, overprotective busybodies who preach safety sermons and strive for numerous laws to protect the rest of us from the big, bad real world full of sharp objects and gateways to naughty adult behavior.
Thanks to those attitudes prevailing, we can now look forward to the new technology that will drive our car, keep the speed down, apply the brakes for us, tell us when we can change lanes, perform our oh-so-stressful parallel parking, and provide a whole collection of other miscellaneous dummy “warnings” for the mollycoddled masses who must be sheltered from any potential harm.
