I always thought there was nothing more wholesome than roadside stands manned by eager, adorable kids with homemade signs. And what good lessons the kids learn from their budding enterprises: math, money, salesmanship - even the broader philosophical underpinnings of capitalism. In fact, I can't really think of too many more productive ways for kids to spend their time.
But now 11-year-old Katie Lewis and her 3-year-old sister, Sabrina, will have a lot more time on their hands to stare at the TV or play video games. The girls had been selling melons, radishes and zucchinis from their garden on Saturday mornings from a stand by their home in Clayton, California - until the cops shut them down.
Clayton mayor Gregg Manning defended his officers' actions, claiming, "They may start out with a little card-table and selling a couple of
things, but then who is to say what else they have . . . Are they going to have eggs and
chickens for sale next?"
This - for those of you who didn't spend four years on a college debate team, as I did - is known as a "slippery slope" argument - i.e., "If we let these girls sell their zucchinis, then before you know it they'll be peddling t-shirts manufactured in Chinese sweatshops!"
As you've probably figured out, such slippery slope arguments usually come off as a bit hysterical. All I have to say to Mayor Manning is - lighten up a little!
