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Be Nice to Your Children…
Townhall.com ^ | September 1, 2011 | Rich Tucker

Posted on 09/02/2011 10:32:22 AM PDT by Kaslin

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To: Kaslin
"Be Nice to Your Children"

I AM nice to my own children. little hooligans running around a restaurant are not MY children.

what a maroon.

21 posted on 09/02/2011 11:07:52 AM PDT by ZinGirl
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To: wideawake

I don’t follow your reasoning. The issue isn’t the presence of children as such, it’s the presence of out of control children, whom we presumeably are not allowed to discipline. Due to today’s political correctness, you are not allowed to touch another person’s child, so only the parents are allowed to discipline a child in a public place. If parents don’t do the job, the rest of us have to endure an obvious lack of discipline. We do treat children as fellow human beings, while also believing that children should not be allowed to run around out of control.

It sounds like you think that if children are disciplined, they will carry that grudge to adulthood. I just don’t follow that reasoning.

I’m not sure about age discrimination as such. Bars can and do ban people under 21 because alcohol is served. So there are limits under which you can discriminate based on age in that manner.


22 posted on 09/02/2011 11:11:50 AM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
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To: Cyber Liberty
Where are you eating, Rich, biker dives or something?

He probably isn't. He may be going "nice" restaurants that also host bachelor/bachelorette parties, post-golf tournament dinners, business convention dinners and other events that the well-heeled and overserved like to celebrate on school nights.

I'd also point out that the most distracting children in restaurants are generally groups of teenagers. High school football team brunches are always good for lots of cursing and thrown objects.

23 posted on 09/02/2011 11:11:50 AM PDT by wideawake
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To: Kaslin

I am with the restaurant manager. What he says is correct.

the reason is that kids are not raised the way they were 50-60 years ago. there is a picture of a black woman sitting in a chair with her three kids at a welfare office from the late 1950s/early 1960s and the kids are just sitting there and standing there. When I was young and growing up I got yelled at and shrugged and tugged on to behave and sit still in public places. Todays’ parents beg and try to coerce their children to ‘please stop’ and ‘please don’t do that’ and ‘ooh play with this’ and appease the kid hoping the kid will do what they want.

I totally understand where the restaurant manager is coming from. If parents knew how to raise kids properly like our grandparents and for the older gen-xers, our parents, did, and weren’t trying to be friends and coax good behavior out of the kids instead of a little well-placed corporal punishment - instead of the kid running the family - I’d say the manager was over-reaching. But he is so not over-reaching at all.


24 posted on 09/02/2011 11:14:33 AM PDT by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
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To: mamelukesabre
Something like that. Seems like the author thinks that if you criticize bad behavior of children and don't want to put up with it you should be lumped with people who hate children.

It doesn't make a lot of sense but it makes the author feel smart and important.

So if you criticize her I'm going to lump you in with people who kill reporters. -sarc

25 posted on 09/02/2011 11:17:33 AM PDT by frogjerk (Today is already the tomorrow which the bad economist yesterday urged us to ignore. - HAZLITT)
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To: wideawake

They are banning kids because of their associated behavior problems. Things they actually do.

It is far better than having to wait until the kids go nuts, and then asking the whole family to leave because they can’t control their kid, and they’ve already messed up everyone else’s dining experience.


26 posted on 09/02/2011 11:17:59 AM PDT by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
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To: wideawake

Restaurants refuse service to unruly customers, customers who can’t behave, have kids who can’t behave and won’t stop misbehaving. Heck they even refuse to serve people who don’t follow their dress codes, or have no shoes or shirts. They have the ability by law to do this.


27 posted on 09/02/2011 11:20:56 AM PDT by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
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To: wideawake
Banning children is simply illegal: a violation of federal law.

HUH?????

Restaurants are public accomodations and they cannot discriminate on the basis of age.

I don't know where you live, but that is just not true. Many establishments do not permit anyone under 21.

While it may be a place of public accommodation, it is still private property and the proprietor retains the right to refuse service to anyone.

What I find hilarious (other than the fact that many of the applauders of this child ban labor under the delusion that they are also Christians), is that many of those complaining about the presence of children are the same people who whine about not being able to blow smoke on other people while they're eating.

I don't complain about children, but respect the right of the owner to choose his or her clientele based upon his/her preferences for the clientele. Something you people who whine about those owners who prefer to permit smoking within their establishments do not respect, while supposedly claiming to be Christian.

28 posted on 09/02/2011 11:21:06 AM PDT by Gabz (Democrats for Voldemort.)
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To: Dilbert San Diego
I don’t follow your reasoning. The issue isn’t the presence of children as such, it’s the presence of out of control children

So banning all children, well-behaved or not, is "reasonable"?

It sounds like you think that if children are disciplined, they will carry that grudge to adulthood.

We're not talking about discipline, we're talking about contempt.

If you tell a child that he needs to behave or he can't stay, that's discipline.

If you tell a child he is not welcome under any circumstances, that's contempt.

That he will remember, and he should.

Bars can and do ban people under 21 because alcohol is served.

When it serves their purpose. Many bars depend upon the under 21 crowd, especially the female under 21 crowd, to keep their doors open.

The real reason for banning children, I suspect, is because the real money in a restaurant is made by the markup on alcoholic beverages.

Every seat occupied by a child is occupied by a customer who won't order any of the more expensive items on a menu and who will not order any of the alcoholic beverages that the resturants marks up by 200-300%.

Moreover, because most parents don't like to drive drunk, only one adult at the table will generally be drinking - and probably not as much as he would have otherwise.

This is exploiting a prejudice in order to make more money.

29 posted on 09/02/2011 11:21:29 AM PDT by wideawake
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To: ZinGirl
I AM nice to my own children. little hooligans running around a restaurant are not MY children.

But it takes your village to raise their child...

30 posted on 09/02/2011 11:22:45 AM PDT by frogjerk (Today is already the tomorrow which the bad economist yesterday urged us to ignore. - HAZLITT)
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To: BenKenobi
Well now I'm right sorry some folks just can't see the humor and irony in my comments juxtaposed to the sentiments in the article.

But I'll leave that to others, thanks.

(and BTW I aborted no one and accept no responsibility for those that did)

31 posted on 09/02/2011 11:24:55 AM PDT by count-your-change (You don't have be brilliant, not being stupid is enough.)
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To: wideawake; Dilbert San Diego

And yes: if you want to cash Social Security checks on the backs of those children one day...

What I find hilarious (other than the fact that many of the applauders of this child ban labor under the delusion that they are also Christians)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

what i find hilarious is you and your stupid idea that the next generation will decide or wont decide to pull the plug on a bankrupt SS program based on a restaurant’s decision dating back to a time before they are capable of forming memories. idiot.


32 posted on 09/02/2011 11:26:28 AM PDT by mamelukesabre (Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum (If you want peace prepare for war))
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To: Gabz
I don't know where you live, but that is just not true. Many establishments do not permit anyone under 21.

That is based on another law: the drinking age.

You can't ban those under six by invoking that law - it has to be everyone under 21. Could a restaurant ban any guests over the age of 60?

While it may be a place of public accommodation, it is still private property and the proprietor retains the right to refuse service to anyone.

Of course he does, but he cannot designate an entire class, race, or age group of people. If he wants to refuse service to a party, he has to do it on a case by case basis.

respect the right of the owner to choose his or her clientele based upon his/her preferences for the clientele

No such "right" exists.

If you open your doors to the public, you open your doors to the public.

If you want to run a private club with membership requirements, then you're going to have to do it on that basis, with all that it entails.

33 posted on 09/02/2011 11:29:51 AM PDT by wideawake
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To: Kaslin

If these kids can’t sit and behave in a restaurant, what makes anyone think they’ll be responsible enough to hold a job to pay SS benefits in the future?


34 posted on 09/02/2011 11:31:38 AM PDT by bgill (just getting tagline ready for 6 months after you vote in Perry - Tried to warn you he's a RINO.)
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To: wideawake
Then it should be obvious that this is the goal of the yakking heads and political class...to create inter-generational conflict and cross interests so that each group will support whoever promises to “protect” this or that program or perk.

“Those guys are going to toss someone into the street! Bring the tar and feathers and most of all, your check book”.

35 posted on 09/02/2011 11:35:02 AM PDT by count-your-change (You don't have be brilliant, not being stupid is enough.)
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To: wideawake
That is based on another law: the drinking age.

You stated banning children was illegal under federal law, I proved it wasn't. Not all establishments that serve alcohol ban any age, some ban under 16.

You can't ban those under six by invoking that law - it has to be everyone under 21. Could a restaurant ban any guests over the age of 60?

I wasn't invoking the drinking age law, just proving your blanket statement to be wrong. I am also aware of restaurants/clubs designed for the under 21 crowd that do prohibit anyone over 21 (other than employees) and it is also perfectly legal.

No such "right" exists.

Yes it does, as I just proved.

If you open your doors to the public, you open your doors to the public.

Please see above.

If you want to run a private club with membership requirements, then you're going to have to do it on that basis, with all that it entails.

Not discussing private clubs here. Rather we are discussing the lack of respect given to the owners of these businesses and their rights. While an establishment may be open to the public, it is still at the invitation and with the permission of the owner that you remain on the premises.

Just like the Michigan businesses that are now banning legislators from their establishments for passing the smoking ban. It is perfectly within their right and perfectly legal to do so.

36 posted on 09/02/2011 11:44:18 AM PDT by Gabz (Democrats for Voldemort.)
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To: Gabz
“While it may be a place of public accommodation, it is still private property and the proprietor retains the right to refuse service to anyone”

No, not at all. State laws may regulate who may be served where alcohol is sold but I'd have great fun with a restaurant that turned me away because I had a child with me. Hello lawsuit, good bye restaurant.

37 posted on 09/02/2011 11:46:12 AM PDT by count-your-change (You don't have be brilliant, not being stupid is enough.)
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To: frogjerk

It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes a tank to raze a village.


38 posted on 09/02/2011 11:50:42 AM PDT by WayneS (Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm. -- James Madison)
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To: count-your-change

So then you do NOT support private property rights?


39 posted on 09/02/2011 11:51:56 AM PDT by WayneS (Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm. -- James Madison)
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To: Secret Agent Man
I totally understand where the restaurant manager is coming from. If parents knew how to raise kids properly like our grandparents and for the older gen-xers, our parents, did, and weren’t trying to be friends and coax good behavior out of the kids instead of a little well-placed corporal punishment - instead of the kid running the family - I’d say the manager was over-reaching. But he is so not over-reaching at all.

EXACTLY. I remember a few years back some customers complaining about being seated at the table next to where a 6yo was sitting. The waitress explained the child was just fine and would cause them no problem, but they would have none of it and asked to speak to the manager. They did not want to sit near the child, who was reading a book and eating french fries. The manager explained the only other available tables were all inside.

Long story short, that 6yo is now 13 and still sits at that same table reading and eating her french fries whenever we go in there. The other customers, well they show up about once or twice a year and if they see us they go sit elsewhere.

There still are parents raising their kids to behave in public. I respect the decision of this establishment and have absolutely no problem with it.

40 posted on 09/02/2011 12:00:39 PM PDT by Gabz (Democrats for Voldemort.)
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