Daniela Earnest, though only 8 years of age, wanted to help with the expenses of a planned family trip to Disneyland. And so she opened up a lemonade stand.Cool! That's a splendid attitude for a young girl: family-faithful, practical...one could even say patriotic. For what ideals are more American than a strong work ethic, a pay-as-you-go sense of fiscal responsibility, and freedom to invest in one's own labor.
Uh oh. Excuse me; those were ideals of an America that is past. Nowadays, we're all about dependence on government, fettered (not free) enterprise, and a strict limitation on a citizen's dreams of entrepreneurship.
Therefore, because Daniela didn't have a business license (and a keen-eyed busybody bureaucrat named Richard Garcia of the city of Tulare's code enforcement office happened by), Daniela's lemonade stand was shut down the day it opened.
Tulare officials said they cannot recall ever shutting down a lemonade stand before. But, after all, Change is the order of the day.
For what happened next, read this Fresno Bee story.
But before you find too much solace in the "happy ending" the newspaper reports, reflect for a moment on what the ever-increasing intrusions of government control portend for America.
That promises anything but a happy ending.
