Are these people smart enough to be parents?

Pediatricians want the government to protect us from ourselves again. As if there aren't already enough inane warning labels on products, they're now pushing to put a label on wieners that warns that a person could choke on them.

This comes from an activist whose 4-year-old child tragically choked to death on a piece of a hot dog. While she has my deepest sympathy, what she is advocating is, to put it bluntly, stupid. She says that she never dreamed that a hot dog could be so dangerous. Chances are, the child, as children will do, had his mouth too full, and the hot dog itself was not the problem. It could have been candy, green beans, or macaroni and cheese. If a parent is not smart enough to know that anything a child puts into his mouth is a potential choking hazard, is he or she smart enough to be a parent?

Grocery Manufacturers Association spokesman Scott Openshaw said making parents aware of choking dangers is key to keeping kids safe. I think parents with a modicum of common sense are key to keeping kids safe.

"Choking warning labels urged for food." The Dallas Morning News; February 22, 2010; p. 4A.