From the City of Aberdeen:
PROCLAMATION
for
Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children
WHEREAS, the use of illegal and prescription drugs and the abuse of alcohol and nicotine constitute the greatest threats to the well-being of America’s children; and
WHEREAS, 14 years of surveys conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University have consistently found that the more often children and teenagers eat dinner with their families the less likely they are to smoke , drink and use illegal drugs; and
WHEREAS, frequent family dining is associated with lower rates of teen smoking, drinking, illegal drug use and prescription drug abuse; and
WHEREAS, the correlation between frequent family dinners and reduced risk of teen substance abuse is well documented; and
WHEREAS, parents who are engaged in the their children’s lives are less likely to have children who abuse substances; and
WHEREAS, family dinners have long constituted a substantial pillar of family life in America.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, MICHAEL E. BENNETT, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF ABERDEEN, on behalf of the City Council and the Citizens of Aberdeen, do hereby declare the fourth Monday of every September as “FAMILY DAY- A DAY TO EAT DINNER WITH YOUR CHILDREN” and urge all citizens to recognize and participate in its observance.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set the Great Seal of the City of Aberdeen to be affixed this Twenty-Seventh Day of September, Two Thousand Ten.
______ ___________________________________________
Michael E. Bennett, Mayor
So, we now need an elected official to suggest to us that we eat dinner with our children?…..annually?!?
If we’re that far gone as a society that we need to be persuaded/reminded/nudged by the government to spend time together as a family (annually), then we’re royally screwed.
Amen, Pizzle. While the statistics are interesting and disheartening, certainly we should eat dinner with our children more than a designated day by a public official.
I saw the television commercial for this campaign. So much for an original idea.
This administration hasn’t had an original thought in the last three years. I would bet anything that Art Helton had to tell him about this.
But which house would Art eat in?
And which side of his mouth would he be eating with?
I am so glad the Mayor and Council have turned their attention to something important like an annual dinner with the family. It sure beats the crap out of devoting time to silly things like no sustainable water source, lack of adequate infrastructure, BRAC with no foreseeable income source, etc etc. Oh God for the good old days of Fred, Mike and Dave!
Once a year is plenty. My whole family went off of drugs since we reduced our interaction to once a year.
Pass the biscuits, mom!