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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories State police search for pursuit suspect near Hyatt Lake Police Reports Cheering on the champs Ashland's Safeway part of Haggen acquisition Ashland to hold parade for the national champion Raiders Education For a friend: AHS seniors team up to help former fellow student Ashland builds a bridge across the STEM gap Chicken pox hits Ashland Middle School AHS speech and debate team to compete in Medford Ashland: Lions Club steps up for vision tests Environment New TAP pumps bolster Ashland's options Most residents speak against gas pipeline proposed for Southern Oregon Home Help: Make your new house feel like home ‘Tis the season — for wild mushrooms Business Ashland's Safeway part of Haggen acquisition The Playwright pub will be serving again Saturday Mt. 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Raiders bring it home ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: The Christmas spirit ... State police search for pursuit suspect near Hyatt Lake ... Raiders bring it home ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: The Christmas spirit ... Kent Bush: Don't regulate Thanksgiving shopping Comment By Kent Bush More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Kent Bush More Content Now Posted Nov. 25, 2014 @ 11:03 am By Kent Bush More Content Now Posted Nov. 25, 2014 @ 11:03 am » Social News Sometimes lawmakers lose track of reality. Inside well-meaning rants and poorly written bills are the unintended comment that they don’t believe people can be trusted to act like adults. It’s no wonder so many people complain about the “nanny state” that tries to control every aspect of a person’s life. Now, some Ohio legislators want to tell you what to do on a holiday. “Thanksgiving Day is supposed to be a day when we retreat from consumerism,” says Cleveland’s Democratic state Rep. Mike Foley, the author of a bill to regulate commerce on Thanksgiving Day. “It’s a day when you hang out with your family, go play touch football, have a big turkey dinner, and complain about your crazy uncle or cousin — but you don’t think about super blockbuster sales at Target.” That is exactly what the pilgrims and Native Americans were thinking when they held the three-day feast to celebrate the first harvest in the new world. I know Abe Lincoln was getting ready for a big post-turkey flag football game when he proclaimed the first official national holiday for Thanksgiving. On the holiday created to encourage Americans to offer, “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens,” Lincoln was really just looking for an excuse to complain about his crazy wife’s crazier brother. I understand that these legislators think they are protecting workers’ rights, but honestly, if some people find joy in shopping on a day off from work, someone else can make a profit from it. These guys are criminalizing capitalism. I enjoy sitting around eating and talking to family members I see a few times a year. I wouldn’t go to a mall on a holiday to save my life. But I know that I am not a good judge of what is typical. I wouldn’t go shopping on any day if I could avoid it. No employer truly forces anyone to work on a holiday. Most employees have personal or vacation time. If your boss demands all employees work on a holiday, you can find a new job in the service industry. If that is the only job you can get or if you like it, maybe waiting until after work to enjoy a turkey leg is the price you pay for paying the bills. First, we require all workers to be off on Thanksgiving. What next? Will they require gravy on all mashed potatoes? Isn’t that what Lincoln would have wanted? Foley said his inspiration for the bill hits close to home. Foley says he was inspired to write the bill last year while leafing through newspaper circulars advertising Thanksgiving Day sales. “My wife said, ‘You’re a legislator, do something about this,’” he said. “And I thought, ‘Well, I am.’” First, let’s take a moment to bask in the glow of successful newspaper advertising. Did you hear the thump when today’s paper hit the porch? Make sure you check out those deals and tell them you saw it in the newspaper. Second, his wife wanted him to do something about it. Why couldn’t he focus those efforts on improved race relations, job creation or world peace? Instead, Foley picked Thanksgiving retailers as a target. I won’t shop on Thanksgiving this year. But I also will refrain from sanctimonious sermons against those who do. They aren’t breaking any laws – at least not yet. Kent Bush is the publisher of the Butler County (Kansas) Times Gazette and can be reached at: [email protected] By Kent Bush More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Kent Bush More Content Now Posted Nov. 25, 2014 @ 11:03 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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