Government- What does it mean?

I'm back to writing again, after taking a short hiatus to run our feed mill for the month.  For my first day back I have actually accomplished quite a bit- between cleaning my desk, printing handbooks, visiting different farms, and the main accomplishment- setting the chore schedule for the next six months!  This may sound like a small task, but my Dad has been waiting for a month to hand it off to me since after two hours it gave him a headache. 

With my first day back I haven't spent much time browsing food issues, checking out Ag websites, doing research, or scouting the river, but I did stumble upon an article from CNN titled "Big Gulp? Meet Big Government." It chronicles how the mayor of New York City wishes to put a ban on restaurants selling soft drinks over 16 oz, in order to combat obesity.  I immediately wonder, is this what we want our government to do? 

During my junior year of high school I had an American History class where the final exam only contained one question; what is the meaning of government?  Each class we talked about how government changed over the years, and what those changes meant to the people.  When government makes a decision, it changes how people look at the things around them, and how people interact with their surroundings.  Some new rules make us more aware of things that may not have been an issue before.  I personally stay away from soft drinks, just out of preference, but I do believe it is a choice. 

Where Americans buy their food, and what they buy is also a choice.   We, as producers shouldn't feel like we can force people to eat what we want to sell them.  Consumers have the right to choose.  Just like the with the soft drinks.  We can't force people to stay away from the foods they enjoy, or to buy conventional over organic, all natural, cage free, etc.  We only have the power to inform about our products and industry, build trust within our communities, and work to provide food that is better for our consumer.  If we don't make the conscious decision to come to the table and talk about what we do, government will decide the fate of agriculture.