cupcakes and nuts and society

The media is devoting lots of space to the school cupcake saga: a school has banned cupcakes for various reasons -- including the possibility that they are culturally insensitive. "Saddened by the cupcake killjoys," is one headline on the letters page.

Is this news? That one school has banned cupcakes? Well, yes.

The story does deserve to be printed -- if only because so many people read it. Second most popular story on one "news" site, apparently. Second only to the story of smelly dog poo in a neighbour's bin. (Yes, it's weird what people read. But that's another issue.)

It is also an important story -- as an example, a reflection of our society's current concerns. Should something be banned because it may offend an unidentified minority group? Is it acceptable that the majority are forced to change, in order to not offend a small minority? Does it matter that the minority are (I guess) relative newcomers?

In this small example -- and in other far more serious examples -- what does society want. Or expect?

Are we happy to kowtow to minorities? Or, more importantly, are we happy to kowtow to the demands of a very small but vocal minority who claim to represent the supposedly easily offended minorities.

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In a similar situation -- but with more serious results: some schools are nut free. Peanuts are banned. Just in case a fellow student is allergic to nuts.

We regularly provide cake for a fund-raising cake stall. Our simple comment is, if you are allergic to anything at all -- nuts, milk, eggs, sugar, etc -- then do not eat this cake. One very sensible response is, we only eat food that we have prepared ourselves.

There is no need for a school to punish everyone for the possible allergies of a few. If you're allergic, only eat your own food. And every school can carry a stock of epipens. Just in case.

Nick Lethbridge  /  consulting dexitroboper
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"The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you." … B.B. King
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