August 20th is Lemonade Freedom Day. Set up a lemonade stand with your kids, to teach them about entrepreneurship and bureaucracy. The website includes a map of places where lemonade stands have already been shut down.
It is currently illegal to open a lemonade stand without a license. And although one would hope that police and local officials have better things to do than shut down a child's lemonade stand, Townhall readers know that that is not the case. One gentleman got fed up with the government intruding on his attempts to teach his kids about business, and is now encouraging everyone to set up a lemonade stand.
Recently, we have seen many news reports of lemonade stands being shut down by police and other government workers. When kids sell things, such as lemonade, they are learning some very important lessons. They are learning about money and about being an entrepreneur. They are also learning how to be a productive member of society. They are learning about responsibility. They are participating in free and voluntary trade with willing participants. Selling lemonade is not a crime.
On August 20, 2011, we are suggesting that everyone who has children, who believe in this message, go outside and set up lemonade stands all across the country. Even if you don’t have children, go out and buy some lemonade from a local child’s lemonade stand.
We need to stand up for our kids. We need to send a message to the world. Selling lemonade is not a crime!
Everyone knows what's really going on. Licensing laws are a cash cow for bureaucrats (why else would they insist on licenses for barber shops or interior design?) This is something that we should all get behind. One has to wonder how much longer we can call America the land of opportunity when children's lemonade stands are made illegal.