You might think this was a parody, but apparently not. The federal government has ordered the destruction of a series of fifteen postage stamps intended to get kids to be more active after sports safety advocates said three of the stamps raised safety concerns, including illustrations depicting kids “skateboarding without kneepads, and doing a headstand without a helmet.” [Postal News]
My own view is that if you’re learning proper skateboarding technique off a postage stamp, you’re doing it wrong. (& Scott Shackford, Reason)
Reactions via Twitter: “One can understand the recall after the disastrous spate of upside-down plane crashes in 1918.” [@tedfrank] “I wonder how they missed the one with explosives on it” [@Bert_Huggins] “USPS thinks kids know what stamps are.” [@UlyssesHL]
11 Comments
[…] of Walter Olson of the Cato Institute and Overlawyered comes this silly piece of news regarding a series of postage stamps meant to commemorate first […]
Because when I need parenting guidance, I look to the US Postal Service to show me the way.
What were they thinking when they issued the Indianapolis 500 stamp showing a speeding car with no airbags, and dozens of other safety violations. http://media.nola.com/business_impact/photo/9154079-large.jpg
An rather insightful (if blunt) commentary on just this sort of trend: http://themattwalshblog.com/2013/10/08/its-not-the-schools-fault-if-your-kid-is-a-lazy-wuss/
BTW, you can see the full sheet of “Just Move” stamps at http://www.stampnewsnow.com/generateditems/2013%20USPS%20ImagesWeb/13-justmove.jpg
[…] of Walter Olson of the Cato Institute and Overlawyered comes this silly piece of news regarding a series of postage stamps meant to commemorate first lady […]
If a few of those stamps sneak past the destruction order, collectors will go nuts. Then maybe in 95 years, if the USPS still exists, they can reissue the stamps in a new denomination in an effort however futile to make some money. It’ll be the Inverted Jenny all over again.
But the children!
I would think that the Post Office would stick to their strengths – postage stamps on how to run from dogs, shoulder heavy burdens, bend at the knees to peak through front door mail slots, drive outside the white lines, and aim at coworkers.
How do you do a head stand with a helmet on? I never heard of such a thing. Why is a cannon ball jump into a pool a safety hazard?
the old Prussian helmets were pretty good for headstands. hard to stop, tho.
Kneepads for skateboarding? I can see that if you’re doing extreme tricks, but for ordinary skateboarding that’s ridiculous.