An editorial in Wednesday's Alligator talked about the increased prices of soda, which is intended to encourage Gators to be healthier. Unfortunately, it missed the most important problem with this policy: It is not in any way the job of UF to encourage people to be healthier.
If I want to drink lots of soda and make myself obese, that is well within my rights, and this university or any government institution cannot discourage me from doing so. The fact that soda is unhealthy should in no way determine the price of soda. That factor requires consideration only from one person - the person drinking the soda. In my mind, this is just one more example of the unfortunate trend of reducing personal freedom. Since when does the government decide what we should and shouldn't drink?
