Right Voices

Mikaela Ziegler, 7, and her 4-year-old sister, Annika, were selling refreshments Wednesday afternoon near the State Fairgrounds when a woman approached them. But she wasn’t there to buy.

“She said, ‘You can’t sell pop unless you have a license,’ ” Mikaela said.

That’s how it came to be that an inspector with St. Paul’s Office of License, Inspections and Environmental Protection shut down Mikaela and Annika’s pop stand.

Their outraged father, Dr. Richard Ziegler, called City Hall for an explanation. He was told that St. Paul is cracking down on unauthorized merchants and that his daughters would be free to hawk their beverages once they obtained a $60 license.

“Is there anything sacred anymore?” he asked Thursday. “We’re not running a business here. This is fun and games for kids. I think [Mikaela's] netted, after paying me, a whole $13.

“It’s laughable and it’s tragic.”

Earlier this summer a little girl in Florida had her lemonade stand shut down because she didn’t have a license. Also this summer a town in Maryland outlawed children playing with toy guns. Then in mid Summer a brother and sister were starting a lawn mowing business to raise money for the purchase of a computer they were told they needed a business license and their venture was halted. Just this past Wednesday a ten year boy was suspended from school for ten days for playing with a toy gun at a bus stop and is facing charges – - and now this.

These are just a few examples of what my siblings and myself and numerous other children took advantage of a few short decades ago – - – they say it is tougher to grow up in this day and age – - – it is beginning to be impossible.

I give the “Smack of the Week” to adults who have enforced these licensing terms upon children and have prohibited children from having lemonade stands, who have hindered a child’s imagination and have punished them for playing and for being just what they are – - children.