Post Office to destroy ‘unsafe’ stamps

Post Office to destroy ‘unsafe’ stamps

bubbleboyTo honor Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” physical activity/exercise initiative and simultaneously celebrate the youth of America in healthy motion, the U.S. Postal Service has invested an undetermined number of taxpayers dollars to research, approve, and ultimately print thousands upon thousands of commemorative postage stamps depicting children at play. Yet all that time, effort and money is all for naught. Every single one of the “Let’s Move!”-inspired postage stamps will be destroyed due to a handful of the offending stamps depict children engaging at “unsafe” play, as reported by TownHall.com’s Christine Rousselle via Fox News on Oct. 10, 2013.

The USPS had produced a fifteen stamp block depicting youngsters engaged in outdoor activities ranging from jumping rope to stretching to swimming.

But bowing to pressure from the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, the USPS has announced it will destroy the commemoratives because at least three of the fifteen depict children engaged in acts that are “unsafe” at any speed.

Specifically, minors are depicted:

  • Engaging in a “cannonball-type dive” into a body of water.
  • Performing a handstand without a helmet.
  • Skateboarding without knee-pads, shin-guards or elbow-pads. (There seems to be some debate as over whether the child is wearing a crash helmet or simply a New York Jews cap turned backward.)

Postage srampsUpon closer scrutiny, PostalMag.com also brought to the attention of a concerned nation the following images that might offend someone:

  • A soccer player minus knee-pads or shin-guards.
  • A child batting a softball sans batting helmet.
  • A girl appearing to balance on a  wet rock, all the while unshod, leaving her susceptible to cutting her foot on a sharp crag.

As Rousselle eruditely cites:

USA Gymnastics, the governing body for gymnastics in the United States, has compulsory routines for lower levels, which typically involve younger participants.

Both the level one and level two (the lowest levels of the sport) routines include handstands—on a balance beam.

Without a helmet.

Needless to say, Internet artists have had a field day with the story.  Here are just a few of their efforts (h/t Twitchy):

Human torch

Knock out

Pole dancing

And, no, in case you were wondering — the nation’s foremost wearer of mom jeans was not spared:

Mom pants

T. Kevin Whiteman

T. Kevin Whiteman

T. Kevin Whiteman is a retired Master Sergeant of Marines. He has written for Examiner, Conservative Firing Line, and other blogs.

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