Don't get sued this Thanksgiving

"Guest acknowledges and understands that no warranty, either expressed or implied, is made by Host as to the nutritional content of the meal. This document is offered in order to duly warn Guest that dangerous conditions, risks, and hazards may lurk in the turkey, stuffing, vegetables, cranberry sauce, fixings, drinks, desserts, appetizers, and any or all other comestibles that may be served."

So begins the Thanksgiving Guest Liability and Indemnification Agreement helpfully offered by the Center for Consumer Freedom.

The waiver, a tongue-in-cheek counterpoint to the obesity-related lawsuits popping up across the nation, is the latest salvo from the center, which represents restaurants and food companies and takes stands on issues it deems to be ones of consumer choice. The organization routinely pits itself against "a growing cabal of activists" intent on meddling in American lives with food labels and smoking bans and the like. This time, the target appears to be the litigation-minded.

Of course, no one would actually suggest that failure to provide a Tofurky would be a reason to sue, as the waiver implies. (But it might be a nice gesture to those vegetarian guests who gamely make do with cranberry sauce and green beans year after year.)

-- Tami Dennis

Photo: Eat at your own risk.

Credit: Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times