What is your Stance?

There is a significant difference between self destructive addiction and child molestation which alters the life of another human being. Many things are against laws written for purposes other than protecting innocent victims. Think of the seat belt law.

 

No, what I am saying is the seatbealt law should never have been enacted. I do not believe that the government should be empowed to protect me from myself. Failure to wear a seatbelt will kill me, not someone else. The governent should keep their nose out of it. We can all recall the roaring success of the 18th amendment. As Thomas Jefferson is often quoted "That government is best which governs least."

 

1. The constitution enumerates the age at which one is entitled to vote which, culturally, we accept to be the age of majority. This covers the question of 'legal adulthood' but no legislation can enforce emotional adulthood.

2. I believe that although child protection should be the purview of the family, children often need the protection of ac external power. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, while broad in scope, was the first legislation to begin addressing child labor. From this early movement there sprang much additional legislation directly related to the safety and protection of children. This has been a good use of legislative power but it too can be taken to extremes. When parents are afraid to properly discipline (discipline, not beat or emotionally terrorize) their children for fear of being reported to child protective services, it is the children who suffer the consequences of an overzealous government

3. The government should not legislate against a 12 yr old having sex with another 12 yr old. That is not to say that I approve because nothing could be farther from the truth but unless the child is being victimized by someone of legal age the moral issue involved with early and premarital sex should be within the scope of the family.

It is my belief that the government has responsibility for providing for the common good of its citizens within the power granted by those citizens. It does not, nor should it have, the power to intrude into our personal lives for the purpose of social engineering.

Do not confuse anything I have said to imply that I have no concern for the safety of children, either physically, emotionally, or morally, but when we look to the government to solve all of our problems, we cease being self reliant, self governing, and self motivating human beings and the fate of not only our generation but future generations will be so far removed from the intent of our forefathers I shudder at the thought.

 

I presume you are speaking of Child Protective Services, in CT called DCF Dept of Children and Families. No, I don't believe CPS/DCF regulates morality and if you feel they are, you must involve yourself in limiting their power. We all live according to our own moral codes and the job of parents is to teach our children values and morals. It is not the responsibility of any agency. As a young person, you have the opportunity to make a difference in the way governmental agencies function. The future is indeed in your hands.

I recognize the need for depts such as those but I feel they have expanded beyond reason as a result of the decline in active and intense parenting required to raise children. I know that I have some archaic beliefs but when I was a child, what I feared most was disappointing my parents and what I knew every day of my life was heaven help the person who tried to harm me. The jobs of raising me and protecting me were not passed on to the schools, teachers, YMCAs, DCF/CPS, or anyone else. Those jobs belonged in the able hands of my parents and even as a child, I recognized their dedication and I was empowered by it. I did my best to raise my own child the same way - with a strong sense of right and wrong, taking responsibility for her actions (right and wrong), for standing up for herself and those who needed defense, and with such a strong sense of self that she was not easily led but was willing to lead. I raised a girl who became a strong and decent woman, and I did it by myself, without the assistance of any agency. That is not to say that every family doesn't have their rocky and difficult moments - we did. Nor do I believe that child protective agencies aren't required to "protect' children when parental protection is lacking. Its just that I think that as a culture, we too often abdicate our rights and responsibilities to the government. Truly a sad state of affairs.

 

That's a really good question Galactus. I don't know if I have an answer or not but I think that by leading our own lives with integrity and a strong personal code of ethics and then raising our children with those same values, we can begin positively influencing those around us. We can provide an emotional safe harbor, and sometimes a physical one as well, for children in need. We can lead instead of following. We can question everything and never be satisfied with the quick and easy answer. We can study both history and current events so we have facts when we confront our elected officials and others. We can live beyond our comfort zone. We can be strong and courageous every day of our lives.

 

As always RH, very well put.

Lot's of love with "out of Box" thought process' taught at a young age.

I'd add:
Live. Don't be a worry wart about everything in life... It will age and dull you. Take time out NOW to do things you want to do. Always make sure you are able to sleep at night... If not, there is something on your mind that needs to be hunted down and corrected.

 

I suspect that many of us around the SM neighborhood were raised this way and choose to lead our lives that way. We all seem to be strongminded, willing and able to buck the status quo.

 

I have a lot of feeling about the current educational system. Foremost, I think parents are complicit in preventing teachers from enforcing discipline and without discipline, there is no respect for teachers, schools, learning, schoolmates, community or anything else. Discipline doesn't stifle intellect, it sets it free to explore.