Who's your daddy?
As America matures into old age, we as Americans are faced with new ways to restrict our freedom that would not have even been considered back in the days of our founding fathers. Fathers is an interesting way to word it, as this nation has become one of paternalism and protective laws that aren't always justified. Just like an overprotective father of a Catholic schoolgirl, Uncle Sam sets all kinds of harsh rules to protect us from our own decisions. But just like that Catholic shoolgirl who ends up rebelling against her repressive upbringing, Americans will rebel against the rules when they become too much. We did it during prohibition, and we do it still today with basically every prohibited substance, activity and behavior. You would think that as societies became more advanced that freedoms would never be taken away, only given. But that is simply the opposite of what is actually happening. Because of the fear and paranoia that has run rampant, especially since 9/11, we've seen people supporting laws that restrict their own freedoms as human beings.
A recent poll showed that more Americans can name the 5 members of the Simpson family (Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Homer and Marge) than can name the protections granted by the 1st Amendment (Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.) What that poll showed is that Americans don't really care about their freedom if they have entertainment. This is a key to why this nation is quickly abandoning the principals which once made this the greatest nation in the world. America obviously has never been perfect, but it used to be far more progressive, now it's growing conservative and much more repressive. The main enemies of freedom are religious groups, parent's groups and conservative political groups.
Parents are the problem. I know this because I've volunteered as a coach in Pacific Beach and La Jolla and personally saw the results of bad parenting. After just two or three practices, I can tell people a lot about the child's home life because of how much of an influence on their personality it has. Most of the kids I deal with are slightly troubled and generally abandoned by their parents. The only ones who had strong parental influences (meaning the parents who would show up to practice, talk to me without the ulterior motive of trying to hook up with me, or whom the kids talked about) were the ones who seemed most well adjusted and poised for success in life. However, most of the kids were basically left to raise themselves alone, and it showed. These kids are able to do whatever they want because they live in a city and live near the beach, so if they want to do something, they will. Instead of paying attention to their kid's interests and asking them questions about their life, they make rules and punishments without really thinking about what they would have thought about those rules at that age. Empathy has a lot to do with good parenting, you have to be able to identify with their situation to understand it. Telling your son not to buy Grand Theft Auto because it's violent wont accomplish anything except resentment, because he will be able to go to his friend's house and play anyway.
The government acts just like bad parents. It makes rules to protect us without really thinking about the negative impact that it may have. The "Click-it or ticket" campaign is fascist by definition: using fear to push an agenda. By threatening financial harm for not wearing a seatbelt, the government is acting as an authoritarian, forcing people to protect themselves in a way that impedes on comfort. I for one, ALWAYS wear a seatbelt because my life has been saved by them twice, but if I wanted to go without, who could it possibly hurt? Me and my loved ones if I die, and it's up to me to consider my loved ones and not the government. If I don't wear a seatbelt, I am no less (or more) dangerous behind the wheel than if I do wear it, so why make the police extort money from those who make the conscious decision to go without. And what about the time that you just forget to put it on for the forst couple blocks of a drive and a cop sees you as you are putting it on? You'd get a ticket, and that's just not right.
I believe that everyone should be responsible for their own life and safety as adults. Parents have that responsibility before their kids become adults, and those who try to push it on the government are doing everyone an injustice. Just because your 14 year old daughter is too much of a moron to realize that meeting a 35 year old man from myspace is not a good idea doesn't mean that you should punish the non-idiot population for it. That girl who falls prey to an online sexual predator had a failure of parenting, because if her parents were even halfway decent, she would never even consider meeting some middle aged man from the internet. In fact, any time a child falls victim to something like that, I believe that the parents of that child should be punished severly. After all, you don't have to be qualified to give birth to a child, you just have to be fertile. We act as if giving birth is such an impressive feat, when in reality it is one of the least impressive feats there is; after all, there are 6,000,000,000 people in this world who were born once. So instead of letting bad parents force the government to do what they were unable to do themselves (protect their children from their own stupidity), why not hold people responsible for their poor decisions and parenting skills?
A recent poll showed that more Americans can name the 5 members of the Simpson family (Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Homer and Marge) than can name the protections granted by the 1st Amendment (Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.) What that poll showed is that Americans don't really care about their freedom if they have entertainment. This is a key to why this nation is quickly abandoning the principals which once made this the greatest nation in the world. America obviously has never been perfect, but it used to be far more progressive, now it's growing conservative and much more repressive. The main enemies of freedom are religious groups, parent's groups and conservative political groups.
Parents are the problem. I know this because I've volunteered as a coach in Pacific Beach and La Jolla and personally saw the results of bad parenting. After just two or three practices, I can tell people a lot about the child's home life because of how much of an influence on their personality it has. Most of the kids I deal with are slightly troubled and generally abandoned by their parents. The only ones who had strong parental influences (meaning the parents who would show up to practice, talk to me without the ulterior motive of trying to hook up with me, or whom the kids talked about) were the ones who seemed most well adjusted and poised for success in life. However, most of the kids were basically left to raise themselves alone, and it showed. These kids are able to do whatever they want because they live in a city and live near the beach, so if they want to do something, they will. Instead of paying attention to their kid's interests and asking them questions about their life, they make rules and punishments without really thinking about what they would have thought about those rules at that age. Empathy has a lot to do with good parenting, you have to be able to identify with their situation to understand it. Telling your son not to buy Grand Theft Auto because it's violent wont accomplish anything except resentment, because he will be able to go to his friend's house and play anyway.
The government acts just like bad parents. It makes rules to protect us without really thinking about the negative impact that it may have. The "Click-it or ticket" campaign is fascist by definition: using fear to push an agenda. By threatening financial harm for not wearing a seatbelt, the government is acting as an authoritarian, forcing people to protect themselves in a way that impedes on comfort. I for one, ALWAYS wear a seatbelt because my life has been saved by them twice, but if I wanted to go without, who could it possibly hurt? Me and my loved ones if I die, and it's up to me to consider my loved ones and not the government. If I don't wear a seatbelt, I am no less (or more) dangerous behind the wheel than if I do wear it, so why make the police extort money from those who make the conscious decision to go without. And what about the time that you just forget to put it on for the forst couple blocks of a drive and a cop sees you as you are putting it on? You'd get a ticket, and that's just not right.
I believe that everyone should be responsible for their own life and safety as adults. Parents have that responsibility before their kids become adults, and those who try to push it on the government are doing everyone an injustice. Just because your 14 year old daughter is too much of a moron to realize that meeting a 35 year old man from myspace is not a good idea doesn't mean that you should punish the non-idiot population for it. That girl who falls prey to an online sexual predator had a failure of parenting, because if her parents were even halfway decent, she would never even consider meeting some middle aged man from the internet. In fact, any time a child falls victim to something like that, I believe that the parents of that child should be punished severly. After all, you don't have to be qualified to give birth to a child, you just have to be fertile. We act as if giving birth is such an impressive feat, when in reality it is one of the least impressive feats there is; after all, there are 6,000,000,000 people in this world who were born once. So instead of letting bad parents force the government to do what they were unable to do themselves (protect their children from their own stupidity), why not hold people responsible for their poor decisions and parenting skills?
posted by Dan Pasternack at 4:52 PM
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