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If
a random person came up to you on the street and
demanded that you raise your children a certain way,
what would you say to them? What if you found
out that person had no children of their own, but
had developed their child-rearing philosophy from
their experiences raising a cat?
I know what I
would say to that person.
As
usual, there is no shortage of arrogance from
nanny-state lawmakers in Sacramento.
Assembly Speaker pro
Tempore Sally Lieber, a liberal Democrat from the
Silicon Valley area, has once again proposed
legislation that would outlaw spanking in
California. Lieber's bill, AB 2943, would
penalize parents who spank their child with
probation for a minimum of 4 years and would force
them to attend a "nonviolent parental education
class". The child would receive a "criminal court
protective order 'protecting the victim from further
acts of violence or threats'".
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Lieber proposed a similar bill last year, but it was
defeated when it was met with overwhelming outrage
from parents across the state.
AB 2943 is an absurd
bill for many reasons. For one, it is completely
unnecessary. There already are laws on the books to
combat child abuse. Secondly, how would such a bill
be enforced? Does Lieber actually expect children to
call 911 to report their parents to authorities? And
how would violations of the law be proven? The
courts could often be in the position of determining
guilt based solely on the testimony of a child. The
most galling aspect of this bill, however, is the
raw arrogance it displays. Parents are rightfully
offended and angry at a liberal politician who has
the nerve to tell them how to raise their children,
particularly when that politician has never had
children of her own. Sally Lieber's extensive
parenting insight and knowledge apparently derive
solely from her experiences as a "pet guardian" for
her cat.
Considering the
problems California is presently facing, such as
massive budget deficits, failing schools, and
crumbling infrastructure, Sacramento politicians
ought to rearrange their priorities. They truly have
bigger things to worry about then dictating to
California parents how they should raise their
children. But if there is one thing that arrogant
politicians like to do, it is telling everybody else
how to live their lives.
And there is no
shortage of arrogant politicians in Sacramento. |
