LiveWire

A rant by Maynard

This is a story that’s hard to miss–how states are making new laws to prohibit parents from exposing children to cigarette smoke.

You’re also probably aware of numerous laws in a similar spirit, requiring, for example, that children be strapped down in child carriers when in a car.

What’s wrong with this? The obvious problem is the Big Brother-type government intrusion into private affairs and onto private property without any compelling reason. Yes, it might be nice if children were never exposed to secondhand smoke, but does it really have to be a law?

But even more importantly, any moron can see that the problem facing children today isn’t cigarettes; it’s the lack of parents. Children have become a disposable commodity, growing up without a consistent adult presence to guide them into becoming decent human beings. Is it too much to expect that a child be born into the care of a mother and father who are committed be there for him, financially and emotionally, in the years to come?

But no, that’s too much to ask, so the activist solution is to demand more government-sponsored day care. Great idea! Leaving a cluster of kids warehoused for 10 hours every day under supervision of a minimum-wage attendant will do wonders for their development…Not! Oh, and the schools will also feed your kids for you, because we can’t expect parents to rustle up two slices of bread and some peanut butter and jelly.

Our laws show us how we’ve become fanatical enforcers of irrelevant trivia while turning a non-judgmental eye to the vital aspects of upbringing. We punish parents for meaningless infractions while enabling and even encouraging them to perpetrate major sins. We cheat our children in despicable ways and then congratulate ourselves on our excellent stewardship. This, and not secondhand smoke, is the true crime of our era.