Here's a humdinger of a story, thanks to KETV in Omaha, Nebraska: Police: Child Shows Investigators How To Use Marijuana
I'm not sure which I find more ridiculous: that these idiots would be granted a license to own a shotgun, or that they don't need a license to bring two children into the world.
Seriously...society restricts all sorts of activities to only those who can show they won't endanger themselves or others -- driving, owning handguns, scuba diving, drinking, operating heavy machinery, hunting, and so on. But, to be a parent, all you need to do is be able to procreate.
If the State actually has a significant interest in both (a) promoting healthy and stable families (the reason given for denying marriage licenses to gay couples) and (b) ensuring safe conditions exist for children (the reason for requiring schools and daycare centers to be licensed), then why is it that just anybody can produce children without the state requiring them to take a class or a test or something like that?
I mean, we insist that every prospective driver knows what a stop sign means before we say he can drive a car. Why don't we insist that every expectant parent knows that babies require regular feedings and diaper changes before being able to keep their offspring?
I'm not advocating a Brave New World-type scenario where the government controls baby production. I'm just suggesting that every parent should have certain knowledge before he/she is allowed to care for children. Why would we hold parents to less of a standard than we hold daycare workers? Seriously...why?
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