Rant 02 (Politics of Child Rearing)
by Tom Buchanan

The handwriting is on the wall. It is written with the blood of children. Even as we scrub the message off the wall we deny the very existence of the message itself. We are a failing society that would rather blame someone else and even pay someone else to do our washing of the wall for us. We have surrendered our responsibility and moral convictions in the name of group equality. We have perverted the principles of the very foundation of this great country.

The most important vocation of society should be to raise children in a loving and safe environment and to pass onto them the principles and values that we hold so dear so that they will in turn pass them onto their children. We are failing. We have been reduced to a society where we accept no responsilbilty for our actions. When a tragedy occurs the first thing we do is to look for a proverbial scapegoat.

Over the past forty years we have reduced and ridiculed the family structure in America. The excuse is that there was no Cleaver family. June and Ward did not exist in America. The National Organization of Woman convinced women that they needed to find fulfillment outside of the home. They need to be equal to men. Why women would want to be equal to men I haven’t figured out yet. So hi ho, hi ho its off to work women went in droves, abandoning their children to be raised by strangers in government subsidized and controlled day care centers. The reality is that you gained more material possesions and had to keep up with the Jones. Your paycheck barely covers the daycare, your wardrobe, and other expenses needed to maintain a job outside of the home. At the end of the day, tired from dealing with irate customers, bosses, co-workers and and an unfriendly commute you pick up your small child from the day care where the latest version of the flu is going around. The low paid, frustrated day care worker tells you about the fun things and progress your child made today. You make a mental note to notice, but by the time you get home it is forgotten and pushed aside because you need some time for yourself. Your children look at you with an abandoned, confused look and turn towards the television for the world as Hollywood sees it. You really do have to ask yourself if it is worth it.

Everyone complains about how low-paying jobs are. It is simple mathematics. There are more people looking for jobs than there are jobs. In this supply and demand environment employers can pay what they want. The government figures it must step in amd artificially inflate the system by declaring a minimum wage must be paid. The employer acts outraged and argues that prices will go up in order to meet yat another government mandate. It is a nice act, but the emplyoyer dosn’t really mind. Prices for goods and services will just be increased to offset the employers expenses and before you know it the miminum wage won’t be enough again and we’ll partake in yet another round of the circle game.

Well one thing that I have learned is that in order for a government to control it's people there must be an enemy. The is no British enemy, no Hitler, no longer an Iron Curtain. The last great enemy was drugs. It was even called the War on Drugs. Because of the evil drug empire fear set in throughout the country side. We were told that the only ones who could save us were the government authorities, but they needed more power to crush the enemy. Everytime we gave them more power we surrendered a little of our freedom. Search, seizure and confiscate as long as it was in the name of the "War on Drugs', society looked the other way. Oh those vicious guns. If only we can gather them all up everthing would be fine.

Well, there is no more enemy so the government will just have to create some. This too is done incrimentally. What used to be perfectly legal yesterday will be a crime tomorrow. Instant criminals! Enemies of the state! They will come for your fully automatic word processor first, then your pens and pencils in the name of protecting the children, after all isn't lead poisonous?

Email Tom