February 08, 2007
Thursday

Thanks for wondering, Carl, but no, my child wasn't in that car.

How do I know? I know because I've put time and energy into KNOWING who my kids are riding with. It's my job. As a parent, I am supposed to be pro-active in being aware of who they're with, what they're eating, drinking, breathing, watching, listening do, and participating in.

Don't assume that because children are in environments that you disagree with, their care should be more closely government regulated. Don't assume that parents aren't making healthy choices because they don't understand that they are unhealthy. Should we have fines for parents who let their children watch inappropriate movies? Fines for parents who let their children fill up their iPods with 4-letter lyrics? Fines for parents who let their children watch too much TV? Eat too much sugar? Play violent video games? Don't brush their teeth? Get too fat? Don't wear UV protection? Where do we stop asking the police to regulate the child raising lifestyles that we disagree with?!

Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't let my children ride in the car with a smoker. Nor would I let them spend time at the house of a smoker. Nor would I let them eat Fruit Loops every night for dinner. Nor would I let them lay on the couch everyday after school instead of playing sports. But those are family choices, not government regulations.

The burden of raising and protecting children should fall squarely on the shoulders of the parents with a healthy dose of back-up assistance from the community. Parents, as a whole, make mistakes. Parents, as a whole, have lifestyles that don t always jive. But parents, as a whole, are the most qualified to raise their own children.

Dinah Pearson
Ketchikan, AK


Received February 07, 2007 - Published February 08, 2006

About: "Mother of teenagers who have been exposed to second hand smoke, uv rays, aspertain, under cooked meat, trans fat, and government regulations their whole lives. Lucky they have survived."

Related Viewpoint:

Children Without Choices By Carl Webb - Ketchikan, AK

 

 

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