Holy Smokes! Best Fark links today.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyid=2006-09-22T184207Z_01_N22180603_RTRUKOC_0_US-CRIME-MARIJUANA-MOM.xml&src=rss&rpc=22
I'm confused by the prosecution on this one... Why on earth did they charge her with distribution? Why not charge her under child abuse statutes? My only guess is that the sentencing for distribution was probably greater than for the child abuse, even though the sentencing was eventually overturned. See, I read stuff like this, and it supports my crazy, will-never-become-a-reality, flippant little idea of requiring parents-to-be to become licensed. I mean, you have to be licensed to drive a car, take care of older patients in nursing homes... hell.. .you have to be licensed to cut someone's hair. But anyone is allowed to raise a child, until they are proven unfit. At that point, damage has already been done. I know, I know, I know. Procreation is a fundamental right, there are potential substantive and procedural due process issues, and the enforcement would be too costly and too invasive of our already shaky constitutional right to privacy. Yes, I know this. I'm just thinking of my ideal word, here. Let's just call it Myra-topia. In Myra-topia, parents to be would be required to study a basic parenting manual, and pass a test. The test would be super basic. Nothing super difficult... just basic questions. Make it True/False. Here's a sample question:
"True or False. Allowing your baby to hit a bong is a great idea to increase your child's appetite, and to promote a calm, mellow feeling."
If a potential parent gets this question wrong, they should be forced to take a parenting class, or two, and have a parenting mentor that can help them figure things out. I know that this won't solve the problem of incompetent/abusive parents. However, for those who are truly ignorant in the parenting skill arena, this approach might actually help.
Then again, what do I know? I'm not a parent or anything, and I let my cats hit the bong all the time.
(I'm just kidding about the cats. Don't call the SPCA on my ass. The cats don't even get table scraps. And I don't own a bong.)
I'm confused by the prosecution on this one... Why on earth did they charge her with distribution? Why not charge her under child abuse statutes? My only guess is that the sentencing for distribution was probably greater than for the child abuse, even though the sentencing was eventually overturned. See, I read stuff like this, and it supports my crazy, will-never-become-a-reality, flippant little idea of requiring parents-to-be to become licensed. I mean, you have to be licensed to drive a car, take care of older patients in nursing homes... hell.. .you have to be licensed to cut someone's hair. But anyone is allowed to raise a child, until they are proven unfit. At that point, damage has already been done. I know, I know, I know. Procreation is a fundamental right, there are potential substantive and procedural due process issues, and the enforcement would be too costly and too invasive of our already shaky constitutional right to privacy. Yes, I know this. I'm just thinking of my ideal word, here. Let's just call it Myra-topia. In Myra-topia, parents to be would be required to study a basic parenting manual, and pass a test. The test would be super basic. Nothing super difficult... just basic questions. Make it True/False. Here's a sample question:
"True or False. Allowing your baby to hit a bong is a great idea to increase your child's appetite, and to promote a calm, mellow feeling."
If a potential parent gets this question wrong, they should be forced to take a parenting class, or two, and have a parenting mentor that can help them figure things out. I know that this won't solve the problem of incompetent/abusive parents. However, for those who are truly ignorant in the parenting skill arena, this approach might actually help.
Then again, what do I know? I'm not a parent or anything, and I let my cats hit the bong all the time.
(I'm just kidding about the cats. Don't call the SPCA on my ass. The cats don't even get table scraps. And I don't own a bong.)