[crick]

JG...you are right...I'm venting...and no, I don't believe in government control/elimination at will. I wouldn't do an act of vigilante either...just *want* to.

I would though after thinking about the situation like to see stricter laws with people who have had parental rights terminated due to neglect/abuse. For example, if you have had 10 children removed from your custody, I think you should have a vasectomy before more children are born and suffer. There's no logic to the number, just using it as an example. And yes, I know that it's a slippery slope to go down. Which is why LOGICALLY....it wouldn't be feasible. So yes...it's an emotional vent and tirade...

I also want stricter laws for child molesters, rapists, drunk drivers, CEO embezzlers who steal the working people's retirment money etc. Oh, and gun control too.

I will say though, that the current laws we have in place do not protect our kids. That's evident with the thousands of children in our foster care system. I care more about their rights than I do of the ones who didn't give a hoot about them. Where the lines are drawn, where the laws can be specifically stated so there are no loop holes or abuse of the laws by those enforcing the law...there really isn't. Still...for a few days...it's helpful to me to vent about it.

[JGarrick]

Originally Posted by crick

I would though after thinking about the situation like to see stricter laws with people who have had parental rights terminated due to neglect/abuse.

Well, or even just abandonment. At some point, wouldn't fathering a bunch of kids without supporting them rise to the level of a felony. You can get tossed into prison here in MN for getting three DUIs, even if nobody gets hurt because of it. I'd give serious consideration to a law that said fathering children without supporting them could be punishable by jail time. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if such laws aren't already on the books in some places, with all the hubbub there was about "deadbeat dads" a few years back. I suppose the same thing could be said for women who have had multiple kids removed by child protection, but just keep having babies anyway. At some point, you have to force people to take responsibility for their own behavior.

To be honest, I'm a little surprised that any of the things that are serious enough to get your parental rights terminated aren't already felony offenses.

[crick]

that's the key....holding people responsible for their actions. And yet...lol!

I'm actually against the 3 strikes law for most things. I think it is too many chances. And I also think our society needs to start by holding teens more responsible for their behavior too.

One of our schools had a teen who brought a knife to school and while he didn't actually threaten anyone with it, he made it clear that if you messed with him, he was prepared. Got suspended and is on probation. That's the wrong message to send, imo.

[JGarrick]

Originally Posted by crick

...brought a knife to school ... Got suspended and is on probation. That's the wrong message to send, imo.

That's where things go wrong at the other end of the zero-tolerance spectrum, and it's the result of trying to come up with hard and fast rules that can be applied instead of applying common sense and real thinking.

At one end, you get kids that get three days suspension for carrying a nail clipper in their pocket. That ridiculous. At the other end, you get kids carrying a knife they're prepared to use, and they get the same three days. That's frightening. No rational person would give these two kids the same punishment, but in the interest of "fairness," we treat them the same.

The same thing applies when dealing with parents who are incapable of caring for their kids. Some are trying, and make honest mistakes or are in over their heads. They deserve help and a second chance - maybe a couple of second chances. Others couldn't care less, and deserve nothing more than a boot in their pants on the way out the door. For those, two strikes is one too many.