Monday, October 20, 2008

Nebraska: another example of how government can't fix every problem

Nebraska is backing out of its "safe haven" law. Intended to protect children from potential abuse and neglect, the law allowed parents to drop off their minor children (up to age 18) at hospitals without fear of prosecution.

But the state just restricted the law to accepting babies no more than 3 days old, and is now trying to discourage drop-offs altogether, according to CBS News.

So, what broke the system's back? Eighteen (that's right, 18... fewer digits than your fingers and toes) kids were dropped off since July. And the state can't handle that kind of "volume."

As we draw near to election day, there is a strong chance that we will elect a government that will seek to control large swaths of our national life and claim power to "fix" all kinds of problems.

Only took 18 kids to shut down Nebraska. Think before you vote.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, this reflects one of the hardest issues in political philosophy: How much can we realistically expect any government to improve deep-seated problems in society?

All I'll say here is that I can identify with that "Neo-Conservative" who described us neo-cons as "ex-liberals who've been mugged by reality." I used to vote like a Democrat and I subscrbed to Sojourners. But I haven't voted for a Democratic candidate for president since Jimmy Carter, and now I read First Things instead of Sojourners.

And basically I've come to agree with the famous quip of Ronald Reagan back in the 1980s:

Big (activist) government isn't the answer to society's problems; it is the problem.

Alice C. Linsley said...

I agree, Father. There is a great deal at stake in this election. I wish that McCain's campaign would stress how millions of people lost their lives in the 20th century as socialists attempted to impose a new order.