Re: i don't know if it's been signed yet but pass this on

[Sharon Smith Hurlburt <medhbh@erie.net>]

At 12:10 PM 2/10/96 -0500, you wrote:
>You seem to be making a pretty hefty statement and assuming we all agree, 
>Brett.  But just for the sake of argument, explain to me why the 
>government shouldn't monitor what kids see on the 'Net?  Why should it be 
>solely the parent's responsibility?  Is it because the gov't shouldn't 
>raise people's kids?  Then why have a public school system?  Why have 
>laws against child abuse?  Why outlaw parental incest?  
>
>Treat these questions as if they've been asked by somebody who has no 
>knowledge of history or politics whatsoever, and explain why those in 
>chargs should not have the right to determine certain topics too lurid or 
>graphic, or otherwise potentially harmful, for a person still in the 
>developmental stages of life?
>
>Just curious...
>
My 2 cents-

First of all, parents should raise their children because they are THEIR
children, not mine, not my brother's - theirs. Parents who expect the
government to raise them seem to me to be the pinnacle of irresponsibility. 
Second, if the government starts raising everyone's children for them, who's
parenting standard do they follow?  My parent's?  My grandparent's?  Mine?
Bill Cliton's?  Bob Dole's?  Pat Buchanan's?  David Duke's?  Phill Gramm's?
Rush Limbugh's?  Do they raise the children with the Christian paradim or a
Buddhist paradim or a Pagan paradim?  Or do they raise then with a healthy
respect for all the world's religous belief systems?  What would teach all
our children concerning homosexuality?  Would they teach tolerance or hate?  
Third, what if how we want our children raised differs from how the
government feels they should be raised (which is highly likely in my case)?
By raising our children for us, the government then takes away our right to
raise our children as we see fit.  Do parents have such a great lack of
confidence in their parenting abilities that they trully believe that
Congress knows what's better for their children than they do?
Fourth, there is already software available that allows parents to block off
Net access to their children so that they can control their children see or
do not see, without having to ban it completely from those of us who are
thinking adults.
Fifth, the United States government can not actually regulate the whole
internet because it is an international communications network. So what are
parents to do when they find their child gazing at an explicite web page
that happens to originate in France?
Sixth, and this is actually from my husband- there is a great amount of
difference between government responsibility and government control, which
you seem to be neglecting in your post.

Sharon,
who wouldn't let the government babysit her children, let alone raise them.