Yet Another Reason to Privatize Education (Birth Control for Babies)

Yesterday, I wrote in a post that "Public education and the arrogance of government-employed officials reached what may be an all time low... I'm utterly surprised every time it sinks lower, but amazingly, our left-wing nanny-overlords, who seem hell-bent on controlling every aspect of our lives while at the same time both destroying liberty and public security, find new ways to climb down to the bottom."

I'm happy to announce that it took less than 24 hours from writing those words for me to realize that public education could toilet-spin EVEN LOWER:

School officials have given the green light to a Portland middle school to offer birth control prescriptions through its student health center.

The plan, offered by city health officials and approved on a 7-2 vote by the Portland School Committee, makes King Middle School the first middle school in Maine to make a full range of contraception available to students in grades 6 through 8... where most students range in age from 11 to 13.

Wonderful, just wonderful. Up next, nap time will be replaced with orgy hour in kindergarten. Even worse:

Under state law such treatment is confidential, and students decide for themselves whether to tell their parents about the services they receive.

Parental responsibility and rights are quickly being removed from the equation, as we see children becoming closer and closer to becoming the "property" of a socialistic state.

Socialist State School System Attacks Homeschooling Mother

On a tip from Crush Liberalism:

Check this out. Public education and the arrogance of government-employed officials reached what may be an all time low in Missouri. I'm utterly surprised every time it sinks lower, but amazingly, our left-wing nanny-overlords, who seem hell-bent on controlling every aspect of our lives while at the same time both destroying liberty and public security, find new ways to climb down to the bottom.

A Missouri public school is pursuing a complaint against a mother for withdrawing her son and daughter from the school and teaching them at home, after an apparent threat to the daughter's life at the school.

As concepts such as discipline and personal accountability are no longer politically correct, safety in public schools has gone down the tubes.

The case involves Moberly, Mo., mother Anita Nicoli, who withdrew her daughter and a son from Moberly Middle School recently after what she has described as a two-year campaign of intimidation by other students.

The breaking point came when another student, who allegedly had harassed and assaulted her daughter, drew a picture of herself holding a gun and pointing it directly at Nicoli's daughter. The picture was passed around among students, she said.
....
[Nicoli] said her children had been subjected to harassment and badgering at the school for several years. She cited incidents of being slapped, bullied, kicked and butted, as well as threatened. Her son was shoved into a metal bar. Another time a student used a seat belt buckle on the school bus to hit him.

Not surprisingly, given the violence her children had been subjected to, Nicoli "notified the school of her homeschool plans and went forward."

How did the public education system respond? Anita "now has been cited in a complaint filed by the school after she withdrew two of her children."

That's absolutely correct, boys and girls. Nicoli, fearing not just as many homeschoolers do about the quality of education in pubic schools or politico-social indoctrination, but for the very physical safety of her kids, pulls her children out of a dangerous situation, and how is she rewarded by an intrusive state?

....she is accused of "educational neglect" by social services, based on a complaint from the school.

This, in microcosmic form, is a perfect example of much of what is wrong with the liberal philosophy of big government and the insanity of the leftist concept that "the government knows better than individuals, and has the right to interfere in personal lives and choices, for their own good." From taxation and redistribution of income, to grossly ineffective and intrusive state-run programs and solutions, the left is causing much of that country to abandon common sense and respect for individuals, and is turning America into a massively totalitarian incompetent socialist bureaucracy.

I might be more sympathetic to big government interference if big government were in any way GOOD at running our lives. But this is more like a sinking ship with a retarded poodle for a captain. Over the years, after losing so much respect for the public education system in the US, I've slowly come to the conclusion that privatization would be the best answer for reform - of course, this would mean privatization WITHOUT unwieldy and useless government restrictions. The bloated beast must abandoned.

Those looking to socialized medicine as a solution for rising health care costs and the proportion of uninsured citizens need look no further than this idiocy in Missouri to see exactly what to expect in terms of adequacy, accountability and pragmatism is a government run system.

Schwarzenegger and Gun Control

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation [on Saturday] requiring that new models of semiautomatic handguns sold in California be able to stamp identifying serial numbers on shell casings."

At first glance, this might not strike one as an assault on the Second Amendment rights of the citizens of California (what few we have left). The requirement that guns stamp serial numbers on casings, in and of itself, does not really restrict a person's ability to either "keep" or "bear" arms.

However, consider this:

Retooling the manufacturing process could add up to $200 to the price of each gun, warned Larry Keane of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association of the firearms industry. Supporters said the identifying parts could be added for as little as $1 to $2 per gun.

“Manufacturers are not going to comply with this no matter how much they improve the technology,” said Paredes of the Gun Owners of California. “They are simply going to stop selling any new semiautomatics in the state.”

In the long run, causing the cost of new types of semiautomatics to sky-rocket is only going to keep such weapons out of the hands of law-abiding citizens in the lower income brackets - this could be seen an unreasonable state-imposed expense that clearly violates the rights of the poor and lower class to defend themselves as they choose.

But really, his law will have almost no effect on the sale of semiautomatics for decades, if ever. With 1,300 models already on the roster in California, people will still be able to buy non-stamping semiautomatics. This legislation only effects new models that will be introduced. Of course, this simply screws over gun aficionados who might want to obtain some new type of innovative handgun. In fact, it likely makes California less safe - who knows what sort of gun features might be introduced in the future that could improve handgun safety - and we here in California will be stuck with older models only, or overpriced newer models which most people will be unwilling to pay for. Manufacturers will continue to make models already on the California roster, if just for the large California market. Basically, this law does little other than stifle progress by limiting options and fair competition. A new manufacturer with an excellent product that jams/misfires less than any gun already on the market may simply turn its back on California - a loss to the California population as well as the maker.

This legislation is simply not fair to honest, law-abiding citizens who will now be forced to pay more for new types of guns because of state interference. Sure, a few collectors will be willing to pay more to obtain the new model semiautomatics they desire or feel they need. I don't see all manufacturers completely giving up on the most populous state in the nation as a potential market for their new products. But those that stay in may even have less competition if some companies do decide the new technology is not worth it. Any production costs will be placed upon the honest consumer anyway.

Semiautomatic makers currently located in the state of California will move to another state where their business practices are less controlled by big liberal government interference. Another loss of business in California from a governor who promised to woo business back to California - so much has already left thanks to over-regulation and high taxes.

Criminals will still be able to obtain non-stamping semiautomatics illegally. They will still be able to get their hands on automatic machine guns (currently they are all over the streets), which we honest citizens cannot even get. Revolvers are not covered. Nor shotguns or rifles. Given all the illegal guns out there, given all the non-stamping models which have sold and will continue to be sold, and given the ease which with this stamping can be countered (a nail file), this legislation will have absolutely no effect on either crime or clearance rates in the state. Stamping guns will eventually be stolen, and become untraceable to actual shooters. Criminals will start stealing spent shell casings from gun ranges, and sprinkling them at crime scenes. Even if you support gun control, you have to admit this law will do close to nothing. It's government interference for the sake of interfering. It's an attack on legitimate gun owners.

Despite the high crime and violence rates in California, this state has some of the harshest restrictions of our second amendment rights - Californians can "keep" (ie, own) arms easily enough, but it is nearly impossible to "bear" (ie, carry) arms outside one's home in order to defend oneself where it is most necessary. In order to seriously reduce crime, California should repeal its overly restrictive conceal and carry laws, and make it easier for law-abiding citizens to carry and defend themselves in dangerous areas outside their homes. The judicial system is failing to keep criminals off the streets, and liberal legislation and juries have seriously hindered law enforcement efforts. We need to be able to legally protect ourselves. Our right to self-defense has been restricted enough by a left-wing, totalitarian state.

NOTE:
I apologize for all the Ahnold posts recently, but he signed a tankload of bills this past weekend.

Green Americans Protest Frankenstein Decoration as Offensive

OK, not really, but close enough. The hypersensitive, irrational nitwits at the NAACP don't like halloween much either. I think people really have to go out of their way to feign being offended nowadays. Or has our victimization culture mutated so much that people are completely incapable of distinguishing between overt bigotry and just about anything else? I'd like to err on the side of people not being completely moronic, but it's hard not to.

Schwarzenegger Vetoes DREAM Act

In a burst of rational thought, Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed the dreaded DREAM act (endorsed by disphits as dipshitted as Barack Obama), which would have offered illegal immigrants an opportunity for tax-payer funded financial aid for higher education. How long before the race-baiters start race-baiting? I can hear the choruses of "OH MY GAWD, THAT'S RACIST" ringing in my ears already.