Here Come the Judge
A Texas school district will start ticketing parents for the misdemeanor charge of having a child who habitually doesn't do his/her homework. See, this is what happens when a critical mass of people don't do what they ultimately know is right - the government steps in and makes you do it.
There's no need for something like this. Parents are perfectly capable of making sure their children do their homework. Problem is that enough of them aren't doing that. Instead, they expect the school system to step in and fill the gap, something it's not capable of doing.
I've got news for you. This is only the tip of the iceberg. CNN files this story under "Offbeat News." I don't think it's offbeat at all. I think it was inevitable, given the way things were going, and it will happen more frequently and severely. Just wait to see what happens if there's another rash of school shootings.
Comments
As much as i dislike govt intrusion, i kinda like this idea. As long as it is kept at the local level.
Wonders if PBS will start airing Homework Cops on primetime.
Bad boys , Bad boys. Whatcha gonna do when they come for you.
Posted by: Bill Schmidt | December 13, 2002 11:00 AM
To be honest, I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, I don't like the government messing in people's lives like that. On the other hand, these parents need to be paying attention to what their kids are doing, because there is a negative effect to the kids and the rest of us if they don't.
There was a time when parents could be liable for the criminal actions of their minor children. I have a feeling a return to that isn't far off. The impact of parental neglect on all of us is, IMO, readily apparent, and eventually society will demand that something be done. When people won't do it for themselves, the government will do it for them.
The best method to ensure government doesn't intrude on our lives is to do what we know is right and impose societal penalties on those who don't. Unfortunately we lack at both those things.
Posted by: Lesley | December 13, 2002 01:20 PM
That is absolutely the most outrageous idea I've ever heard. I am the parent of a problem child (who is now grown and doing fine in spite of everything the schools did thank you very much!) For years I spent 2 to 3 hours every night of the school year sitting with him at the kitchen table watching him do his homework. He did the homework. Even after having spent 3 hours doing it he never turned it in because he wanted to prove that nobody could tell him what to do. His teachers called me a liar. I won't go into all the verbal abuse and harrassement I have received from teachers over the years. I am sick of this "blame the parents" mentality. Yes of course there are bad parents but that is no excuse for believing that every problem child has bad parents. Parents of problem children need HELP not abuse.
Posted by: Lynn | December 14, 2002 09:05 PM
Having been a problem child (and still am thank you very much) I would suggest that for every legitimate situation like Lynn Faced, far more are the result of improper parenting. With a due sympathy to the plight of parents, like Lynn, with children who can truly be put into the problem category, these cases are the very rare exception. Also there is the issue of parents who have legitimate problem children and insist that they don't.
My opinion of course, the only problem child I have ever delt with is a terrier mix.
Posted by: Rick DeMent | December 15, 2002 10:41 AM