To the Liberals we're all Sheep...

Not many things Liberals say make me steaming hot mad. This did:

'In one verbal slanging match, Human Resources Minister Diane Finley slammed Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett, who had dismissed the government plan to create child-care spaces as inadequate, for implying in a television interview that parents who want to raise their children at home will be "bringing up future criminals."

'Ms. Bennett, a feisty family doctor who is seeking the leadership of the Liberal party, shot to her feet. Staring across the aisle at Ms. Finley, Ms. Bennett said research shows that for very dollar spent on early learning and childhood, "we will save $7 later in special education and corrections, and you know that."'

I wondered what made me so emotional over this comment. It was hard to pin down. I think part of it had to do with the fact that I know some children that were raised by stay at home parents. I think that since this article implies that Ms. Bennett believes that stay at home parents cause criminals, it was the jab that caused the anger.

See I don't care if someone attacks me. I do care a whole hell of a lot if they attack someone else I know or someone who is defenseless.

The insinutation that stay at home parents cause children to become criminals because they don't enlist them in the "enlightened" government run day care schemes might just be a misunderstanding perpetuated by a gun-hoe Tory cabinet minister. But if it isn't, which, at least in this article, it appears that by Bennett's comment it isn't, then Bennett has lost her grip on reality.

Rural Canadian parents that own a farm, religious parents that want to home school, and other types of a situations where one parent decides to stay at home are not breeding grounds for Paul Bernardo's. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Paul Bernardo was in day care as a child.

The suggestion of any study that says so is ludicrous. Now what I can see as a likely possibility, is that there is a certain demographic of single parents that stay at home because of poor social conditions and raise their children on their own. In such cases it's the poor social conditions that are the cause of the criminal behaviour, and not whether or not they've enlisted in a government run program.

And again even in such cases, it is better to assume the best of people - and not the worst. We should never fear people. We should only fear governments.

But in the end this is an ideological debate - - and let's not kid ourselves about it. The question really comes down to this: is it better for the government to raise children, or parents?

I don't believe that we should be going by the assumption that people are stupid, and will spend any money they have on beer and popcorn. I we go by that assumption, then guess what? Politicians are people too - and therefore just as stupid. And if that's true, then what in the hell are we doing trusting them with children?

The truth is no one is more "civilized" than anyone else. No one should be more equal than anyone else.

We are not sheep to be hearded by some great politician. Because afterall, God isn't the Liberal Party of Canada.