I realize that, but more and more judges are treated as kings rather than judges. I'm afraid that rule of law is degenerating in this country into a subjective mess of whoever is in charge in that particular circumstance be it judge or bureaucrat just doing whatever he "feels" like doing. The last time my husband went to court for something; it didn't apply to him. He was riding a motorcycle at the time and the cop was applying rules for a car to him. My husband showed the judge both sections of law and the judges answer was, "Well, that shouldn't be that way." He came home so angry , even though he didn't get the ticket, simply because the judge could care less what the law actually was, he just wanted to use his subjective opinion. It's maddening. There can be no freedom when judges get to choose when laws are enforced, especially when the fact they seldom enforce them means that the population ignores the fact they are passing, because they think they will never be bothered by them anyway. This leaves it open to judges and law enforcement to selectively bother people. Why isn't anyone angry that people are forced to sit in a classroom rather than being productive? Why should the schools who have alternate incentives, being paid per pupil, be able to control a responsible adult?
Considering this is a homeschool message board, it's safe to assume most of us don't agree with this particular set of laws.
Well, you know what they say about assumptions. Even among homeschoolers who were very happy to get their own children out of the system I see a propensity to take care of the poor urban children (or however they want to label them) through legislation. I seen a couple of posters on this thread who "felt sorry" for the girl. I seen a couple posters who wanted her jailed after all "it was the law" regardless of if the law is just or not. You see, to them it's a night in jail, to her it may mean not making the rent because she missed work and is probably being paid hourly. When you are pushed to the extreme just to make ends meet, one night is a heck of a long time, not that middle or upper class would have any understanding of that. Of course, I agree with you that in this case it turned out for the good of the girl but not every child's case goes viral. Most of the time they are just nameless statistics. I didn't see a single poster so far take issue with the law itself. People feel sorry for her and think she has special circumstances. Honestly, most people have "special" circumstances. Everyone's life is different and no politician or blogger or poster on a forum can know them and yet, that doesn't stop people from letting politicians make more and more rules controlling people. It is frustrating to me because I have helped those in bad circumstances and I get really really angry with upper and middle class busy bodies who are making poor, sometimes abused, children's' lives that much worse. For example, if you were trying to move out of an abusive home and live on your own, how could you do so when there are so many work regulations? Sometimes the only thing left for them is drugs or prostitution because those are the only things not regulated. When everyone is supposed to sit in a classroom all day they aren't left with many choices. It has been documented that teenagers face way more restrictions than even those getting out of prison. I will end with a quote by C.S. Lewis, "Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."
One night in jail and a criminal record now that she has to have expunged so that it doesn't affect her ability to find work in the future (I have no idea the time or expense involved in it but I doubt it's cheap or quick).
