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| Fed Bashing Out of Line
by John M. Curtis Copyright October 22, 2000
Religious and secular cults are all too common in today’s America where charismatic leaders recruit vulnerable misanthropes into their ranks. While doomsday cults like the Branch Davidians or Heaven's Gate steal the headlines, insidious family cults remain virtually unchecked. If federal, state and local laws protecting children were not in place, there would be no legal means for law enforcement to step in. When mental illness remains untreated, innocent children suffer from parents’ tyrannical control. Respecting parents’ rights or local control has nothing to do with applying uniform laws to prevent child abuse. Preventing dangerous and destructive behavior—even where well-meaning parents take bizarre liberties—is a worthy goal. Whether promising salvation, immortality or utopian parenting, the government must have the means to control unbalanced groups or individuals stepping outside acceptable norms. Quoting chapter and verse from the Book of Proverbs, "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently," said Davis with religious intensity. Their two sons were found by San Bernadino County authorities severely malnourished and developmentally retarded, with the 17-year old, Yahweh, looking like a 10-year old and the 12-year old, Angel, appearing like a 5-year old. Discovered by child abuse investigators with whip marks on their backs and shackle scrapes on their wrists, the boys showed evidence of torture, false imprisonment, and child cruelty. Unable to bathe, the boys were routinely hosed down like animals. Neighbors reportedly observed the boys eating wildflowers because they were starving and malnourished. Without prevailing laws, parents could conceivably get away with incest, rape, torture and murder—all in the name of God or good old-fashioned discipline. Abandoning federal responsibility places far too much burden on states, municipalities, and, yes, families to set prevailing standards. From the obscure desert region of 29 Palms to the backward hills of Appalachia, to other rural and urban communities across America, local control doesn’t always translate into acceptable standards of behavior. Regional peculiarities—known euphemistically in some areas as 'small town' charm—require external standards and, yes, federal control. While trashing federal programs is a popular trend, just imagine health care, pharmaceuticals, education, highways, law enforcement and countless other areas of American life without federal control. Before federalism, the states and local communities had ultimate say, despite their quirkiness and peculiarities. Federal standards raise the bar for local communities whose own ways of doing things doesn’t measure up. What works in Coeur d’Alene or other obscure parts of the country won’t necessarily work in America’s great metropolitan centers. Sure, politicians like to fantasize about the values of the 'heartland,' but all need uniform standards and guidelines. Contrary to the prevailing wisdom, Congress doesn’t enact legislation to usurp local control, they pass laws to protect the health, safety and welfare of all Americans—regardless of region. Politicians go over the top when they rail against federal control. Without federal laws, local communities—including law enforcement—are not focused on protecting constitutional rights. While it’s easy to blame the federal government for America’s ills, local communities sometimes ignore national standards, believing that local ways supersede national guidelines. With local communities harboring passionate beliefs about creation, abortion, race, religion, polygamy, homosexuality, and other hot-button issues, it’s easy for local officials to step out of line. Federal standards protect citizens against arbitrary and capricious authorities exercising poor judgment on matters of public import. With the Davis case mentioned above, they were absolutely convinced that they were doing the right thing for their children. After they were arrested and charged with felony child endangerment and abuse, the Davis’ were righteously unrepentant, "God will set us free. You don’t think God can get us out of here? It’s God that put us in here, and it’s God that’s going to get us out." With aberrant thinking like this, having federal guidelines isn’t a bad idea. Preserving local autonomy and control represents a great goal for small communities around America. But when police departments go awry, they must answer to a higher authority. Tough as it is to swallow, police departments must surrender local control when they violate the public trust and federal civil right’s laws. When Gov. George W. Bush criticizes the White House for having no controlling legal authority, he needs to reconsider the effect of reducing the size and influence of the federal establishment. Eliminating vital departments like the Department of Education or Energy makes good press but offers few practical solutions. Oversight is an essential feature to federal authority by raising uniform standards across state lines where none exist. It’s not anti-American to welcome federal controls, it’s part of vast movement toward cultural uniformity. Sure, certain states have individual quirks, but federal standards protect all citizens against the arbitrariness of local control. Acknowledging local and regional differences, but also accepting national standards, strengthens American democracy by establishing unambiguous guidelines. Trashing Washington and perpetuating idealistic myths about local control offers little practical help. About the Author John M. Curtis is editor of OnlineColumnist.com. He’s also the director of a West Los Angeles think tank specializing in human behavior, health care and political research and media consultation. He’s a seminar trainer, columnist and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma. |
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hackling their two sons to a bench in their bedroom, 42-year old Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Carrie Davis and her 53-year old husband John "Rajohn Lord" Davis used dog chains, locks, and wire to discipline their children. Violating federal, state and local child abuse laws, the clueless parents claimed to be providing their boys obedience training during bible study. Justifying their abuse, "It was mostly just a psych job," reflected Ms. Davis, "I love those children with all my heart . . .We’re not a typical American household." Proving that kookiness has no limits, have they no shame? Excusing neglect and abuse by hiding behind the bible, Mr. & Mrs. Davis showed pathological thinking and abysmal deficits as parents. After his handcuffing by San Bernadino police, Potts, a friend of the Davis’, flashed his cards, "I’ve been persecuted. I’m in chains, but they did this to Jesus . . . I heard they’ve been saying we are a cult. If that’s true, everybody who believes in Jesus is part of a cult."|
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