I am a parental sovereigntist like Goethe. I think I understand just how he feels, though if I have understood him correctly, I wouldn't go quite as far. Though I believe passionately in freedom for children, I see the state as having an unavoidable role, not in imposing its own wishes, but in determining when the child can assert his own will over that of the parents. I don't believe a three-year old can often be in a position to decide whether he should brush his teeth, or accept an offer from a friendly stranger to drink champagne, have sex or go bungee-jumping. Making him take a wise and well-informed decision when he is still ignorant is exactly what parents (not the state) are for. But if his parents are to be allowed to make these decisions for him, even against his will, there has to be somebody (and who besides the law?) to determine the age at which the child can assert himself against his parents. Yes, this would be where we differ. Parental sovereignty to me is something literal and absolute. Once there is in ANY WAY a compromise such as acknowledging that a government has any say at all in one's parenting then it is no longer true parental sovereignty at all. As I said before, I am not trying to advocate some sort of universal parenting model as not only do different parents have different ideas of raising their offspring, I just don't see it my business to dictate how outsiders live. I am merely stating MY stance alone. As far as I'm concerned no government has any say whatsoever over how I raise my offspring and when I decide to bestow independence upon them. It's true that some three year olds might not be "wise enough" to make good decisions some or even all of the time. But again, whether or not MY offspring may be "ready enough" or not to make good decisions is simply of no outsider's business. It's completely a matter for ME and ME ALONE as the father of my offspring to work out for myself. If I fail to prohibit my offspring to do something that he/she consents to and the thing he/she consents to happens to be of detriment to him/her, then too bad. It is still of no outsiders business, PERIOD. |