States Rights and Child Abuse

I have spoken out about Coach Joe Pa's and Mike McQueary's  lack of morality by not contacting the police themselves about Coach Sandusky's depravity towards children.  I feel that it should be felony to not report someone you witness abusing a child.  Apparently in most states it is a misdemeanor, including in Pennsylvania.  That is something that is tragic.  People should be writing letters to the state legislators and pushing them to make the laws against this stronger.  So in walks Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey.  He is introducing legislation in the U.S. Senate to require all states to beef up their laws and make the failure to report a felony.  One may say that is a good thing.  But it isn't.  


This is yet one more example of the federal government usurping the rights of states.  Child abuse is not a federal issue.  This is an issue that is better dealt with on the local and state levels.  No where in the constitution does the federal government have the right to dictate to states what type of punishments they should be doling out for criminal acts.  The law will be forced on the states.  How do they get around the lack of jurisdiction?  They do it with money.  The legislation will hold back social services money that is granted to the states by the federal government.  Another words Medicaid and schip payments.  All the little things that the federal government pass laws and force the states to give it's citizens without any regards to the budgets of the states.  In order to help states pay for these little goodies that they force upon them, they give them federal tax dollars to help offset the costs.  


The federal government forced the drinking age to be raised in this same fashion.  They had no constitutional ability to mandate a federal drinking age, but they forced the states to raise the age by holding back money if they didn't comply.  In the mid 80's every state across the country raised their legal drinking age to 21.  It didn't matter that states may have felt that 18, 19, or 20 was something that was good for their citizens.  


It does not matter that the law may be a good thing.  It is the way that the federal government is bribing states with large amounts of money to force their will upon them.  Write a letter to your Senators and explain to them being against this bill doesn't make you pro child abuse.  It makes you pro tenth amendment.  


Stand up to the likes of Senator Menedez and his belief that the federal government has the right to bribe states into following their will.  This isn't about child abuse or drunk driving.  This is about rights of the states.  The federal government has no place in state laws.  If you feel that your state should make the failure to report a felony, contact your governor and state senator.  






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