The Left Coast: Lieber Returns

California Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, D-Mountain View, is at it again - working hard, earning her money by proposing redundant legislation to make herself and perhaps her constituents feel like they have hearts of gold. They’re defending those who cannot defend themselves, dammit! Someone’s got to do it, right?

Um, Sally… hello; somebody already has. You remember Lieber, she’s the one that proposed legislation that would make it a misdemeanor to spank children under four. She referred to spanking as “beating” and her now aborted attempt to legislate against it would save our kids from their parents who just don’t know how to raise a child. Lieber, who I am sure would be the perfect parent if she had any children, knows what is best for us.

Her proposal met with immediate and overwhelming opposition. That should surprise no one, but apparently it caught Lieber off-guard. It would appear that she is not the type to admit defeat and move on. No, now she has proposed yet another bill that would define certain acts of violence against children as illegal and punishable by up to $1,000 and/or one year in jail. A judge could also sentence the offender to parenting class.

This all sounds perfectly reasonable. Who would be in favor of throwing and kicking children or hitting a child with a cord? There are one or two problems with her measure. The first should be obvious: These things are already illegal, and in the more extreme cases they are felonies punishable by far more than parenting class. This measure is a waste of taxpayer dollars and the Assembly’s time. There are much, much bigger Californian fish to fry.

The greater issue is Lieber’s not very hidden agenda. She has some kind of problem allowing parents to raise their children as they see fit. Actually, she has no problem as long as you do it her way - and in her mind spanking is child abuse. It’s just that black and white… she said it herself. The fact that her previous proposal met with such universal opposition has not dissuaded her at all. I am certain that parenting is not the only thing we don’t know anything about.

Thank God we have Lieber providing us better living through legislation. Perhaps Lieber can just write the book - and pass it into law - so that we’ll all live happily ever after, or else. What kind of dream world does she live in and how in the world does this kind of nut get elected to the Assembly? The bright side? Two year terms. Mountain View, are you listening?