Op-Ed by Otis Lewis –
Just read the “Social Host Law.”
We have way too much government. Our County Board of Supervisors has not used good logic and judgment putting this Social Host Law on the books. This law will not solve a thing and purposely way to vague. I can see a “Law” that won’t allow an adult to provide a place and illegal substances to minors that are not their own children. The way this is written is too far reaching. This seems like a law that only law enforcement would create to further their control over private turf as a tool in their war on drugs, which is a lost cause.
Our personal residences, no way should be included, especially when I don’t condone my children’s use of illegal substances and want to correct it myself. Where are my rights? The fact that drugs are illegal doesn’t apply on my turf unless I want to call the law. Your home is your castle. If my kids and bunch of teenagers do what these kids did and I find out about it, I will handle it first. Then if I can’t get it resolved, the children punished, and there behavior changed, then I will call the law and have them prosecuted so I can give them the opportunity and force they need to get their act together.
If I tell law enforcement I want to handle it myself on my property then that should be the end of it. When anyone steps off my property and are breaking the law using drugs, alcohol or any law, then arrest them. First, I want the opportunity as a parent to correct my children’s behavior on my private turf. I want the opportunity to call the other children’s parents and get them involved with their children’s problem. Parent’s rights should prevail here.
This “Social Host Law” is just way to intrusive.
Like I said before, the war on drugs was lost a long time ago. Government should not have taken the rights of parents away to raise their own children. Using a search warrant to usurp a parent’s turf and rights are more rights parents have had stripped away.
I can see trouble ahead! This is just going to drive society’s problems more underground then they are now! I know there are stupid parents that allow their kids to use drugs and alcohol and are way to liberal. I know there are parents that use this stuff with them. Still you just can’t paint everyone with the same brush with a law and expect to create a perfect world. Never going to happen.
Eventually if these teenagers don’t stop their use of drugs and alcohol, they will break the law in a “Public Place. Arrest them there!
Big Brother needs to get off the parents back!
