Who is the real parent?

I get a real kick out of letters to the editor, especially the titles which the editors will choose for the letters. Today's Des Moines Regiser has a letter titled "Government isn't our parent." That's cute. The title is inspired by the letter's lines, "It's time we all take responsibility for the decisions we make. The government is not our mommy and daddy, always there to pick us up and make it all better when we fall or to give us what we want when we act like spoiled brats."

Where do we begin? I find it funny when people write about personal responsibility. These tend to be the same people who blame Hollywood and school teachers for the problems they have with their children. They want YOU to take responsibilty, but don't you dare try to hold them accountable.

I enjoy the last part, too, of the writer's letter. "The gov't is not our mommy and daddy, always there to . . . give us what we want when we act like spoiled brats." My parents never would have given me what I wanted had I behaved like a spoiled brat. In fact that kind of behavior was an invitation for loads of extra work around the house, in the yard, or at the nearest coal mine. My parents sent very clear messages. And I try to thank them for that as often as I can.

But the fact is that we as a nation are spoiled brats. Spoiled by the ecxesses we have been led to believe are our rights. And the letter writer is correct, our government is not our mommy and daddy. Our government is our child. And we as a nation have failed to take care of that child, who has run off with a bad crowd caught in a maelstrom of greed and favoritism. The time has come to discipline the child.