The Line

As usual, click on the title for the article link.

There is a plan in Australia to radically approach the issue of child sexual abuse with in aboriginal communities. The plan calls for seizing control of a portion of the territory and forcing people getting government assistance to spend a portion of the assistance on essentials like food. All of this is designed to curb alcoholism and child sexual abuse.

Since I don't know anything about Australian culture, I'm forced to respond to this based on the experiences and knowledge I do have. I understand that native groups in the USA have similar problems with poverty, substance abuse, crime, and child abuse. I also understand that there is a universal need to have governments address issues of public safety and crime, the world over.

In the USA, we already have a system in which public assistance recipients must spend a portion of their assistance on food - it's called food stamps and WIC. In fact, in the USA, many folks can't help but eyeball the food purchases of food stamp recipients for quality.

But, how much can you legislate good behavior? Does a largely outside government force have the right to walk in to a community and impose their values? How much does it matter if we agree or disagree with those values? Would we see forced participation in any particular religion more difficult than forced sobriety? How much authority does a democratic government really have to "take over"?