Legislating Common Sense

With the verdict and sentencing now in for Casey Anthony, Florida is now considering a law that makes it a felony to knowingly lie to police. While on the face it sounds like a good idea, how do you prove it. Liars by their very nature try to be as convincing as possible. Look at Susan Smith who killed her two sons and had the nation believing that a black man had carjacked her and drove her SUV into the lake. When in fact she did it herself.

You cannot legislate for common sense. You cannot legislative against being stupid. People will try to lie their way out of any situation to protect themselves from the consequences of that situation. Our politicans do it every day. Corporate raiders do it every time they buy a company with the intent of breaking it up and selling the pieces for a profit.

Also putting a another law on the books is no guarantee that it wouldn't happen again and again. Oh but this time there would be a penalty, you say. Well there are penalties for driving drunk and driving without a license. But people do it on a regular basis and are being caught on a regular basis.

The problem is that our children and young people are not being taught that actions have consequences. Until that happens other children will continue to be killed by the very people that should be protecting them.