Not a single formal group but a conglomeration of every tiny special interest that wraps itself in the flag of women and children. "Think of the children" is the cry for everything from banning guns to banning free choice in food portions. The only general trait is the idea that to protect children you must treat adults as children. Mothers Against Everything is the soul and driver for the Nanny State. Their mascot is Mrs. Grundy.
"Censorship is telling a man he cannot eat steak because a baby cannot chew it." -Mark Twain.
Some of the more common guises used:
- Anti food lobbies: Be it transfats, salt, sugar, or the entire menu at McDonald's, we all need to be stopped from eating it to "protect the children" We suggest they try lunch at home instead of demanding some fast food place cater to their demands. It is called "parenting".
- Anti porn forces: These people have yet to prove the harm they are fond of shouting exists to young eyes if a single bare tit is seen in Childhood. Gee, a whole generation of breastfed babies is doomed. What ever did people do before bottles? Blindfolds? They are one of the primary protect the children by treating every one like children special interests. Yes and firmly against breastfeeding when and where the baby is hungry. Everything, especially the Internet, needs to be censored. The White Hat Computer Community is firmly against this censorship, for what ever reason. The La Leche League International will feed their babies in the restroom when they eat their meals there.
- Bubble wrap groups: This activity or that activity must be stopped because one child (theirs) got hurt doing it. These are people unwilling to accept that accidents do happen and watching out for their kids is their job. Fond of calling the cops or parents that do parent by telling the kids to play outside. Again it is called parenting, their job not our job.
- Gun control/banning: Again for the children. We will just ignore the fact that when legal guns vanish, violent crime jumps. And that in every state were "shall issue" has been made law, violent crime falls. Just ignore that.
- HUFF: Anti male, it is the only real way to put it. Less for the children but they will back anything; anti porn, anti drink, anything that controls male behavior or criminalizes the male sex drive. They are more than willing to play the for the children card.
- MADD: Mothers Against Drunk Drivers stopped being a Mother run organization years ago and is simply a special interest now that wants you arrested for driving after looking at the beer case in a 7-11, for the children.
- Woman's Christian Temperance Union: I can't make this stuff up. They are still around. Anti drink, anti porn, just anti. But for the children.
- "Pro Life": Their silence on such matters as killing doctors and capital punishment puts plain lie to their claim of protecting life. They are about the control of women, for the unborn children. Post natal you can starve kid. There is a heavy Fundie element in this category.
- Protect young eyes groups: Trying to ban various types of TV programing to make TV child safe, otherwise known as everyone boring. They managed to gut the good from children's programing in the late '70s. Never mind that TV these days isn't fit for a dog to watch. So why are they worried about it? Turn off the TV and send the kids outside! Oh, right, they would have to parent.
Reaction[]
Those for them are explained above. There are many groups and persons that are against them. These are a few.
- "The Free Range Children movement -- Pointing out that violent crime is an an all time low, and most kidnappings are by people that know the child.
- The Sentient Rights Council -- Censorship and Prohibition are firmly against the SRA. People can decide for themselves and you are violating their rights by trying to decide for them.
- The White Hat Computer Community -- As mentioned they are against information censorship of any kind. If you can censor for "Moral reasons" you can censor for political reasons. The same tools.
- Non-Christianist Religions -- The newer ones showing up are the most vocal. "Your morals are not our morals, quit shoving it down our throat. They are also using the Establishment Clause like a club.
- The Enlightenment Movement -- Their attitude is the Enlightened will know when something is harmful and will not do it. Rules are not needed.