Should the government inspect private homes to ensure safety for children?

Ever heard of Covington, Georgia?

Oh yes, it was the location where "In the Heat of the Night" and "The Dukes of Hazzard" was filmed.

People say it has a nice historic district.

But Covington has a dark side. It was mentioned by Neal Boortz.

a few years ago, Covington implemented a draconian and mandatory home inspection program, obstensibly to get rid of low rent slums. But it affected everybody, including people who owned their homes. The rules were strict. Housekeeping and even the temperature in the refrigerator had to pass muster. If it didn't pass, you were thrown out of your own home. One elderly couple was, and they began living in their motor home, parked in the driveway. They were thrown out of that also. Where did they go after that? Don't know. With friends, if they had any. Otherwise, perhaps, on the streets.

I don't have a follow-up on what happened later. But my hunch was a lot of public outrage that forced the city to scrap its unconstitutional policy of violating people's private property.

MyOwnDrum said:

They're starting a program in England to improve home safety for children, and prevent accidents.

Health and safety snoops to enter family homes - Times Online



What's your opinion, is this a good idea?

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1. Its England, so they can do what they want as they define their rights differently than we do in this country.
2. I think people should be presumed innocent, so unless there has been a legal issue, than the government shouldn't get involved.

MyOwnDrum said:

They're starting a program in England to improve home safety for children, and prevent accidents.

Health and safety snoops to enter family homes - Times Online



What's your opinion, is this a good idea?

Click to expand...

They already do that here. Personally I think they should do it to Muslim and fundamentalist Christian families regularly just to make sure they aren't being religiously abused. I think that non-Christians and Muslims should receive an exempt status since other religions aren't as inclined to child abuse.

Most toddlers could be saved from injury by placing rubber pads around the edge of the coffee table and certainly around the edge of the hearth.

Yet I've never seen anyone having such protection. Things that people will do, like stair gates, medicine up high, and plastic protectors in the wall sockets should be outlined in a safety brochure that should be given to new parents.

Inspectors in my house = no, no, and no.

1984...2010

No.

Local/State governments could provide tips on child safety in a home.

But inspection is going a bit far, IMO.

Methinks a class on such might be a good idea for late high school. But really, child rearing is something you should learn from your parents, or on your own from the plethora of books on it out there if you want to raise a child (I have yet to do so).

And, really, too much safety might be a bad thing. To confining for the child, no room to explore their limits.

Good grief! Nobody is inspecting anything. Some advisory committee has suggested that maybe healthcare professionals, who are visiting anyway providing professional healthcare, could usefully educate new parents on providing a safe environment for their precious kiddies by giving tips or pointing out hazards they notice in passing, such as not leaving boiling pans on the stove with the handle sticking out where a child could grab it and scald themselves kind of thing.
If there had been inspections, they might have picked up on those two torturing brothers before they did what they did.

First your home and then your brain. Resistance is not futile.

MyOwnDrum said:

Should the government inspect private homes to ensure safety for children?

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Imagine the suffering the families will feel if some stranger from government can come and check their private homes, why they could become sterile for life as a result.