Fed Up Fridays: Strict Laws for Bad Parenting?

In light of the Casey Anthony case, one question rises to the forefront: should there be strict laws for bad parenting?

Casey Anthony left her parents’ home with her two year-old daughter and came back 31 days later without her and had no plausible explanation for her disappearance.

It took investigators nearly five months to find Caylee’s remains in a wooded area near the Anthony home. She was charged with first degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter of a child, and four counts of providing false information to police. A few weeks ago she was found guilty of the misdemeanor charges of lying to the cops and received credit for time served, a $1,000 fine and has already been released from prison.

In June, Andre Muller started a fight with two garage attendants over a bottle of cologne he said was missing from his car. His son, 19-year-old Isayah, came to his defense and was stabbed to death during the brawl. He had just graduated from high school a few hours earlier.

At a recent baseball game, a mother pummeled her two children in front of other parents crowded into the bleachers to watch their sons. The kids had been running and throwing clumps of dirt at each other.

“Are you doing laundry when we get home?” she asked the boy who looked to be about four. “Why would you just stand there and let him throw dirt at you?”

This question was directed to her daughter, who looked to be about two. When I rose from my seat to say something, a team dad pulled me back down. He then asked the mother if he could buy the kids ice cream cones. She graciously said yes. Other parents muttered, shook their heads and sent lots of sympathy looks to the pair who were sniffling and licking vanilla ice cream and tears.

Obviously, the above are just examples of bad parenting. And it goes to show:this country has got to a better job of protecting its most vulnerable citizens--our children--from those that would do them harm.

One way to do that would be to do a better job of educating parents. If we have to get licenses for everything else--from driving a car to using Microsoft software--there should be an Office of Responsible and Loving Parenting where applicants interested in having and/or raising children would have to undergo a series of classes, a battery of tests and plethora of interviews before they could receive their license to parent. There would be ongoing support and resources and workshops. Intervention would not come after it was too late, which is after a child is found malnourished, beaten, abused or dead. 

The other option would be to let a room full of their peers do unto them as they have done unto their children. I’m not saying it’s right. Just wondering if that would be a more effective catalyst in curbing what can universally be seen as bad parenting. To me, it definitely seems that there should be more strict laws surrounding parenting.

What do you think should be done in these instances of bad parenting, such as instances where parents abuse their children outright?