I’m not much of a government intrusion type of guy. I prefer a live and let live lifestyle. Especially in areas I believe the government has no business in whatsoever. It is with much regret I have to even consider it, but I think it’s time for a parenting license.

Before you start burning me in effigy, hear me out. What I’m advocating is parents taking responsibility for their role as a parent. Maybe that needs a legal description. Let’s start there.

A parent’s responsibility is to clothe, feed and shelter their child. Thats level one. The higher levels include seeking out an education for the child. It also involves raising your child with your chosen morals, values, ethics and beliefs. You notice I didn’t say “proper” or “society’s” in that description? That’s because I still believe in individual rights and the ability to worship as you please. I also believe in cultural distinctions.

In the traditional nuclear family, mom and dad were married and raised their children together. It was also common for dad to go to work, and mom stay at home with the kids. This allowed more time for the children to be around their parents and learn from them before entering school.

It was a good system, but as society changed, so did the family structure. The most dominant factor, in my opinion, is the increased cost of living. That necessitated mothers joining the workforce. In order to make ends meet, both parents have to work now. The slap in the face for all that effort is that the American dream has now devolved from the house in the country with a white picket fence, to an apartment downtown that you can consistently make the rent.

Then you have the social movements. The hippies and sexual revolution, the selfishness of the 80s and beyond. Really, selfishness is the key characteristic of the decline of the family structure.

Welfare used to be a responsibility of the church and community. As less people go to church and no one gives a rip about the rest of their community, that responsibility was blindly given to the government. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Sure, the government will give you the goods, but it will cost you in regulations, laws, policies and oversight you never wanted.

As selfish Americans combined their behavior with laziness, the government got more control over them. My example? A single mother on welfare receives more money and benefits from the agency the more kids she has. Want more money? Pop out another kid and extend your increased benefits.

Any officer that has patrolled a government (welfare) housing area will all tell you the same description. Obese single mothers sitting on their front porch with a cigarette in their mouth, drink in hand, while talking on their latest edition cell phone. In the driveway will be a brand-new car that not even the patrolling officer can afford. The current crop of benefit producers will be running around unsupervised.

At the grocery store, the same group will be loading their carts with steak and lobster and all the finer things in life. I’ve seen it firsthand. My wife and I were picking the shelves for mark-downs and house brands to feed our family. In front of us in the checkout line was an obese lady with two carts full of tasty name-brand goodies, including the steaks and lobster we only dreamed of. At the end of the transaction, she whips out the good ol’ EBT card to pay for it all. And then she gets cash from the same card to purchase her cigarettes and alcohol. Hundreds of dollars spent, as compared to the measly budget of $100 for my then family of four.

Enough of the baseline. We all understand where I’m coming from with this. Let’s move on with the proposed solution to my rant.

In order to properly prepare a child for life as an adult, there are numerous expenses involved. No need to list them, the expenses never end. As a father of three, believe me, it never ends… Obviously, a credit check can make sure you’re able to manage your finances.

I also believe it takes two parents to raise a child. There must be balance in your agreed upon parenting approach. The good cop/bad cop approach, if you will.

There must also be evidence the parents will pass on appropriate values to their children. How do you create a measurable set of standards to define that? Well, how about conviction records? Education records? Job history? All these elements are good enough for background checks to rent your downtown apartment. Why can’t the be elements for consideration in becoming a parent? My argument? Try adopting a child. The hoops you have to jump through to gain Big Brother’s permission to adopt a child make Top Secret security clearances look like something you’d get out of a crackerjack box. So you see? There’s already a precedent set by the government for parenting standards.

Think about this. A parent is raising the future of this country. Shouldn’t we have at least the same standards for raising our future that we do for purchasing a firearm?

It has become an accepted social norm for single mothers to have multiple children with multiple fathers. Those households are statistically factories for future criminals.

Have single mothers raised decent kids? Absolutely!!! But, should a lady have to be a single mother in the first place? Absolutely not. Too many fathers are getting away with no consequences to their actions. Make it illegal and absolutely hammer the first offenders. That will send a clear message to anyone else considering being a deadbeat.

We can give our children a better start in life, and better chance to succeed in that life, by ensuring the environment they grow up in is conducive to raising a child.

Quit relying on others to raise YOUR child. That’s how the school districts have gotten out of control and disregarding of your authority as a parent. It is now the majority of parents that rely on the schools to raise their children for them. This is why parents like me are constantly at odds with the school districts. The schools should focus on educating your kids, and you should be raising them.

Hence, the parenting license. Make it the law of the land. If you wish to have a child, you must first obtain a parenting license that proves you have the cognitive and financial ability to raise that child. Why not add endorsements to the license? Want another child, get another endorsement proving you are qualified for an additional child.

A child is a precious gift that must be given every opportunity to grow into a responsible adult. If we want an enduring society, we need fit parents to produce it. Fit, licensed parents.