Article regarding curfews in York

Here's a link to a few articles in which I am quoted. Although the reporter did a decent job of covering the issue, she included "research findings" reported by police departments in the same way she presented peer reviewed, controlled research.

The results she cited don't show how curfews work - they show how PROGRAMS work to involve teens in activities, and that reduces crime. It's not about the curfews. It's about getting the teens engaged and involved. You know, what the schools are supposed to be doing....

http://yorkdispatch.inyork.com/yd/search/ci_9601494?IADID=Search-yorkdispatch.inyork.com-yorkdispatch.inyork.com#

http://yorkdispatch.inyork.com/ci_9601493

Larry Hicks on Curfews and Parenting

http://yorkdispatch.inyork.com/yd/search/ci_5854103?IADID=Search-yorkdispatch.inyork.com-yorkdispatch.inyork.com

Well, Mr. Hicks discusses the all important aspect of parenting to control adolescent misdeeds. Of course parents should have a stronger presense in the lives of their children - this would alleviate many issues that plague our society.

However, parents are also repeatedly told that their parental authority is not absolute. In fact, schools attempt to usurp parental rights at every turn (remember the middle school in New England that wanted to provide 11 year old girls with birth control pills?).

When schools and other government institutions repeatedly take on the role of parents, it serves to repeatedly and doggedly undermine parental authority.

The result of this unfortunate situation is that newer generations of parents enter into parenting with unclear ideas of exactly where the boundaries are - what are they "allowed" to do, what are they "responsible" for, and what are "others responsible for?"

The more we, as a society, allow schools, police, and elected officials to take over the responsibilities of parents, the more parents will give it up.

This just leaves more of a mess. We need less school involvement and more encouragement for families to pull together. We need to revolt against the tendency to have institutions dictate the upbringing of our children.

Let's spend LESS money on education - the more we throw at schools, the more we support the inadequate status quo.

Let's shuttle the money towards organizations that teach and promote cohesion in families, parenting skills, support groups for parents to learn how to manage the inevitable stress associated with parenthood.

Imagine a world in which most children feel secure and see their parents getting support and encouragement. Imagine how much more confident and prepared these children would be!

There is no amount of formal schooling that can achieve this.

Drop the curfew. It's a smoke and mirrors attempt that will have exactly zero impact on decreasing crime and truancy.

Let's REALLY and FUNCTIONALLY support parents.

Curfew idea spreading throughout county

The county wide curfew push is spreading to neighboring communities. Business owners are justifiably upset, as it places much of the responsibility for policing the curfew on their heads.

Why should a business owner be forced by governmental agencies to turn away possible business?

http://yorkdispatch.inyork.com/yd/search/ci_8890937?IADID=Search-yorkdispatch.inyork.com-yorkdispatch.inyork.com

And more discussion about the curfew in Manchester township, where reasonable people are genuinely concerned about the violation of constitutional rights that a curfew entails.

http://yorkdispatch.inyork.com/yd/search/ci_8876567?IADID=Search-yorkdispatch.inyork.com-yorkdispatch.inyork.com

Letter to the Dispatch Editor

Appearing in the York Dispatch, in response to an op-ed written by Shawn Mauck, council president of West York Boro.

http://yorkdispatch.inyork.com/yd/search/ci_8781930?IADID=Search-yorkdispatch.inyork.com-yorkdispatch.inyork.com

More media support for no day time curfew

Here is another link to the York Dispatch, arguing against another superfluous law on the books.

The author, Larry Hicks, makes some excellent points about the age restrictions during the day, and how hard it would be to adequately enforce it without needlessly detaining "legal" citizens out during the day time.
http://yorkdispatch.inyork.com/yd/viewpoints/columns/hicks/ci_8677976

Let's see more of this! And how about some good ole fashioned investigative journalism - look into the inefficacy of curfew laws, and how, when challenged in courts, some have been found to be unconstitutional.

Editorial Support for Daytime Curfew Craziness

The York Dispatch, which by the way has been doing a superior job to the York Daily Record in following the curfew issue, published an editorial arguing against the daytime curfew.

The editorial takes to task Shaun Mauck, the WY councilmember who pushed through the daytime curfew issue. His actions run counter to the current push towards uniformity across the county in ordinances.

Here is the link:

http://yorkdispatch.inyork.com/ci_8650889

Daytime Curfew - Dissolving Our Liberty

It gives me little pleasure to know that my hunch was correct - I think the city's decision to drop the daytime curfew was disingenuous.

Please refer to this evening's Dispatch article:http://yorkdispatch.inyork.com/yd/local/ci_8625104

My belief is that by passively sitting by and NOT putting pressure on neighboring municipalities to remove the day time curfew issue entirely, they are coming in the back door with this legislation.

Why, if the county is moving towards uniformity (which is theproposed reason behind this current curfew push) would the county commissioners NOT get on the phone and say, "Hey, we're all trying to be on the same page here, why lead your community down a path that isdifferent from ours?"

Unless of course the county commissioners and others WANT the daytime curfew to be part of the uniformity across the county. That's pretty much what's happened with the night time curfew - peer pressure for those communities who don't have curfews to establish ones, or for those who have more restricted hours (like the Manchester Tshp hoursof midnight to 5 AM) to have continuity across the county.

I guess it's bound to happen with day time. We have a few communities around the city with daytime curfews, maybe more down the road. What's the harm in just making it law EVERYWHERE? It would be common sense, would it not? That's the same mentality that is going on with the night time curfew right now.

Curfews are smoke and mirrors. If schools do not know where their students are, they have a bigger problem than truancy.

Why aren't parents suing schools for not keeping tabs on theircharges???

Can you imagine a day care not paying attention to their four yearolds? "We didn't realize she wasn't in class today...."

What is going on here??? Why are we allowing this to take place?

The schools are a mess, and we are all paying the price. They are fostering a sense of utter complacency in the citizens of this country.

So we all lose a bit of liberty each day. As long as so few pay attention, perhaps it doesn't actually matter....Anita