Today I came across two different stories in the news that made me recall the nine most frightening words in the english language according to Ronald Reagan, those being "I'm from the government and I'm here to help."

The first story was about the FDA approval of the sale of the Plan B morning after birth control pill without a prescription to women 18 years or older.  The story was reported with the breathless enthusiasm that is de rigueur for the mainstream media.  The news drone talked about how this move by the FDA is the culmination of a long struggle to ensure that women had control of their own reproductive health.  It then cut to a sound bite from your garden variety feminist who claimed this ruling as a minor victory but that the fight will go on to ensure that the minimum age is dropped. 

As I researched the story online I read who the pharmaceutical company that manufactures the Plan B pill is pushing to get the minimum age dropped to 16 or possible 14.  I also learned that in order to by this 'miracle' pill over the counter, the purchaser only needs to provide proof of age.  So in reality, the minimum age part of the requirement is not important because just like with the purchase of beer or cigarettes, under age consumers can always find a willing adult to make the purchase.  So the pharmaceutical company and the pro-abortion folks get their wish after all, that being a parallel increase in profits and terminated pregnancies.  Of course, the fact that health professionals believe that the reproductive systems of women under the age of 18 may not have developed enough to accept this drug without damaging side affects but at least the profits and the abortion rates go up.

The second story was about how a group of concerned bureaucrats are pushing to have all playgrounds made safer.  A noble pursuit indeed.  But in the same story I read how these same well-meaning government drones are also behind the elimination of tag and dodgeball in school also.  It seems that tag promotes violence and aggression and that dodgeball promotes bullying.  I imagine that the next step is to take a page from an elementary school in New Zealand that I heard about a few years ago that had a zero tolerance policy in regards to weapons that included the kiddies using their fingers to simulate a gun!

When I was a kid (some years ago I might add) I played in a playground that was a deathtrap compared to the ones my daughter plays on and I survived.  I got some bumps and scratches (as did the little girls I played with) and we not only survived but we learned how to play without hurting ourselves again.  While I think it is tragic that the story I read about the safe playgrounds stated that last year there were 200,000 playground related deaths, I would love to know how many of those were due to kids playing unsupervised on equipment that they were to young for.  And as for dodgeball, I was not that good in the beginning but I got better and so will all of the kids who play.  And if any of you who played prison dodge, you will attest that just because you got out it did not mean that you could not still play and win.

And when I got older my friends and I new that while scoring with a young lady was the main focus in our teen years (aside from arguing who was better, the Mets or the Yankees) we also knew that if we got the young lady in the family way there would be major hell to pay so we kept it in control until we were older and wiser.  Unfortunately, the same government who seeks to protect our children in their early years from the teeter totter of death also wants to assure our children that in their teen years the possibly dangerous solution to an unwanted teen pregnancy is a willing adult (and you don't have to be related) away.