Government Rights in Homes - Assignment Example

It is the obligation of society to prevent children from being exploited, abused, or exposed to drugs, pornography, and firearms in peoples' private homes. These children will grow into adults and become a part of mainstream society. In addition to the duty that society has to the children to protect them, it is also a self-serves society and protects it against future aberrations. A recent case at the Yearning for Zion Ranch in San Angelo Texas has sparked a controversy over excessive government intrusion when authorities took over 400 children into state custody due to suspected child abuse.

Judge Walther, who presided over the case made it clear that, "her decision was preliminary and that "a safe environment" for the children was paramount, now and in the future" (Johnson & Dougherty, 2008). The government was taking responsible action to assure that the children were being shielded from harm. The government was simply exercising its obligation to the children. A judicial system that works protects people from an over invasive government's right to know what goes on in private homes.

The government's right has not eliminated our nation's treasured individual liberty. In fact, that liberty and freedom only extend to the point we do no harm to others or society. When it is judged that the person is obeying the law, or at least doing no harm, the case runs its course through our deliberate system of law. Recently the 460 children were returned to the Yearning for Zion Ranch but, "The judge in the case also imposed a lengthy list of caveats pending the conclusion of the investigation, including surprise home visits by caseworkers, possible psychiatric evaluations of the children and a ban on travel outside Texas" (Johnson & Kovach, 2008).

This is not the rule of a government gone astray. This is a judicial system that is cautiously protecting the rights of the children and society's best interests. For decades and centuries, critics have been warning the public that we are vulnerable to too much control by the intrusion of the government into our private homes. George Orwell's book 1984 is the archetypical fear that people have of the government's right to examine our private lives. Orwell describes life in 1984 and says, "There was, of course, no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment.

How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork" (p.3). The book was written over 50 years ago, the year 1984 has come and gone, and we still do not have the Thought Police. We have a conscientious society that is dedicated to protecting the lives of children and serving the functional needs of society. The fears that Americans will over-react, or the government will over-respond, are baseless and have not proved to be the case. In conclusion, the government not only has a right to know what goes on in peoples' homes, but they also have an obligation to find out.

The lives of children are at stake and it is in the best interest of society to protect this vulnerable segment of our society.