Jeb Bush Believes Unwed Mothers Should Be Publically Shamed...

Rational Nation USA
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More reasons to question why one should even consider voting for Jeb Bush for president in 2016 (or ever) should he nominated by republicans.

Huffington Post - Public shaming would be an effective way to regulate the “irresponsible behavior” of unwed mothers, misbehaving teenagers and welfare recipients, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) argued in his 1995 book Profiles in Character.

In a chapter called "The Restoration of Shame,” the likely 2016 presidential candidate made the case that restoring the art of public humiliation could help prevent pregnancies “out of wedlock.”


"One of the reasons more young women are giving birth out of wedlock and more young men are walking away from their paternal obligations is that there is no longer a stigma attached to this behavior, no reason to feel shame. Many of these young women and young men look around and see their friends engaged in the same irresponsible conduct. Their parents and neighbors have become ineffective at attaching some sense of ridicule to this behavior. There was a time when neighbors and communities would frown on out of wedlock births and when public condemnation was enough of a stimulus for one to be careful.


Bush points to Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1850 novel The Scarlet Letter, in which the main character is forced to wear a large red "A" for "adulterer" on her clothes to punish her for having an extramarital affair that produced a child, as an early model for his worldview. "Infamous shotgun weddings and Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter are reminders that public condemnation of irresponsible sexual behavior has strong historical roots,” Bush wrote.

As governor of Florida in 2001, Bush had the opportunity to test his theory on public shaming. He declined to veto a very controversial bill that required single mothers who did not know the identity of the father to publish their sexual histories in a newspaper before they could legally put their babies up for adoption. He later signed a repeal of the so-called "Scarlet Letter" law in 2003 after it was successfully challenged in court.

Bush's ideas about public shaming extended beyond unwed parents. He said American schools and the welfare system could use a healthy dose of shame as well. “For many, it is more shameful to work than to take public assistance -- that is how backward shame has become!” he wrote, adding that the juvenile criminal justice system also "seems to be lacking in humiliation."



"In the context of present-day society we need to make kids feel shame before their friends rather than their family. The Miami Herald columnist Robert Steinback has a good idea. He suggests dressing these juveniles in frilly pink jumpsuits and making them sweep the streets of their own neighborhoods! Would these kids be so cavalier then?"

It might have been 20 years ago but even the slightest possibility Jeb may still thinks this way is enough to disqualify him IMV.

Continue reading article BELOW THE FOLD.

Via: Memeorandum

Comments

  1. Maybe he should wear a big scarlet S for stupid.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wonder if Jeb! thinks the Banksters and Wall Street gamblers and crooks who nearly wrecked this country financially in 2008 should be publicly shamed for the pain and suffering they caused? It's always easier to go after unwed mothers, isn't it? Even though the one percenters cause more damage.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You left out Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the FED (whose easy money policy and artificially low interest rates led to the boom in the first instance), those 3 government sponsored ratings agencies, all of those doltish Congressmen who refused to say, boo, to Franklin Raines, etc........And it isn't Jeb Bush who you should be asking these questions to but Eric Holder who evidently didn't think that he had the goods on these "banksters".

      Delete
  3. Yeah Jerry, that thought crossed my mind as well. Even though I don't really care for using stupid. So I settle on ignorant.

    I have always been annoyed by the term one presenters (1%'ers) as I am with most cliches' . Bur yes Shaw I agree, plublic shaming the shysters and banksters would've been welcome and appropriate. Educating people so as not to make foolish mortgage decisions that shysters push would be great too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And end the CRA, Fannie and Freddie, and any other government agency that encourages/forces/supports bad loans should happen too, Les.

      But not wanting to be off topic. Whatever Jeb's opinion is, it has no place in law, and should never have. The "very controversial bill" he supported was a form of corporate welfare, too: forcing people to pay stiff newspaper advertising fees.

      Or we could make a deal with Jeb.... Jeb, why don't you publish your sexual history first before you ask this of any other?

      Shame on Jeb.

      Delete
    2. What does he think of having politicians having to wear a scarlet 'p'?

      Delete
  4. I have not heard anyone speak of this yet, but the reason for requiring single mothers who did not know the identity of the father to publish their sexual histories in a newspaper before they could legally put their babies up for adoption could be so that fathers who wanted their children could step forward. Although these fathers could be contacted without shaming the women. No surprise that this law was challenged in court.

    As for corporate welfare by way of "forcing people to pay stiff newspaper advertising fees", I would guess that this was not a consideration AT ALL of those who wrote the legislation or of those who voted for it.

    Anyway, the days of the Social Conservative politician discriminating against their fellow Americans being helpful in getting them elected is drawing to a close. The GOP will have to change on this matter or die. Also, this example of Jeb shaming women is but one example of the Republican war on women. As I recall at least one commenter here holds the opinion that this war is a "made up" political strategy of the Democrats, but I think this proves that person wrong.

    Government agencies that encourage/force/support bad loans? I am unaware of any existing. This is a bogus RW talking point, IMO. Some may think this idea qualifies as an "old bone", in fact.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mentioning government regulations encouraging the banking collapse as I did, in passing, was not an "old bone". It was not intended as any sort of new volley in a grudge war someone so desperately wants. It wasn't aimed at anyone in particular, for sure. There is a strong, factual basis for my assertion (or I would not have made it), and it is not any sort of "RW talking point". However, I am not taking the bait, and this is not the place to discuss this.

    I will agree with Mr. Sanders that corporate welfare to newspapers was probably not a consideration at all. It is just an unfortunate side effect, in my view.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I know. If you bring up a bogus RW talking point it is only an "old bone" if I object to you tossing it out unchallenged. This has absolutely nothing to do with me desperately wanting squat. The issue is your claim that there is a "strong factual basis" for what you say... When there is not... And then BS accusations of "old bones" being levied if someone dares to point this out.

      You were the one who did the baiting. There would be nothing for me to respond to if you had not tossed out your bait... A reference to something that has nothing to do with this discussion.

      Delete
  6. ...this is not the place to discuss this.

    You brought it up.

    ReplyDelete

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