Reinhard gives us a land of the nanny state and no personal responsibility

Once upon a time in a conservative ideology far, far away there were values known as "personal responsibility". With the Republican Party having a thin grasp on power in the Oregon House, the move away from those values is long gone. The push for the government nanny state to oversee the lives of Oregonians is now underway.


Enter Oregonian conservative ideologue columnist David Reinhard with today's offering, insisting that the government monitor our kids because some in our population aren't capable of doing it themselves:

Rob Brading had a chance to stand up for children and blew it -- twice. The Democratic challenger to House Speaker Karen Minnis had a chance to champion the common-sense notion that children are different than adults and said nothing -- twice. Brading had a chance to protect kids from pornography when they're in Multnomah County public libraries and did nothing -- twice.

First, as a member of the Multnomah County Library Advisory Board, he voted for the county to join with the American Civil Liberties Union in a lawsuit against the federal Children's Internet Protection Act. It requires libraries to filter pornography from Internet access or lose federal funding. Second, after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the library's lawsuit, Brading voted to have the library stop seeking federal funds since the library would have to require filters limiting access to sites showing smut.

Toni Manning thinks Brading should be called to account for this, and it's personal. In 2004 one of her children experienced the Brading policy in action. As Manning was helping her 13-year-old daughter with a homework assignment on a library computer, her 10-year-old daughter saw the naked women a teen-ager was taking in on a nearby screen.

If Reinhard were the type that conservatives used to be, it would be Manning he'd be holding to account. The Multnomah County Library already filters computers to be used by children. Had Toni Manning followed correct library procedures, her child would never have been exposed to pornography. Instead of taking personal responsibility for her inappropriate actions, Manning is looking to cast blame for her lack of proper parenting.

Reinhard claims that "Friends for Safer Libraries" is Manning's project as well. It isn't. Its already well known that the organization is a front group for Chuck Adams and the Karen Minnis campaign.

Reinhard grudgingly admits that the group went too far in their accusations against Minnis opponent Rob Brading. But then Reinhard himself blames Brading for supporting First Amendment protections:

It's hard to believe east Multnomah County voters think there's a contradiction between the Constitution's First Amendment and adults' obligation to protect all kids, not just their own, from porn in public libraries. Minnis should certainly make an issue of Rob Brading's notions about the First Amendment and (not) protecting children. But there's no call for anyone to make him out to be a porn supporter or a raincoat-wearing pervert.

Even Reinhard can't help but make the direct connection to Minnis. Its too obvious even for him.

But he assumes that the constituents of east Multnomah County share his aversion to personal responsibility. He assumes they won't make the connection to Minnis sullying herself with Chuck Adams and his unethical mailers. And he assumes that they're too stupid to understand (even after repeated reporting) that the library already filters computers for use by children.

In other words, he assumes they're his type of conservative.