One of the most common political refrains I’ve heard here in Utah—and honestly across much of the United States—is the familiar cry:

“Think of the children.”

It’s a powerful phrase. It’s also one of the most overused.

The unfortunate reality is that many of the people who invoke it aren’t really talking about children at all. They’re talking about controlling behaviors they personally dislike. “Think of the children” becomes a convenient shield for legislating morality instead of simply admitting, “I don’t like this, and I don’t think adults should do it.”

I spent about twenty minutes discussing this with Mitch McConnell yesterday, and he agreed completely.

…Sorry.

I couldn’t resist.

Apparently everyone else is making questionable jokes this week, and I was running late.

The “think of the children” argument is often used to justify restrictions on things that adults can legally do. Here in Utah, it frequently aligns with the values of the state’s dominant religion, extending well beyond protecting minors and into regulating adult behavior.

Alcohol.

Sex.

Pornography.

Anything that falls outside a particular moral framework.

Let me be perfectly clear: I absolutely agree that minors should not be drinking alcohol or viewing pornography. Age restrictions exist for good reasons, and children deserve parents who are actively involved in their lives.

But that’s where the conversation should begin—not where it should end.

A few years ago Utah passed a law requiring adult websites to verify the age of anyone accessing them from within the state. Whether you agreed with the law or not, the practical result was predictable.

People started using VPNs.

That’s hardly some underground criminal conspiracy. Millions of people use VPNs every day for privacy, cybersecurity, work, travel, or even to access streaming libraries available in other countries. They’re a normal part of the modern internet.

So lawmakers responded by trying to regulate the workaround.

At some point you have to ask whether the goal is actually protecting children or simply making it more difficult for consenting adults to engage in legal activities.

Because those are two very different goals.

Ironically, Utah has repeatedly ranked near the top in various reports measuring online pornography consumption. Whether every statistic is perfect is beside the point—the lesson is obvious.

Prohibition has never been particularly good at eliminating demand.

People determined to find something usually find it.

That’s been true since long before the internet.

No amount of legislation has ever completely prevented minors from accessing material they weren’t supposed to see. Good parenting, open communication, education, and supervision have always been far more effective than pretending another law will magically solve the problem.

The larger issue isn’t pornography.

It’s the growing habit of confusing personal morality with public policy.

If your religion teaches that you shouldn’t do something, then don’t do it.

That’s how faith works.

But saying, “My religion prohibits this, therefore no one else should be allowed to do it,” is an entirely different proposition.

Our government should protect rights, enforce laws, and keep people safe—not become everyone’s moral chaperone.

Frankly, our elected officials have enough trouble managing the basics without trying to manage every aspect of our personal lives.

One of the reasons I enjoy the Wasteland so much is that nobody has time to micromanage everyone else’s existence.

The Great War was the ultimate equalizer.

Nobody cares what website you visited yesterday when they’re trying to find clean water today.

People focus on survival.

On family.

On neighbors.

On helping each other.

The Golden Rule tends to work remarkably well out there.

Treat others the way you’d want to be treated.

And if they don’t…

Well…

You can always nuke their camp.

The modern world could probably learn something from that—not the nuclear part, obviously.

If you truly want to protect children, then be present in their lives.

Talk to them.

Teach them.

Guide them.

Know who their friends are.

Know what they’re watching.

Know what they’re struggling with.

That’s parenting.

Trying to regulate every adult in society under the banner of “protecting the children” isn’t parenting.

It’s outsourcing responsibility.

I’m an adult.

I don’t need strangers managing my private life under the assumption that they know what’s best for me.

I’d rather spend my energy taking care of the people I love.

My dog is child-free.

My mom was actively involved in raising me.

Those two influences probably taught me more about responsibility than any legislature ever could.

Be the kind of person your dog and your mom hope you are.