Aaron Ford isn’t just running for governor. He wants joint custody of your children.
On Monday, Ford attacked Gov. Joe Lombardo for vetoing a bill that would have funded universal school lunches. Leave aside that students in low-income families are already eligible for free meals. So are all Clark County students. Listen to Ford’s justification.
“I won’t let our kids go hungry,” Ford wrote on X. In the accompanying video, he said, “We’re going to feed our kids.”
Notice the words Ford used: “our kids.” This should offend every parent.
Think about it this way. A couple in my neighborhood has a really big motor home. It looks like a great way to travel. I have never once thought of it as “our motor home” because it doesn’t belong to me. It’s “their motor home.” If I called it “our motor home,” my neighbors would likely view me suspiciously. It’s not appropriate to claim ownership of someone else’s property.
Children aren’t property. They are far more precious than a mere possession. Yet, the left frequently views children as a public good to be cared for by politicians such as Ford using programs such as free lunch.
“There’s a divergence in interest from parents and children,” Samuel Moyn, a law professor at Yale, said in a recent New York Times interview with Ross Douthat. Moyn continued, “I think parents generally confuse the interests of their family with the interests of their children. And part of our goal, I think as parents, but also as a society, is trying to make sure that children aren’t the hostages of their parents.”
In short, Moyn is smearing parents as hostage takers for believing they know what’s best for their own children. Many on the left would prefer politicians or government bureaucrats take on that role.
There’s an easy way for parents to test which theory is best. Ask a politician to tell you the names of your children. Have him tell you your child’s favorite toy, activity or book. See if he knows what makes your children laugh.
A politician can’t know those answers. Parents do.
Underneath the surface of these arguments is a clash of worldviews. Over the centuries, American society rested on several foundational institutions. They included marriage, the family, the church and local community. Each institution had different roles, responsibilities and levels of authority. The government has a unique role to play, too. But having it replicate those other institutions is like asking a sumo wrestler to run a marathon. It doesn’t go well.
Those on the left have a different set of assumptions. They want to consolidate power in the government. They view those institutions as obstacles to that goal and seek to undermine them. The left has been doing that successfully for many decades.
That’s what Ford is advocating for here. His plan isn’t just to help specific parents who are struggling. He wants the government to usurp a parent’s basic responsibility — feeding their children — because he thinks your kids are “our kids.”
Ford’s rhetoric isn’t just a slip of the tongue. It reveals his worldview — one that should terrify every Nevada parent.
Victor Joecks’ column appears in the Opinion section each Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Contact him at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4698. Follow
@victorjoecks on X.
