Where will it all end? What destiny is this country; indeed, all of mankind, headed toward? I think those and similar questions from time to time, more frequently recently. The events and subjects eliciting those internal responses are varied while the underlying causes spring from the same roots. Reduced the lowest common denominators, the causes distill down to two things: Human Nature and Ignorance. Individually or in combination, they conspire to render the actions of many (most, if not all) well intentioned people ineffective at best; commonly creating more problems than are solved.
Take, for instance, this countries Child Protection Laws: Written and enacted by our legislature(s) in response to lobbying pressure of Political Action Committees who reputedly represented the people (electorate). Originally born of high ideals and the genuine desire to address the plight of homeless, abandon and orphaned children known as Street Urchins; children who literally live on the streets, are almost universally poorly clothed; eat poorly, often resorting to larceny to eat at all; almost never receive any education; and, whose life expectancy actually increases when remanded to the custody of the department of corrections, but only if they live long enough to be tried as an adult.
At some point child protection laws were expanded to include all children, including those living in family homes, in the lofty attempt to prevent abandonment and abuse; authorized caseworkers to intercede directly in families. At yet another time; reputedly to protect the children, laws were legislated which removed the agencies files and officers actions from public view and removed most requirements of due process. Again, the intention of those who proposed, wrote and enacted the laws were lofty, well meaning. However it was at the point the laws were expanded to address problems in a child's home that the child protection agencies officers began causing more problems then they cure.
During the last half of the twentieth century laws were passed to address what many perceived as a large social problem - casual drug use - despite the lessons that should have been learned out of a previous attempt made early in the twentieth century. Known as Prohibition, the intent was to deal with a related if not identical problems. Know as Prohibition, whatever the legislation enacted was intended to resolve, they failed; and, a number of equally, if not more, serious problems were created.
More recently, laws enacted were intended to aid law enforcement intercede in drug trafficking activities, laws which allow the seizure, confiscation and disposal of property belonging to citizens suspected of running drugs with no custodial or return requirements. As one might expect, the laws were/are used inappropriately and many innocent people have lost a staggering amount of personal property who have never been charged much less tried or convicted and cannot afford the cost of legal action it takes to have their properties returned.
Since 9/11, another well intentioned group of legislation has been enacted. Reputedly in the interest of eradication of Terrorism, which further erode the freedoms and protections this countries constitution is supposed to guarantee: