[Alive]

Quote by: Chancellor See, that's your problem: you assume things.

Actually, assume was a bad word. I am assuming nothing. You asserted that parents should have absolute power over their children. That logically implies that parents should be able to abuse their child: Torture, molest, rape, kill; all of those fall under what you said. My "assume" was only placed there because I am not sure you fully believe what you yourself said. Do you?

What constitutes abuse?

Let's go with what I said above. Should parents be able to rape their children? Should they be able to kill them?

"Parental control" and "welfare of children" are not contrary to one another.

Perhaps not in some cases. But honestly, I know people who have studied child abuse in great detail, and I can tell you that very often parental control and welfare of children are very much contrary to one another!

Children are neither physically nor emotionally capable of ruling themselves. What do you propose, that parents who pop out a bunch of joeys leave them to fend for themselves?

No, I am proposing that the state ensures a reasonable standard of living for all children under its jurisdiction. And that parents who continually abuse their ability to have children without ability to care for them be prevented from further abusing that capability.