With this proposal, Virginia's conservative legislators intend to show their faith in the efficacy of government:
A Virginia legislator is proposing castrating sex offenders as an alternative to the increasing costs to detain and treat them after they've served their prison sentences.
Republican Sen. Emmett Hanger's bill would require the state to study the use of physical castration as an alternative to civil commitment for sexually violent predators. A similar proposal was vetoed four years ago.
The civil commitment program's budget grew from $2.7 million in 2004 to $24 million this year. Gov. Bob McDonnell has proposed spending nearly $70 million over the next two years to meet the increasing demands.
Sen. Hanger joins many of his conservative colleagues in their complete and utter faith in the state and its institutions. Sure, they might oppose government efforts to alleviate poverty or guarantee health insurance, but when it comes to the power of life and death -- or at least personal autonomy -- they trust that the government will make the right choice in every circumstance. In their mind, as far as I can tell, there is no chance of state error, and the possibility of misuse is so slim as to be nonexistent.
For my part, I'm a little skeptical of state power. Still, I can't help but admire Sen. Hanger --a friend of the Virginia Tea Party -- and his total faith in the rightness of government.
-- Jamelle Bouie
