Every year a Snohomish High School class comes to the legislature as a part of their government class.

The idea is that each student is supposed to think up something that should be made against the law, then present that idea to legislators in the hopes of it actually becoming law.

This exercise is supposed to teach the students about government.

Unfortunately it teaches them precisely the wrong lessons about government. They learn that it is OK for people to be made into criminals on a whim. They learn that whenever a problem arises in life it is best to look to government to solve that problem. They learn that there are no moral limits to the power of government.

Young people should be learning that government power is a negative in our world. That individuals have rights that must be fought for and protected. That law must always be minimized, never maximized.

I fear that these students are learning to be young totalitarians, not young citizens.