From: Absalom Birai date Mon, Oct 19, 2009 at 1:05 PM

I have no problem with laws/policies whatsoever;for I believe that when they were first enacted,they were enacted so as to meet a need, and make life better for some,if not all.The problem I have, though, with some laws/policies is that more often than not,no one goes back to check of their effectiveness and relevancy to the people it was meant to help or safeguard. And because of this,some people suffer a great deal under the law/policy that was meant for nothing, but good. I have concerns regarding some of the laws.

This last weekend wasn’t the best for me. I am still recovering after driving a total of 3000 miles between Friday and Sunday.What happened?

I got word on Friday at around 1:00 PM that our daughter @ a university in another state had fallen sick and rushed into the University hospital,emergency ward. I immediately called the university trying to get as much information as I would on the status of our daughter.They refused to release any information because the law does not allow them.Nothing I said,no,not even the distance between us would compel them to release any information. She is over 18 years and therefore protected by the law.

I had no choice but to travel some 20 hours accompanied by other family members! Just think about this. A total of 40 hours on the road and spending some $ 600.00 because no one was willing to tell me what my daughter was suffering from. Thank God she is well and back to life as usual.

One other law that is nothing but headache to many parents is getting access to their children’s academic grades. Even after they turn 18 years old, some children depend on their parents for financial assistance towards their university education. If say,your son/daughter is not doing well,and you need to know,such information as I understand will not be available to you. They will need permission from your son/daughter to release such information. How can a child who is the problem allow such information to be released? And so I wonder,”How does this law help the parents?

Last, but not the least, is laws that make it so hard to help those in need. I have heard cases where a good Samaritan stopped to help, only to be sued for who knows what! I also recently read a story of a father who went to a nearby store with his son’s friend only to be sued. I don’t know how the case ended. You are always afraid of having someone eat at your place for fear that you might be sued if say that food makes them sick.Hard to help those with special needs even if they are your neighbors. You never know when someone will sue you.

Apart from these three,there are many laws/rules/policies that enacted many years ago. With time,a lot has changed which then calls for routine reviews to determine their relevancy! A failure to do so,will only go to frustrate the very people that we are trying to serve/help. The only exception is God’s laws that will never change and therefore need to be treated with awe! Is there anyone out there who has been affected in one way or the other? Do you care to share?

Pr Birai
612-386-4608