State Institutions Do Not Protect Our Kids

The Catholic Church -- one of the largest institutions in the world, one which acts as a sovereign state, complete with its own standing military. In some countries, citizens pay an automatic "tithe" to the church.

The Boy Scouts -- a large, publicly regarded institution.

The Public Schools --government funded institution in which students are required to enroll, or they and their parents will face legal sanctions.

BBC -- a public broadcasting corporation, funded by a garnishment from every citizen in Great Britain.

Penn State - a public university

These institutions have a long history of covering up the exploitation of children by its members.

I read in the LA Times in which one respondent commented that "The Boy Scouts" used to be the most trusted institution in America.

"Institutions" are not trustworthy, no more than "government" has a responsibility.

The media and the public's misplaced trust in institutions must come to an end. Instead of entrusting our youth to organizations, which by their very nature will protect themselves instead of the young charged to their care, parents and students deserve choice where they send their kids and how their tax dollars are spent.

If Penn State had been a private institution, I imagine that a culture of secrecy and cover-up would not have been tolerated. The greed of a private investor will more likely motivate him or her to dismiss an abusive employee. The show of good faith and rapid retribution would ingratiate patrons.

As long as the state or large institutions coerce dollars and support from the citizens in a country, the likelihood that the same institutions will root out perversion in their ranks will remain remote.

Of every institution, only the Boy Scouts implemented serious safeguards following the revelation of abuse. The Boy Scouts, of all the other agencies listed above, has the least attachment to state power.  Privatizing firms will encourage corporate leaders and individual employees to expose perversion and protect children, or at least empower individuals to take their children elsewhere, taking with them their money.