This blog will be mostly about interesting things i discover while continuing to learn about physics, but today I have another issue on my mind.
Did you know that in California it is illegal for workers at orphanages to hug the children? This is probably the most insane law I've ever heard of. What is the goal, to turn all orphans into sociopaths? This is what happens to children who feel isolated.
Don't tell me it is to protect the children. I understand there are a small number of nasty people in the world and that orphans are among the most vulnerable (why? because no one hugs them!). But you have to be pragmatic. While it is awful to consider that some orphans will be abused, it is even more awful to contemplate orphans who don't get any physical love for their entire childhood.
Outraged, I looked up "hug an orphan" on the web and discovered that in some foreign countries, orphan tourism is a favored pastime. Tourists volunteer at foreign orphanages to help out. This is bad for the children, because a steady stream of strange people does not give them a stable environment. They're like animals in a petting zoo. Secondly, some orphanages run this like a business and intentionally make their place look run down and mistreat the children to inspire greater pathos in the tourists. Yuck!
Clearly, there are issues here. But I don't believe that depriving orphans of love from their caregivers is the right solution.
