This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Germany is a constitutional democracy. By law, the military is small and limited to territorial defense only. Guns are rare and limited to gun clubs. Brothels are legal, heavily regulated and hidden by "Zion curtains." The working women earn a living wage and monthly health check-ups. Health insurance is available to all citizens.
University education is virtually free. Neither influence nor money, only academic achievement, buys admission to any German university. Dumb rich kids need not apply. Smart kids get a free ride. English is taught yearly to all children starting in the fifth grade. Most university students are semi-fluent in two foreign languages.
A prerequisite for law school admission is three years of Latin. Home schooling is illegal. It is deemed woefully inadequate. Parental rights do not supersede children's rights. All children are given a level playing field to maximize upward mobility. Fetal entitlements do not terminate at birth. The baby cannot be abandoned.
A German is less likely than an American to be ignorant; biased; shot at school, malls, at home or in a uniform; raped; sexually exploited or die young. Laws are passed to protect the entire community, especially children. Legislators are educated, not home-schooled. Life elevated? You betcha.
Peter Kolbay, O.D.
Holladay