The Politics of Concrete Operational Thinkers

Illinois Representative John Shimkus (R) may not have received "The Talk." You know, "The Birds and the Bees" lecture.

I'm waiting for legislation that will tax Storks.

• Washington Post: ‘Is that not correct?’: Male GOP lawmaker asks why men should pay for prenatal coverage
• The News-Gazette: Shimkus stands by remarks on men paying for prenatal care

What happens if we don't? Were you ever taught what happened in the past when we didn't pay for such things? 

Somewhere there must be a record of what inspired health, safety and environmental regulations, because in the U.S. legislation is reactive, not proactive. To see what conditions were like before Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, you only need to see the photos dating from the Great Depression all the way back through Jacob Riis to the Gilded Age.