The Founders of our country believed in limited government, especially limited federal government. They would be appalled at how government has grown – under Democrats and Republicans.

To demonstrate the powerlessness of government to do the really meaningful things, consider the daughter of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her husband. The girl is 17 years old, pregnant and the family has announced she will marry her boyfriend. What government message could have persuaded them to remain virgins until marriage? Hormones flow. We are all sinners.

That is not to say that government should not be teaching abstinence as the best method to avoid the heartaches that come with premarital sex. It is better than what the secular left would give us. It is to say that government these days may not be limited in its size, but it is limited in its power.

Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.