WHY? Why? Why?

[peaceful2100]

Excuse me if I vent tonight but I am furious and very sad. Before I left for my night class this evening I was watching the first part of the news. Police found a 23 month old unconscious. This poor little baby has been severly bruised and beaten. She is in Critical care. Neighbors believe this has been going on for quite a while. As a mater of fact some of the neighbors have hotlined several times and nothing was done about it. According, to the DFS in my area (Division of FAMily services) there was not enough evidence for a investigaion. They told the one's who hotlined that even if they hear something nothing can be done unless they actually see something. Neighbors said they heard this little girl crying several times for very long periods of time. Yet, DFS has done nothing about it. This is not the first time something very traumatic has happened and DFS did not intervene in enough time. A couple years ago or so in my city there were two little twin boys who were only 8, they were abused and starved and kept away from the public by their mother and sadly they got very small and too malnourished and they died. Again back with that case with the twin boys DFS did nothing when several people hotlined. One person claimed they were hotlining for 3 years and still nothing was being done. I don't know about anyone else's DFS in their STATE or whatever your family services is called but I think the DFS system in my state is horrible and has serious, serious flaws. I just cannot stop crying tonight thinking about that innocent little girl and several other children who are crying out for help and who go through this but their voices cannot be heard. When are they even we going to wake up? When are these children going to have someone advocating for them? When are they going to listen to someone who is calling the hotline and giving the information? I am just furious and for anyone who believes in it please say a little prayer for this little girl in critical condition. I have not heard anything else as I have missed the late news this evening but I sure will watch the news in the morning as I always do before leaving home. Last time I heard the mother is not a suspect, the mother has a boyfriend that was there at the time they found the child and the boyfriend was arrested but he was arrested for giving a false ID and other charges he had on him only.

I really want to do something. I have seen WAYYYYYYYY to many innocent children be victims of abuse of all kinds especially when I was working in the daycare center. I just don't know how to get in and become an advocate for them. The one's who need an advocate the most are the one's who cannot speak up for themselves.

[kimtab]

Julie- You GO GIRL! You'll get your precious grandson out of there I know it, I can see the spark in your eyes from here!

We had a case here in Atlanta that just went to trial. A grandmother beat her 5 year old grandson to death. DFACS had been notified mulitple times by neighbors that the abuse was occurring but was never removed from the home. This poor kid was removed from his Mother's care at the age of 1 to be placed with his grandmother. He probably never knew anything but fear and pain for his entire short miserable life. I wish I could cradle this little boy in my arms and kiss him. I wonder if anyone ever did.

I think Andrea Yates' husband ought to be behind bars with her. I think he knows it too. He has been completely supportive of his wife despite the horrific crime she committed. If that isn't because he feels responsible I'd be very surprised.

I think the crux of the problem is this-You have to compromise some ideals in order to be able to uphold others. Doctor's could tell Andrea Yates that she should not bear any more children but they couldn't force her to accept birth control or sterilization. I would be appalled if someone had forced that women to have her tubes tied against her will but oh how less appalling is that when compared to the deaths of 5 children.

I just got done reading a book on fetal alcohol effect. Certain Indian tribes have such a rampant alchoholism problem, and so many children born with Fetal Alcohol Effect, that they have taken the drastic measure of locking in jail any visibly pregnant woman found getting drunk repeatedly. For the remainder of her pregnancy she remains behind bars.

What an outrage right? Sure it is. Why should this woman's freedom be compromised? Well, from the Indian's point of view she isn't just making a choice for herself and her unborm child, although that's bad enough. She's making a choice for her family, her neighbors and all the rest of society. So society returns the favor by making some choices for her, simple as that. Well, not so simple really.

I think that the reason children aren't more protected in this society is that it's a conflict between protecting the rights of children and protecting the freedoms we all like to enjoy as individuals. There is fear that if we impose our parenting guidelines, however basic and common sense we might deem them to be, individual Liberty is eroded. You can't satisfy the rights of both the parent and the child in all situations and if there is a conflict, the child loses.

My argument against Capital Punishment is the possibility that an innocent person may be executed (people have been exonerated while waiting for execution on Death Row). There's something similar in place here I think. The very real possibility that a loving, caring and competant parent may be falsely accused is preventing us from protecting the children of parent's who deserve criminal treatment. It's the same way in other aspects of our legal system. There are quite a few protections in place for the accused, but few for victims.

This is something I think about ALOT. I'm interested to hear what other people feel about it. Hospitals get court orders to treat the children of parent's who refuse medical intervention to save their children. Can we court-order birth control for crack Mom's? Mandatory Inpatient treatment for battered women to ensure that the cycle of abuse is broken? Castration for sex-offenders? What happen's if someone who is falsely accused receives the punishment? Where's the fine line between protection of the innocent and repression of freedom? How much can we interfere in people's lives in the name of protecting victims?

Sorry so long winded! I haven't been able to think about this subject without getting hysterical ever since I became a Mommy!

Kim

[CATHYW]

CANOEHEAD-

I'm with you.

[jschut, BSN, RN]

I wanted to thank everyone for their kind words and encouragement about my grandson. My Mom (she's 72) is in the middle of this mess, because my daughter will call on her and tell her all sorts of horror stories abou this new beau of hers, and she also calls her ex, the one she left, and then HE calls my Mom! Of course, Mom is upset too, so for all of you who are praying for this situation, I ask if you will please also pray for my Mom. She is a beautiful lady who doesn't need this mess...same as my grandson. The two innocents.........

Thank you all so much,

Julie

[KellieRN]

Well Russell Yates was on the stand today, ..........I personally think that he feels very guilty for what happened to his children, he is blaming the doctors for letting her off of her treatment............hes the husband,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,he knew she was sick..................why keep knockin her up .........if you know shes sick..........i dont get it.............he should be on trial as well........sick people in this world

[peaceful2100, BSN, RN]

You know Kellie that is what I could NEVER understand, is the fact if TAMMY Yates husband knew she was suffering from postpartum depression/psychosis or whatever then how come they did not have better control in preventing pregnancy.

The little girl I mentioned when I first put this post up died last friday and the mom's boyfriend being charged with first degree murder and the mother is going to be charged with second degree murder even though supposely did not actively participate in killing her child she knew about the abuse and it was going on for a while but the mother did NOT do anything to protect her child so she is being charged with second degree murder.

[Yvonne123]

DOC, I COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER MYSELF! i SHARE YOUR BELIEFS WHOLE-HEARTEDLY. I BELIEVE THE INNOCENT DESERVED TO BE SAVED AND THE EVIL ONES SHOULD BE PUNISHED. PEOPLE SHOULD PUT THEIR ENERGY INTO CAUSES THAT MATTER.