Okay, I know this will not be a popular view by most of you but I just have to get it out. I have been somewhat following the recent news in Texas of the children seized from the polygamist compound and I have such mixed feelings. Now, abuse is abuse and children must be protected against it in all instances. But, are we sure that over 400 children are being abused on a regular basis by their parents? Why is it such a surprise that about 10% of those children have had broken bones? Do any of you have boys? Have they had trips to the emergency room? About 20% of my nephews have had broken bones... hmmmm.. maybe their parents should be turned in. 33% of my children have had stitches, twice! Maybe I am an unfit mother. Why does the government intervene in this case, but not when children are in homes across the country being neglected and abused daily? Is it because of their belief system, their lifestlye?
I don't agree at all with polygamy, I find it to be quite horrific that young girls are married off to older men and begin having "families" at the age of 14 or 15. These girls must be given a choice for their own lives, but also for the lives of their babies. Do those mothers love their children any less than we do? Is it fair that babies are being taken from those young mothers because they are underage? Or is the government forcing all underage mothers or rape victims to give up their babies now? Last I checked there are hundreds of thousands of teenage pregnancies and pregnancies from rape throughout the country and each of those girls are given the choice whether to keep their babies or not. But simply because of lifestyle these babies are taken away. I'm sorry but maybe we should take away babies from other alternative lifestyles then; gays, lesbians, drug addicts, gang bangers, etc. None of those lifestyles appeal to me either, but they have rights. How can we take away children from one "unsafe and debilitating" lifestyle choice and not another?
I have seen firsthand the debilitating effects a lifestyle of drug addiction can have on children, but it is not enough for someone to step in and rescue those children, after all, parents have rights! But what about the children? Why can we take them away from one lifestyle and not the other, neither child chose the lifestyle, they were born into it.
Is it so much better to take these children away from their homes and all they know to be put in foster care? Give me a break, the foster care system is greatly flawed. I personally know foster parents who use that as a full time job and have had their own children taken away from them for two to three months at a time while they spent time in the state mental hospital (multiple times), only to go home and have two more foster children put in their "tender, loving" care.
There has got to be a better way..... I am grateful for loving parents, both here on earth and in heaven above. Our loving Heavenly Father must grieve and feel pained each and every day by the choices we are making here each and every day. The way we treat one another and especially his innocent children he has sent here for us to protect. Are we doing all that we can?
Howdy Spring
1 year ago
4 comments:
I very much agree with what you've said. One more point that maybe you made but I didn't pick up - So, if the young brides are the victims here, why are they victimizing them more by taking away their children? Who are they trying to protect? I think they did a horrible job and as soon as they were facing the scrutiny of the world, the officials came out with more allegations to justify their actions - even if the allegations were just for shock value.
Kara,
We think that you should be a columinst of a paper. Kyle thinks you should call it the McCoy Expostitor. We agree with your article.
Wow, needed to vent a little did you? :) I actually agree with you also. I have been thinking about this a lot lately too. I don't know what would be better, but I do know that there MUST be a better way for mother and child.
It feels overwhelming enough to worry about my own three children, I cannot imagine the grief of our Heavenly Father and what He whitnesses daily, with the offenses and abuse of His children--even that which is self inflicted.
It makes me wish I knew where to start to help change our crazy system... Thanks for sharing.
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