Nebraskans can abandon their children with impunity
The unintended consequences of liberal social policies are often worse than the problems they were intended to solve. The Nebraska legislature recently enacted a "safe haven" law which allows a parent to abandon their minor child at any hospital without fear of repercussions. The intent of these laws (NJ has one too) is to protect newborn babies from neglect (or worse).

But Nebraska went one step further. Their law allows a parent to drop off a child of any age and walk away. Since the new took effect in July more than a dozen children have been dumped at Nebraska hospitals. This week a man abandoned 9 siblings, ages 1 through 17, because he felt he was no longer capable of caring for them. A 13 year old girl, and 2 brothers, ages 11 and 15, were dropped off the week before.

I'm flabbergasted. What could those children possibly be feeling now? Their father, someone who is supposed to love them and care for them and protect them, dumped them off on the state and walked away scot free. What did these men say before they left? "See you around, kid"? I can't imagine the depth of hurt, anger, and despair they felt as their fathers walked away.

I'm also amazed that the supposedly mature adults in the Nebraska legislature did not foresee the likelihood of parents wanting to discard troublesome teenagers. No-fault divorce allows spouses to give up on each other. Now Nebraska has given parents the right to give up on their children. Divorce is often emotionally taxing for adults; willful abandonment of a child must be all the more disheartening and confusing, especially when it is sanctioned by the government. How will these children will ever again be able to trust someone to love them unconditionally?

In a way though I suppose Nebraska's new policy was inevitable. A country which barely acknowledges the slaughter of a million babies a year in the guise of "choice" is ill-prepared to object when the next iteration of that "choice" becomes all too apparent. Yesterday's aborted babies have given way to today's disposable teenagers. In this brave new world responsibilities are for suckers. Now when the kids become too much of a burden it's only a short trip to the nearest state-approved child abandonment center where you can dump your problems on somebody else with no questions asked.

Except of course the one question that nobody who is behind this abomination wants to admit to hearing -- the child asking "Why?". In my mind I can hear them asking "Why Daddy, why? Why are you leaving us? Why?" and it makes me want to cry.

Posted at 15:46 by Chris   []   | | | Email | del.icio.us | Digg | Stumble It! | Reddit | Link