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ORIGINAL: Mercnbeth

I hear your argument Gwyn. Child abuse is a crime and should be punished. It's the reliance on the government as the first line of child welfare determination where we disagree. 

No... the govt shouldnt be the first line of defence on anything.. they fuck up everything they get thier hands on. The families, the Neighbors.. the people in the childs day to day life should be the first line. Basicaly you and me.. ordinary citizens who can reach out to the child, and parents and get them help. Also the ones who can get DCF involved before that child is dead. We all read the headlines of these young women who go off to work and leave thier children in the care of thier boyfriends who kill them. Where the hell is the family? The Neighbors?

Would you support requiring a government issued 'license' before being allowed to have a child with ongoing periodic child counseling and home environmental review?

I think life skills and parenting should be taught in the schools. Aparently parents arent rasing thier damn kids. I also think counciling for those who were abused should be easier to access since 1 in 3 go on to commit child abuse themselves.
 
Look around in society. You can Not rely on folks to do the right thing by thier kids... most folks do not talk to thier kids about smoking, drugs, sex, teenage preganacy, or how to be a decent person little alone parent. They are simply too busy to raise thier kids. It has to happen somewhere. We as a society are going down the great swirly. We need to get some basic values put back in some how. Parents need to be parents, not thier kids "best bud"


That's not a facetious or baiting question. It represents an ultimate logical solution and would provide the protection you and I agree that, in theory, should be in place.

It is my position that every exceptional disastrous situation can not be solved by government intervention. I don't believe a government should attempt to be preemptive protector. After the fact enforcement is their responsibility. Granted, that doesn't take away the pain or bring any child back to life. However writing laws abdicating responsibility and putting faith in a government to judge what is and isn't appropriate concerning child rearing isn't a solution. Storm trooper DCF tactics shouldn't be given carte blanche approval. The examples you cite seem to be indicative of a broken system, not a working one. But is it representative of the majority and a reason that all should be painted with a guilty until proved innocent, and then still a suspect, brush?

They shouldnt go in storm trooper, however they should go in if abuse is alledged or suspected. That is what this is all about. Not just to scrape the dead kid up off the floor and possibly make an arrest. Why even fucking bother then.
 Human beings are intrensicaly stupid, and will find ways to harm themselves and others.. so yes I feel we must have guidelines and laws in place. Work in an abused womens and childrens shealter or go on a few domestic calls and see if you dont want laws in place to protect women and children. Your hope for common sense is just a hope. Common sense is not so common. Laws in these cases are to protect people.. not subdue the masses. Unless you see beating the crap out of a todler or woman as a right.
 
In society there comes a place where individual rights end to protect anothers right. Such as personal safety. I have no right to kick the shit out of someone who did not harm me. Plain and simple. To me.. that makes sense.

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A lot not a few children are abused each and every day..

I defer to your first hand experience. You would say child abuse occurs routinely and the numbers are larger than cited in my reference?

Much much larger. Having seen many cases ( too many cases) both in foster care, on the force, and in being a councilor at a shealter I can tell you at least 60-75% of cases go un reported. They usualy go on for years before a victim speaks up. Sometimes on a daily basis for years.
 
I myself am an abuse survivor. Both my sister and brother tried thier damnedest to be rid of me. My mother didnt know until she was on her death bed and I was an adult. Mind you when I got old and big enough to fight back they stopped after I did enough damage.
 If the Dr's had been smarter my abuse would have ended years before I ended it. Being posioned multiple times should have set off some alarms, and dozens of broken bones and UTIs now adays would have triggered a response.


Maybe licensing and review IS a good idea.