Brother Pat turned me onto this story from my old stomping grounds of the City of Brotherly Love. This lovely couple starved their 14 year-old cerebral palsy suffering child to death (well, that's not entirely true; the mother did, the father simply abandoned her) while the family was subject to the oversight of social services. Both the parents and members of the city's social services team have been charged with felonies, but the parents have brought civil suit (seeking financial damages) against the city for failing to save the child.
At first, the parents were party to the suit. After righteous indignation from the never reserved Philly community, the parents have removed their own names from the suit, hoping nevertheless to gain some financial benefit for little Danieal's siblings.
Unreal. I'm amazed that we have to register to vote, take tests to drive, get fingerprinted to buy a gun....but producing children has no qualifications.
Years ago in youth legislature, I proposed that the proving of a certain level of parental qualification/knowledge as a requirement before producing a child, including classes for those whom the attainment of such knowledge required instruction. Was shouted down from podium.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it pretty difficult to adopt? Proving that I was fit to adopt a cat required more proof of responsibility than I would need for my wife and I to have a child. I guess that if providing one's own child for purposes of parenthood, the right is one's to lose.
Don't get me started on the goodie-two-shoes who run the whole pet adoption process....
ReplyDelete"...the suit says, the parents and Danieal Kelly's nine siblings were deprived of her "love, tutelage, companionship, support, comfort and consortium" as well as the "economic value of her life expectancy."
ReplyDeleteWow, worlds fail me here.
NINE siblings. Nine. I don't normally endorse negative eugenics; however, in this case, I see the allure....
Wow; I missed that number. Breathtaking, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteFor years, I have believed that prospective parents should be required by law to posess some level of demonstrated parental skills prior to having children.
ReplyDeleteFortunately this was not a requirement when my son was conceived, so humankind and the Navy will get to benefit from his inate sagacity despite the shortcomings of his parents.
Typo, INNATE I guess I need to begin using spell check more often. :)
ReplyDeleteNo spelling police here, Smoothfur.
ReplyDelete