Viewpoints
Protect The Children
by Susan Bachant
April 04, 2004
Friday
What a terrible job our court system recently did to protect
the life of an innocent child. A child who tragically and needlessly
died in my opinion because our court system let her down. This
child's mother tried to protect her and did everything she could.
She asked for help and placed her daughter's life in the hands
of our legal system. A system responsible for protecting children
from the horrible people who are out there.
Where is the common sense in
decisions? Because a court appointed social worker does not herself
see abuse or neglect, is it in the best interest of a child to
recommend unrestricted visitation? Decisions are being made
to put children in harm's way, like this young child, because
a judge puts more worth in the words of a social worker than
that of a mother and of others who state that a child should
never be left alone with a person.
Does a social worker and a
judge involved with protecting an innocent child really think
that an alleged child abuser is going to abuse the child right
in front of the social worker? Do they think you can just look
at a person and tell who abuses children and who does not? Were
they both born yesterday?
A young innocent child died because we failed to protect her,
because we ignored the warnings of her mother, because quite
simply... we let her down. I ask you, does this child's memory
not mean anything to you, to our legal system? What is our
legal system doing to serve justice for the tragic death of this
child? What is our legal system doing to make certain that ALL
children are protected? Why must children be placed with people
who have committed crimes against others? Why must we continue
to accept the reasoning that a person with a known criminal history
has not harmed a child and so we must hand the child back?
In particular, what is being
done by Judge Chenhall or by the social worker Cara Nygard to
make certain this never happens again, and to assure that this
child's death not go by unnoticed? Are these women making changes
in the way they make their decisions? Are they suggesting changes
in their departments to ensure that they perform their jobs and
not allow more children to become victims?
As citizens of Ketchikan we should be demanding justice and that
action be taken. We should demand that these two women make
changes in the way they do their jobs. Changes that will ensure
that mistakes will not result in the death of another child.
We should demand that this innocent child's life not be forgotten
and that the person found responsible not be allowed to harm
any more children. We must protect ALL the children.
Please join me and others in writing letters to our representatives
in the legislature, the District Attorney's office, and anyone
else who will listen. Tell the story of this beautiful child
whose life was cut short because our legal system let her and
her family down. Demand justice and demand action be taken so
that other helpless children who need protection be given that
protection. Don't let one more innocent child be placed in harm's
way.
Susan Bachant
Ketchikan, AK - USA
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