A WS'er started a petition a while back on this very subject, but I cannot find the link. I wrote a letter to my Congress people on this very subject-on what it was going to take for us to criminalize behavior that devalues the most vulnerable among us in a meaningful way...for what it is worth, I will post it?
Dear Sirs:
There is a crisis reaching epidemic proportions here in the US and I think it can be easily solved, regardless of your party affiliation. Infants, toddlers and children are being tortured, abused, beaten, raped and murdered in alarming numbers. Pick a section of the country-from Rowan Ford, to Riley Sawyers to Neveah Richardson. The headlines are screaming.
We could spend a whole lot of time and money analyzing this trend-are these children on the fringes and thereby disposable? Is it the pressure of a single parent household that tempts women to bring virtual strangers into their children's lives who have no biological tie and therefore do not feel connected to the children? Is it meth, lack of faith, whatever? This would undoubtedly shed some light, but in the meantime children will continue to die.
Please, I am begging you-as a committed voting member of the public and as a devoted parent of small children...the time has come to act. Someone needs to make some laws for children-to make it a federal offense to batter a child. It should be a capitol offense to murder a child during the commission of abuse. We have in office an administration that is smoke and mirrors when it comes to the well being of children-witness the lack of funding of the "No Child Left Behind" act and the recently vetoed health care bill that would ensure innocents the right of excellent health care. This is a no brainer-show the world that we value the children we bring into this world-make it a HUGE penalty if you harm a child. I am lobbing you a softball, gentlemen-be heroes in the eyes of the world and your constituents by leading the charge to place value on our children.
Respectfully,
believe09