29 April 2008

The state's obligation

Charges of homicide have been brought against Dale and Leilani Neumann of Wisconsin after they stood by, praying, whilst their 11 year old daughter died of a treatable, if rare, type of diabetes. The Neumanns did not seek medical help. There will be those who say that this is an intrusion into the family's "right" to pursue their religion and to raise their children in their faith but the state has a much, much stronger obligation to protect and defend the young from any who would abuse them and, yes, this is abuse in the 21st century.

I do feel some sympathy for the surviving Neumanns but I feel even greater sympathy for their daughter Lisa. We as a society cannot accept this behaviour nor can we allow it to go unpunished irrespective of the rationale of the parents. Our responsibility is to the safety of the child; not to the parents or their beliefs and certainly not to God.

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