Monday
Aug242009
'There is something wrong, somewhere, that needs to be addressed.'
Monday, August 24, 2009 at 6:24AM The Blogmother C.B. Hanif for WAOD:
I'll be reporting throughout the day from the Palm Beach County Courthouse here at WAOD and on Twitter (cbhanif).
I'm also working on posting my wide-ranging interview from the Karma Studio of beautician and theater professional Karen Stephens, who grew up in Dunbar Village. Among other observations, she said:
“I’d like to know exactly what happened. And I guess that will come out, at the trial.
“I’d like to know if there’s a chance that these kids can have a normal life. I’d like to know if there’s a chance that the mother and son can have a normal life…
"I’d like to know what’s being done proactively to prevent something like this from happening again.
"I don’t really believe that the exact same offence would happen again. But we hear all the time about — I think there was recently, and I don’t remember what city, about a little girl, eight-year-old girl being raped by young boys.
"There is something wrong, somewhere, that needs to be addressed.
"And I think we forget, too that, we say, oh the parents should do this the parents should do that. You can’t give someone something that you don’t have.
"So maybe we need to concentrate on putting something in place for people who are having kids, who don’t know what it is to parent. That’s a real, real issue.”
C.B. Hanif for WAOD:
I'll be reporting throughout the day, here at WAOD and on Twitter (cbhanif), from the Palm Beach County Courthouse on the first Dunbar Village case.
The trial is set to resume this morning with opening statements.
I'm also working on posting my wide-ranging interview from the Karma Studio of beautician and theater professional Karen Stephens, who grew up in Dunbar Village.
Among other observations, Stephens offered:
“I’d like to know exactly what happened. And I guess that will come out, at the trial.
“I’d like to know if there’s a chance that these kids can have a normal life. I’d like to know if there’s a chance that the mother and son can have a normal life…
"I’d like to know what’s being done proactively to prevent something like this from happening again.
"I don’t really believe that the exact same offence would happen again. But we hear all the time about — I think there was recently, and I don’t remember what city, about a little girl, eight-year-old girl, being raped by young boys.
"There is something wrong, somewhere, that needs to be addressed.
"And I think we forget, too that — we say, oh the parents should do this the parents should do that. You can’t give someone something that you don’t have.
"So maybe we need to concentrate on putting something in place for people who are having kids, who don’t know what it is to parent. That’s a real, real issue.”
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Reader Comments (7)
“And I think we forget, too that — we say, oh the parents should do this the parents should do that. You can’t give someone something that you don’t have.
“So maybe we need to concentrate on putting something in place for people who are having kids, who don’t know what it is to parent. That’s a real, real issue.”
And there lies the problem. Irresponsible sexual activity which leads to an irrevocable decision. If people don't know how to parent they have NO BUSINESS breeding.
We want to handle horrible situations after the fact. Why on earth (going back to Ruby Walker) would a person make a conscience decision to breed 13 children? If you were broke and destitute after children #1 - 5, does it not stand to reason that your situation will only worsen for children 6-13?
I am also very sick and tired at the assumption that it's our obligation to assist people with rearing children that they have no ability (interest/care/desire) to rear themselves.
Thanks for the coverage thus far.
Always asking for something. ALWAYS. What are the principal actors going to do.
and no 13 kids are not blessings. They are curses upon the rest of us.
“So maybe we need to concentrate on putting something in place for people who are having kids, who don’t know what it is to parent. That’s a real, real issue.”
Uh, we do have something in place. In fact, we've had that something in place for many millennia. It's called a FAMILY. It's called having a minimum of TWO SANE ADULTS in place to care for the health, safety and well-being of any offspring produced. And considering that clearly this boy's mama wasn't sane from the jump street she doesn't even qualify as ONE SANE ADULT.
They do have something in place it's called an abortion. To wonder if these individuals can have a normal life, they forfeit that right when they committed this crime. I can't imagine the emotional and psychological damage done to this woman and her son.
There are many, many things in place: family, a MYRIAD of birth control options, abortion, adoption, etc. When you really stop and think about how many systems and programs are currently in place- there really is no reason for any of this to be happening. There comes a point when it is no longer about what someone or something else can do for you but what you need to do on an individual level. And I get that there are many people out there that just don't understand that point which is just evidence of large scale dysfunction.
I agree with everyone's comment. Also, let's not leave out condoms, abstinence, communication, self-control, and for the multiple breeders, perhaps homosexuality may done some good to control the out of control child rearing.
All of you said everything that I was thinking. Thanks. :-)