This post is not up-with-peopleish. Forgive me for diving into the pond on such a bleak note.
Just returned from visiting children in a Guardian Ad Litem case. Drunk dad slaps girls around, calls them “bitch” and “clit licker” and when he has too much to drink at the river, has the 14-year-old drive them home. This is my second family. The first involved two children, one of whom had his eyes and mouth duct taped shut then rolled into a blanket and that was duct taped shut, too. Now he’s dosed on a stew of pharmaceuticals for “inappropriate anger”. (To me it seems appropriate that he’s pissed off, but I’m not a trained anything.)
Most states require training and testing just to clip a stranger’s fingernails. Yet anybody can have kids. Not only that, they can continue to do so long after charges of abuse and neglect have been documented. My question is this: How should we respond?
After a person has had one child, if they bring another into the world that they cannot or are unwilling to support or there are documented cases of abuse and neglect, is court ordered use of Norplant or something similar inconceivable?
Just feeling confused and dispirited right now. I’m not a master race person (though I’d make a damn fine benevolent dictator). There seem to be some really thoughtful and intelligent people on this board; I’m curious about your opinions.
p.s. If this is the wrong place to post this, I apologize.