Morally Bankrupt

When I began writing this blog, I had no intention of commenting on news stories. There are enough other sites out there that take care of that and are infinitely more adept at it than I could pretend to be. However, there are times when a story just hits too close to home to ignore. This is just such a story for me.

Those of you who live in the Houston area are no doubt already aware of the tragic circumstances that took place on April 2nd here in Baytown. For the rest of you I will summarize the situation. A 14 year-old junior high student at Cedar Bayou Junior School gave birth to a full-term baby boy in the school restroom where emergency medical personnel, upon arrival, found him dead. Initially, the mother claimed that she had no idea she was pregnant and was simply going to the bathroom when the baby was born. When I originally heard the story, I believe the claim was made that the infant was stillborn or at least never cried. Suffice it to say that the autopsy report showed bruising to the head and neck, which were the result of blunt force trauma. Even if this evidence could be explained away, they also found toilet paper blocking the baby's airway.

The girl's defense team would like us to sympathize with her saying that she was too young to realize the implications of what was happening to her. In a written statement, her attorney said, "Please remember that this is a 14-year-old child who has experienced a tragic event." My question is this: what about the newborn child who experienced a tragic event - his death? He was robbed by his mother of the opportunity to live!

Based on their statements thus far, the defense team is arguing ignorance - ignorance of the pregnancy and ignorance that she had given birth. The claim was that the teen had sex one time and did not know about the pregnancy. However, another comment by the young mother's attorney indicates that the 14 year-old "thought she was having a miscarriage" and didn't want her parents to know. Now, if you think about the logic of these statements, you will find that there is none. It does not take a genius or even a high school graduate to figure out that if you had intercourse once, 9 months ago, it is not possible to have a "miscarriage" now - especially if you did not even think you were pregnant in the first place!!

Now, why am I bringing up such a grisly occurrence here? Because I want us to stop and think about what kind of children we are raising. Forget just for a moment that this girl was 13 or 14 years old when she conceived, and who knows how old she was when she became sexually active. That is bad enough in and of itself. However, when confronted with facing responsibility for her actions and the resulting consequences (i.e. a baby), she chose to terminate the life of another human being rather than face the music.

I have to rant a little about this. I mean, come on, we have "safe havens" set up just for these types of situations. All she would have had to do is go to the nearest hospital or fire station and hand the baby over to an adult. I live here - I know there is a hospital just down the street from the school. She did not have to raise the baby, but she could have given someone else the opportunity to do so. As someone who longed for a child for years before having one and spent thousands of dollars and many tears prior to her arrival, this type of behavior is particularly incendiary to me.

I understand that we all make mistakes. I realize that not everyone is blessed with loving, nurturing, supportive parents. But you cannot convince me and I will not concede the point that no matter how morally depraved her life may have been up to this point that she did not know that it is wrong to take the life of another person. Her age did not preclude her from that knowledge.

How are we raising children who take guns to school to shoot their classmates and drown their newborns in school restrooms? If this does not prove the importance of parenting, I don't know what will. Being a parent is without a doubt the most important responsibility you will ever undertake. If you are paying attention, you realize that the first time you hold that new little life in your hands. Our job does not end when our children are potty-trained, can dress themselves and make their own beds. We need to stop allowing society through television, movies, music and video games to raise our children. As parents, let's take ownership of our responsibility so our children will know what that looks like. Then, when they are faced with difficult circumstances, they will have the ability and desire to make good choices and not only good choices, but the right choices.

Now, I intend to pray for this young mother because regardless of what justice is meted out to her by the court, she will be forced to live with the knowledge that she took her son's life. I encourage you to pray too - pray for your children, pray for the children of your friends and family and pray for the children who, like this girl, are lost in a world of hurt that only Papa can heal!