Sunday, August 24, 2008

Nebraska Law Goes Too Far

I read an article in my local paper a few days ago and was shocked at what a new law in Nebraska allows: the abandonment of children. Many states are implementing a way for mothers of newborns to not be prosecuted for abandoning their month-old babies. They can drop off a baby (usually younger than 30 days), no I.D. required, no questions asked, at a hospital or fire station. But this law was set up because a growing number of mothers were leaving their babies for dead. I guess states felt it was better to give an "out" so the baby wouldn't end up dead.

Well, this law far exceeds any common sense. Some lawmakers wanted to extend protection to "all minors". So, if you have an unruly teen, a disabled child or are just plain frustrated with parenting your three year-old, go to Nebraska and you can dump your child in the arms of the state, no questions asked. The kicker is, even if you're not the parent, you can do this. If the child is in the care of a babysitter or another caregiver, they too, can reap the benefits of this ludicrous "safe haven" law. Here's the entire article.

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