simard@loral.UUCP (Ray Simard) (08/12/84)
Today, our local paper printed an article by columnist
Carl Rowan, in which he blames recent occurrences of child
molestation in day-care centers on the reduction of federal involvement
by the Reagan administration. I find that argument so insupportable
that I wrote the following letter to the paper.
============= letter begins here ==============
Carl Rowan ("Least isn't always best", Sun 12 Aug), cites
recent stories of day-care child abuse, mentions the minimum-
government attitudes of Thomas Jefferson, Ralph Waldo Emerson,
and Ronald Reagan, then attempts to relate the two.
He states: "...I find myself confronted with...ideology
about what the role of government ought to be. ...Who will
protect...children? ...no one in private America will do it
unless someone launches a crusade".
He then goes on to deplore the shift of day-care funding
support from the Department of Human Resources to the states in
block grants by the "hard-hearted Republican administration".
The role of government in these tragic cases is clear, but
Mr. Rowan, in his eagerness to pillory the Reagan administration,
fails to see the obvious. The DHR is not the problem, and
reinstituting its day-care division would do nothing to help.
The persons who molested children are felons, and the role of
government is that of the police, the courts, and the penal
system.
The regulatory bodies do have an obligation to inspect day-
care facilities. I doubt, however, that inspections of any
frequency would accomplish much to reduce or eliminate the abuse
of children. Those involved in the crime are certainly aware of
the possibility of surprise inspection, and can easily create
means of hiding any evidence from inspectors.
These abuses can be curtailed only by a combination of
observant, caring involvement by parents, and swift, effective
prosecution of the guilty. Parents must accept the primary
responsibility for their children's welfare, watching for the
danger signs of abuse. If a child reports an unusual or
frightening occurrence, he or she must be believed, furthermore,
the child must be taught to feel free to discuss anything without
fear of reprisal. Unloading the responsibility onto the
goverment, at any level, will only leave open the door to more
tragedy.
Mr. Rowan is rightfully indignant over these stories of
abuse. He could much more effectively use the medium of his
column to advocate measures that work, instead of flogging the
dead horse of ever-increasing federal regulation.
--
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[ I am not a stranger, but a friend you haven't met yet ]
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Ray Simard
Loral Instrumentation, San Diego
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