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. -- [ ] [ I am not a stranger, but a friend you haven't met yet ] [ ] Ray Simard Loral Instrumentation, San Diego {ucbvax, ittvax!dcdwest}!sdcsvax!sdccsu3!loral!simard