MISGUIDED PRIORITIES

By: Jane LeMond-Alvarez
www.janealvarez.com
Author of Blinders


Ref: article in The Ventura County Star’s Newspaper
February 26, 2005.

A section - Front page news: “Hundreds morn dead animal at vigil” Demands made for stronger rules for exotic animals. Photos of a child standing next to a stuffed tiger during a vigil for the tiger that was shot to death by authorities. B Section - Front page news: Hueneme City Hall’s ‘Shady Lady’ Dies. Photo of a black cat that was adopted by Port Hueneme city workers in 1984.

I love animals. In fact, I have adopted numerous injured, maimed and neglected animals myself. I, too, am outraged when an animal is abused. But honestly people, where in God’s name are your priorities? According to Joe Howry’s editorial on 2/28/05, over 700 emails were received expressing their outrage over an animal being killed.

I have been a human rights activist for over 14 years here in Ventura County, particularly for the rights of children. This month is the anniversary of 2 month-old Rachel Catherine Rother’s death. Her mother, Pamela Karen Rother, was charged for starving Rachel to death. Panicked neighbors called authorities because they observed Rachel’s mother soaking wet and walking in the rain with her 30 day old infant and hearing the infant’s cries. Social workers sent letters to inquire about Rachel’s well being - later found on the counter, unopened. Even the sheriff’s department conducted an investigation. I don’t remember any photos on the front page or hundreds of concerned people holding vigils for Rachel. Where were you all when Nathaniel Bar-Jonah was arraigned for killing 10 year-old Zachary Ramsay & sexually assaulting other young boys? He also had “recipes” for “little boy stew” & posted “lunch is served on the patio with roasted child.” Again, I didn’t see outrage from hundreds of people crying out for this child’s injustice. Or when Simi Valley Brian Trelatsky beat his 10-week-old son to death; how about the parents who dipped their toddler in 145-degree water causing his flesh to peel away from his body - all because he soiled his pants; or the horrific death of 3 year-old-Joselin Hernandez? Even though her parents had severely injured her when she was an infant, they still reunified Joselin to her killers; or 18 month-old Mario Jimenez who was beaten into a coma by his mother and put on life support. Three Social workers drove 4-year-old Mario to Tijuana, Mexico, and walked him across the border and handed him over to his abuser. Foster parents claimed he had nightmares for 2 years and feared his mother. Where were YOU then? How many emails did you write for these children? Or more importantly, how many of you held vigils or demanded stronger rules? It is quite evident there is less interest over the welfare of a child than there is over that of an animal. Remember the dogs thrown on the freeway?

I have been writing about these abuses for years. I could fill dozens of pages with child abuse stories from Ventura County alone. Anyone can look up the statistics. They speak for them selves. From 1984 to 1995, 795,00 cases of child abuse were reported. Less than half were deemed important enough to be investigated.

Need I say anymore? I challenge you to research the rest of the statistics. In 2002, Mr. Myers’, former Director for Ventura County’s Human Services Agency Department of Children and Family Services, stated that there were over 6,846 reported cases of child abuse. While many of these cases failed to meet the defined standards of abuse, he still found that 4,206 cases required investigation and crisis intervention. Folks, we’re talking about Ventura County alone.

For over a decade, I have been working to increase Americans’ awareness of the horrors of child abuse and to bring the reality of the unimaginable level of physical and mental suffering these children deal with to the forefront. Statistics show that every day, abusive parents terrorize scores of children. In cold, hard terms, that means that every day a small hand is held over a flame, an infant is dipped in scalding water, a child is forced to swallow household cleansers, an empty stomach grumbles while parents eat, a terrified toddler trembles in a dark, locked closet, a tiny arm is broken, a life comes to an end prematurely. Laws could change and crimes against children would be more forcefully prosecuted if citizens were as outraged with the killing of a child as they are with the killing of an animal.

April is Child Abuse Awareness month. Please do your part. Be courageous. Become involved. Be a child’s advocate and speak out to the lawmakers to change the laws that allow children to be reunified with their abusers. Hold social workers and judges accountable when they ignore irrefutable facts. I have yet to see crowds forming and vigils being conducted for these helpless children. Vigils for tigers? Front page news? Talk about misguided priorities….Where will you be when the next child is severely abused or killed in our County?

Jane LeMOND Alvarez