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Blogs by Ev McTaggart
The torch has passed 5/23/2008 6:32:21 AM
We've taught our children well. Today's news is again all agog with stories of Angelica Leslie. We don't know her name, really; she was named by the people who looked after her when she was discovered abandoned in a Toronto stairwell some time ago. She's in the news now because the police believe they have located her parents.
As a parent myself and the parent of a child who just became a parent himself, I ask myself this question: How after giving birth to a dear little girl--or boy--can the parents then leave the child outside on a freezing winter night, wrapped only in its snowsuit? How could anyone human look in the new face of a new baby, then wrap it up and discard it like a piece of garbage?
These questions lead to others: How can anyone human harm a helpless little child? Especially someone related to that child?
When my daughter was a babe in St. Catharines, the news related the story of a local man who had raped his 18-month-old daughter. The child had died of internal injuries. No shit! What ungodly internal dialogue informed this man that having sex with an infant would be good sport? I can remember the rage I felt on this child's behalf. Let me at this guy for ten minutes! I would look at my own beautiful baby, imagine how I would feel if someone did that to her, then look at my then-husband who is the world's sweetest, kindest man. How very fortunate my children were, I thought, to be fathered by such a wonderful man.
Throughout their childhoods, my children would hear snippets of news stories about children being beaten, burnt with cigarettes or stovetop burners, scalded in the bath, abused in one way or another,or killed by their parent(s).
Like children everywhere, their childs' minds would question whether such bad things could happen to them. My husband and I both were very quick to reassure our children. While such atrocities might happen in other families, it would never happen in theirs. Their Mommy and Daddy loved them more than they loved anyone. How lucky they were to be born into a loving family. How sad must be the children who aren't.
Now that my son and his wife just had their darling baby girl, it's interesting that they have the same reactions to child atrocities as I had way back when. They say when they used to hear of such abuse, they'd be horrified, yes, but now that they have baby Alexis to love and protect, they say they hear of child abuse, look at each other and weep. They rage and they wonder how anyone could ever hurt a defenseless child.
My son looks at his own child and tears creep into his eyes. As parents, I think my husband's and my job is complete. The torch has passed.
