Editors Note: A quorum has been met for the editorial to be considered for publication as 11 members of the board voted by 2:00 a.m. The editorial passed with a majority: 9 - 2 - 0: 9-Yes votes, 2-No votes, and 0-Abstain votes.

The best interests of the child should always be paramount and pertinent even over the interests of the parents if the child’s life could be in jeopardy. This idea comes to the forefront in the movie ‘Gone Baby Gone’!

In the movie, ‘Gone Baby Gone’, a child named Amanda goes missing from her house when her mom decides to go to the bar and spend two hours there to snort crack, etc. Later, we find out that a death certificate was issued for Amanda who was believed to be drowned in a botched ransom deal worth $130,000 at the direction of Captain Doyle.

Captain Doyle resigns and a funeral is given for Amanda whose mother was indirectly responsible for her abduction because she was too busy going out and snorting crack instead of being there for her child at home.

The mother should have been arrested for reckless endangerment and abandonment of the child. She should have also been charged with murder when it was believed Amanda died because if it were not for her carelessness her child would have never been abducted in the first place.

However, that is not what happened. Amanda’s mother grieved for the loss of her child and life went on until one day an unexpected thing happened. It was found out later that Amanda was happily living a life with Captain Doyle and his wife who were nurturing parents to her.

The investigator had a choice to make whether he would call the state police and send Amanda back to her mother after social services investigates her or if he allows Captain Doyle and his wife to take care of her and raise her.

The investigator decided to turn Captain Doyle and his wife in so the child can be returned to her mother.

On the surface, that seems like a moral thing to do, to return a child back to her mother. But the moral thing to do is not always the proper thing to do when the moral thing to do exposes someone else to an immoral life. In this case, Amanda was exposed to an immoral life because as usual social services was inept again turning Amanda back to her mom who was seen doing the same old thing. That is how the movie ends.

A mother who thought her child was dead was given her child back and she still lives the same lifestyle ignoring her child. This is not right. People may have seen it as wrong for Amanda to have continued to live with Captain Doyle and his wife but she was so happy there and loved it. When she was given back to her mom, she was not happy.

If it is in the best interests of the child, sacrifices need to be made at times. These sacrifices may not always be the right thing to do but sometimes it is necessary just like when undercover cops have to witness or do things that would not be moral but for the right things to happen, it must be done.

This is not to say that kidnapping or stealing babies should be lawful or condoned. But, sending a kidnapped Amanda back to her mother was not ethical, nor was it right.

Social Services need to do a better job before they send kids back to the same place where they came from. This is not right for the Amanda’s of the world. Children need a nurturing and loving home to be part of, away from abuse, neglect, profanity, drugs, etc.

If a mom who is given the blessing to have a child created in her womb, abuses that right, it is not fair for the child to suffer. The state needs to take more action for the sake of the neglected kids like Amanda.

Social services need to do a better job in real life without imitating what happened in ‘Gone Baby Gone’. For that to happen social services should hire only people who are married and have children so they better understand the plight of children and will think twice before sending them back to where they came from.

If the state does not protect children from unfit parents, who will?

It is sad that to drive a car, a license is needed but no license is needed to raise children. Mothers who have children and a bad track record need to be scrutinized for drug abuse, addictions, and a life that is detrimental to the life of the child before allowing them to raise the child.

The state needs to be the protector of children no matter who they are regardless of their race, gender, or ethnicity. It is time the state picks up its game to protect children so we do not see what happened in ‘Gone Baby Gone’ happen in real life.

Express Your View

FEEDBACK I:

I agree that there should be a greater emphasis on the ethical practices of parenthood. Children are indeed special and loved by our Lord; they should therefore be shown the same love here on Earth. In an ideal world, removing children from improper family conditions would seem the correct thing to do. However, this conflicts with the adoption system in that there are so many children waiting adoption and significantly less families available to adopt the children. Perhaps the system could be improved by reducing the cost needed to adopt a child. I know many families who would love to adopt, but simply can't afford it. Also, I disagree with the statement that only married people with children should work for social services in child related areas. There are many unmarried people, or married people who are incapable of having children, who have a sincere desire to serve the unwanted or abused children of this country. I feel that the article has a good point in that children should be loved and protected, but perhaps it could be rewritten to include more practical details? I'll have to vote no for now.

A Dissenting Board Member

.Click picture to read my dad's memoriam:

Nov 01, 1941 - Dec 17, 2007

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