Another child has been brutally tortured and killed,
apparently by a stepparent. Some have suggested this tragedy is a
reminder of poor Lisa Steinberg, who was beaten to a pulp by her
adoptive father, Joel Steinberg, but I beg to differ. Nixzmary
Brown, like the most recent child homicide victims, will fade
from the headlines in a matter of weeks. The trial of her
allegedly abusive parents, Nixzaliz Santiago and Cesar Rodriguez,
is unlikely to appear on the front pages of the local tabloids.
Do the names Dahquay Williams and Sierra Roberts ring a bell?
Probably not.
There will be inquiries as to why the child welfare agency
monitoring Nixzmary failed to halt her abuse, but I don't expect
to read of any major shake-up. A senior manager at the
Administration for Child Services was found to have falsified
records to cover up negligence in the Williams case, news that
never made the front pages, either.
New Yorkers will sigh at the inhuman treatment of the young
innocents, but then they will turn the page and go on with their
lives, as it doesn't directly affect them. This is not an
indictment of them but rather a note of frustration with a
society that has no answers on how to prevent these tragedies.
I seem to recall that in the 1960s one reason put forth for
legalizing abortion was that aborting an unwanted child would
prevent these abuses of children. In other words, kill them in
the womb or parents may be forced to kill them later. Well, that
certainly hasn't worked, because today unwanted children still
get born and killed in even greater numbers.
One would think an organization with the name Children's Defense
Fund would have come up with a solution that works, but in fact
CDF's main mission is to enact social change via government
intervention. While it may help get laws passed to provide more
money for social programs that may or may not trickle down to
help the Nixzmarys of the country, in reality it's just another
bureaucratic boondoggle that sounds good on paper.
Most social programs receiving government funding are rarely
monitored for effectiveness, but crusading politicians just love
to cite their involvement in the programs while running for
election or re-election.
Senator Clinton is appearing with Harry "Bush Is the World's
Worst Terrorist" Belafonte at the CDF's 2006 Winter Benefit
Fund. Mrs. Clinton has always been a strong advocate for this
organization, and she will likely decry Congress's latest budget
bill, which includes cuts for many socialist - I mean, social -
programs. I do wish that honesty was required before politicos
could rail about budget cuts without mentioning that these cuts
are generally made to rates of increase. In most cases, programs
get more money than before, but why mention that little tidbit?
If a program is claiming to defend children, then I want
something that works. Paying for studies and research and
psychological data may be interesting, but common sense works
faster and is cheaper. Most cases of child abuse involve parental
or guardian substance abuse. Children living with crack, cocaine,
and heroin addicts are in peril, and what do we hear from liberal
advocates? Let's legalize drugs.
How many times have we heard about decent foster parents who've
sheltered children from infancy only to have them torn away and
returned to supposedly rehabilitated biological parents? What
does CDF have to say about that?
According to its mission statement, "CDF provides a strong,
effective voice for all the children of America who cannot vote,
lobby, or speak for themselves. We pay particular attention to
the needs of poor and minority children and those with
disabilities. CDF educates the nation about the needs of children
and encourages preventative investments before they get sick,
into trouble, drop out of school, or suffer family
breakdown."
Well, CDF provides a voice and educates the nation about
children's needs. Heck, I can do that too, and I wont take any
taxpayer money. It's probably not wise to write a column when
you're emotionally overwrought, but I keep looking at the
photograph of a smiling 7-year-old and wondering how she could
have been saved.
A few years ago, a couple in Staten Island was arrested in the
savage abuse death of their daughter. They lived two blocks away
from me, but I had never seen Sylenna Hernkind, 3, whose head was
held under water, her mouth filled with soap; who had her body
scrubbed with a steel mesh pad if she dirtied her diaper.
He parents were charged with second-degree murder. Funny how
nearby neighbors always say they knew something was wrong but
didn't know what to do.
Mrs. Clinton, what's your answer?