 By John Maki March 21, 2006
Leaving Germany, a Jewish family hid for two years from the Nazis in a building in Amsterdam. They were betrayed, sent to concentration camps and only the father survived to later find and have published his daughter's writings, The Diary of Anne Frank. That betrayal was someone telling the truth. One can be rigidly legalistic or recognize that a lie can result in good, and the total truth can result in a grave evil. It is an issue of the heart. For more of this read The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. Dayle questions: What was law enforcement doing when this teenage girl was allegedly having sex with adults? Rather than peeking in windows they might have been arresting a DUI, going to court, investigating other personal or property crimes, attending a mandatory class somewhere, chasing teenage smokers, handling a domestic violence call, or one of the myriad of things the State and/or City wants officers to do. Don't expect cops and judges to be all things to all people. Not everyone's problems are fixed through the criminal justice system. Cops don't bust into people's homes without due process to figure out who is having sex with whom. Law enforcement is limited by the Bill of Rights and certainly cannot act on whispers and rumors. They must depend on victims or witnesses to come forward and a measure of collaboration before starting an investigation. What if you have a "victim" who refuses to cooperate with an investigation and refuses to testify in court? Unfortunately, despite the efforts of parents, school counselors, social agencies and the criminal justice system, some kids just make horrible decisions for themselves. Whether it is communicated very well, parents want kids they can be proud of, having them grow up and become happy, decent, well-adjusted, productive and independent members of society. Some get there because of the example and support of parents and some get there without any of that. Some arrive after years of rebellion and a long journey and some never get there at all. (How many of our seniors in Ketchikan are raising their grandchildren?) Thank you to Cynthia Grant who could not have expressed this better. John Maki
Related Viewpoints:
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sitnews.
|
