Poison

In our society there are some areas where most people draw a line in the sand regarding what is right and what is wrong. One that seems to be almost universally agreed on is the abuse, torture, and murder of children. Yet even in the midst of the seeming disdain for such, we continue to overlook a major problem. . .and, I suppose, have no “good” ideas about how to handle the issue.

In a new JAMA study of more than 6,000 first-graders, researchers estimate that between 1.1% and 9.8% of American children have developmental or neurological problems caused by fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs)—a significantly higher number than previous studies have reported. And out of the hundreds of children determined in the study to have FASD, only two had been previously diagnosed. (TIME)

How could anyone deny that FASDs are child abuse, and create problems that torture children throughout their life? If our society has a concern regarding “diagnosing” this problem, that needs to be solved immediately. Obviously it can be done. And where that abuse is found to be the case, there must be criminal prosecution for the person who is the abuser.

As an example, FASD is a greater problem than Autism (according to JAMA). How hard is our society working on getting a handle on Autism? Yet we allow FASD (unlike Autism, we know exactly how FASD happens) to go unreported, unstudied (by-in-large), and have no laws (as far as I know) against behavior that so often damages the most innocent among us.

While Christianity takes a dim view of alcohol abuse (forbidden in Scripture), every person in their right mind should vehemently oppose allowing the unborn to suffer at the hands of those who take no thought regarding the damage wreaked by their own desires or apparent lack of self-control. To continue to cover-up this abuse is criminal in and of itself.