Nebraskan officials are concerned about parents dumping their kids in their hospitals a day before the state changes its "safe haven" law. The safe haven law was supposed to protect infants. However, many of the children put into the state's custody are seldom infants; rather, many parents across the country to put the state in charge of the 5 day old to 17 year old kids. The most recent "dumping incident" occurred when a mother flew in two teenagers, a aged 17 and a boy aged 14, to turn them over at a hospital in Omaha. This prompted the Nebraska governor to plea for parents to keep their kids."Please don't bring your teenager to Nebraska," Gov. Dave Heineman said. "Think of what you are saying. You are saying you no longer support them. You no longer love them." The safe haven law was meant for parents to drop their infants without being prosecuted. However, not one have been an infant. People also bring in their kids from outside states so they would not be prosecuted.
This is a story that I find very sad and frightening. If a parents decides to leave their kids, if the child is still an infant, at least he won't feel the sadness and think no one loves him. However, being teenagers, many adolescents may fall into depression or even , as they realize that their parents do not want them anymore. It makes me scared because I realize how lucky I am to not be handed over to the government. It would probably make me feel as if no one in the world cares if I exist. I also feel anger, anger that parents abuse a loophole in the law. This law was meant to help, not destroy, children's lives. I am glad that the Nebraska legislature will push for a age limit below one month. I hope the law is changed quickly enough so that no parent can drop older children to the state government again.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/14/nebraska.safe.haven/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
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