Legacy of slavery today
By Don Mathis
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This article was previously published in the San Antonio Express-News on January 21, 2005. It is published here with the kind consent of the author. |
Thinking of
the birthday and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., I think about the
most horrible aspect of slavery. I believe, as Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl
relates in "Man's Search for Meaning," the most horrible aspect of
the concentration camps was the injustice.
Aside from
the injustice, what would be the most horrible aspect of slavery? The capture
and removal from one's family? The lack of freedom? The beatings? The meager
food and dismal shelter? The long hours of degrading work?
No, I
believe the worst thing you can do to a person is to steal their children.
Black children were torn from loving parents. This thievery of children
continues today.
Child
Protective Services has awesome power to take away children on mere allegations
of neglect. Awesome responsibility should accompany such awesome power. Yet the
agency cannot be subpoenaed or sued.
There exists
another organized, state-sponsored system that can take away your child - the
civil courts.
A divorce or
custody court judge can order a child to live apart from a loving, caring
parent. Usually, the father is relegated to becoming a visitor to his children.
Not only is this outright gender bias, it is extremely unfair to the kids.
Children
should have the right to access to both parents. Shared custody - unless abuse
can be proven - should be mandated in civil courts.
Our society would benefit. More important, our children would benefit.
Destruction
of the Natural Family
By Pamela Gaston
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