Protecting children is everyone's responsibility.

There has recently been a tragedy in the county where I live in Kentucky that has brought the protection of children to the forefront of everyone's mind. A twenty-two month old baby was apparently being abused and then died as a result of that abuse. Unfortunately, cases like this one are becoming common. This baby was being seen at a local hospital for some strange symptoms that no one associated with abuse. By the time abuse was suspected, she was gone.
We are not doing an adequate job of protecting children; that includes infants and babies in the womb. This responsibility belongs to all of us. I took this work upon myself because of the traumatic circumstances of my infancy. My father was my primary caretaker and he suffered with PTSD, alcoholism, and malaria as the result of being an Air Force gunner in World War II. I watched him die in a pool of blood in front of my crib when I was 13-months-old. Please see the link above to read the first four pages of my book.
Why do people abuse babies and children? Child abuse is a symptom of problems that are very deep and broad. The most basic thing I can say about the raising of children is that the single most important factor is the emotional and psychological health of the caretaker. People who are whole and healthy in themselves intuitively know how to care for, interact with, entertain, have appropriate boundaries, offer structure and discipline...to any child they are with. And if that child is their own, the natural bond only enriches that intuition. This is what is known as 'attunement.'
We are creating a world where people are not attuned to anything that's real. We zone out in front of a T.V., depend on drugs and alcohol to alter consciousness, put food and drink products in ourselves and children that are toxic to the brain, refuse to do grow psychologically and spiritually, focus too much energy on having nice cars and hip clothing. We are out of touch and babies and children are paying the price.
For many years I worked in psychiatric treatment. I have been trying to sound the alarm for three decades about the use of drugs that alter mental and emotional states; anti-depressants,
anti-anxietals, anti-psychotics, pain medication, uppers, downers, opiates, methadone, inhalants, cocaine, crystal meth. The broadscale use of these profoundly powerful compounds in a society rampant with psychological problems and addiction is like applying a match to a pile of combustible materials. The epidemic of drug abuse is out of control; particularly here in eastern Kentucky. Instead of minimizing it by saying the problem is everywhere, we need to look at the factors around us that have fueled it.
Babies and children need us to do a better job at protecting them.