Most of the time I consider myself a sane and rational human being, I would like to think that most of the time the rest of the world is sane and rational as well. Especially the people who write our laws, I want them to be intelligent and compassionate, I want them to look out for children, but I don’t want them to write laws that will point the finger at me because I am a single parent.
Today I am not rational at all, as a matter of fact I am quite livid. Wisconsin State Senator Glenn Grotham has introduced a bill to bring more attention to the ongoing problem of child abuse. That is not why I am livid, anything that is done to stop child abuse is a good thing.
The good Senator wants to provide information to families about child abuse and in that information it will state: the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board will emphasize that non marital parenthood is a contributing factor to child abuse and neglect.
I am saddened that this is just one more burden that single parents have to bear. We don’t have enough to worry about, now we will have to worry every time our child gets hurt that someone will think we have harmed them.
When I was married Hailey had an injury that made the school suspicious so they called the Department of Children and Family Services. I wasn’t upset, I was glad they were protecting all children, I knew I didn’t have anything to worry about because Hailey was not abused but still, the stress of that time and the interrogation from the DCFS caseworkers was rough. At least I had my spouse to go through that with me, I can’t imagine how it would feel to go through that alone.
Even if you haven’t done anything wrong as a single mother you feel guilty and now this senator is trying to say that because you are a single parent you probably are guilty.
Isn’t this just another form of discrimination?