A Time For Everything
By Mona Lease

Hi, all! This column is sort of a "part two." I did not mean it that way - it just turned out that way. I knew last week about a gross child abuse situation in our county. Now that it made the headlines in a local paper - I will speak.

I have spoken with a number of powerful people and organizations locally. I have asked them to start telling the kiddies and our young people to "Just Say No" to sex. They are told to say that to drugs. Imagine my surprise and disappointment when I was told - "We can not tell anyone when to have sex or not have sex." In a couple of cases, the interested parties wanted to have meetings to discuss how to "handle it." "Gasp, choke, sputter - what? (From me)" Words in my mind were the variations of "You need to discuss how to say NO" I thought you just said it - Don't you?" Stick close readers. This is a "gray area" - of sorts.

The woman that was found dead with a needle in her arm was an old classmate from elementary school. She did not start out doing drugs - that came much later.

The 22 year old man who beat his 2 week old baby (ending in reported brain & spinal injuries) did not start out that way, either. No one does - that I know.

Veer to the right here - Sex when you are not ready to handle the consequences - is worse than drugs. And - here's why -

In the case of the woman and the needle - she only took out herself. Sure - people were hurt - emotionally. And they cried - me included.. But -

In the case of the baby- 2 weeks old at the time - we have 1) a Father going to prison for 18 months. "Ex Con" is a moniker - whether you do 1 month, 1 year, or tens of years - and monikers stick - like glue. Granted, he will not pay child support. He signed away his rights as a parent - as did the Mother. And, that's the right to love that child, too. The right to show the kid - a son by the reports - how to ride a bike - "pop a wheelie" - any of the "Father/Son" stuff. Now, he'll get to wonder if the child looks like him, walks like him, laughs like him, etc. These are usually inherited traits from one of the parents. And "wonder" he will - through the rest of the years. So far as I know - you can not "un-adopt" a kiddie. Many have tried. Every case study I've read - the Judge has uttered a resounding "NO."

2) The Mother will live out the above story, too. It'll just be a "female version"...maybe she would have taught him how guys treat gals..maybe she would have taught him to cook - real cooking - you know - home made. We will never know - she was a child herself - so was the Daddy. And , lastly -

3) The kiddie himself. The reports are "He is fully recovered - brain and spinal injuries" - according to the media reports. He is now 2 months old.

Remember the kiddie who fell from the top-most car of the Ferris Wheel seven years ago now? I personally know him. He was OK and recovered, too...then. To date they have found he has trouble remembering in the short term and school work, lunch menu for the next day, etc. He has migraines when the weather changes - complete with a low moaning/whining to a shrill screech. He was potty trained 5 times.

Obviously - sex is worse than drugs. The above shows one woman died. Two kiddies had sex. A child resulted. Now 3 people have, are, and will always suffer the consequences. When would be a good time to "Just Say No" - without needing permission or planning?

Remember the kiddies and our service people. Take good care of the furry and feathered ones out there. Be safe and healthy. See ya next time. Ever Toodles!! MONA