Crimes Against Young Deserve More Coverage Letter Of The Week From July 16

Imagine yourself as a 12- to 15-pound baby tied up on a bed in a totally vulnerable position with no one there to protect you while you are beaten and raped by two sociopath giants. To a 1-year-old child, a l4-year old must seem like a giant.

Recent reports of children and toddlers being raped and beaten are alarming and despicable. Even more alarming is the lack of empathy given by the media in providing coverage for such heinous crimes.

There recently has been a plethora of media coverage regarding the boxing match between two consenting adults (Holyfield and Tyson) who made the choice to beat the heck out of each other, for which they are paid incredibly well. The coverage, however, of abhorrent crimes against children has been minimal.

The article, “Woman faces cruelty charge for giving fawn pierced ears,” was several paragraphs long compared with the brief paragraph dealing with a precious child who had no recourse and was brutally beaten and raped by two adolescent males.

As a society, we all are responsible for not reacting in an aggressive manner that a baby is mutilated and beaten. All parents and child caregivers must teach our children and adolescents that we do not tolerate such behavior in any form, nor will we tolerate any type of abuse of children and women. Children and women should be revered and respected for their many talents and gifts. Instead, the media still depict women as sexual objects, and the average American is desensitized to violence against children and women. Mary A. Dietzen, Ph.D. licensed psychologist, Spokane

xxxx