When I first saw the title to this article, I honestly thought that it was going to be some ironic piece about the fact that it was a vegan couple that killed a child. I thought I was going to get a chuckle out of someone preaching "don't eat meat" and yet killing a child.
Perhaps you thought the same thing?
But, sadly, that was not the story. Rather, a vegan couple has been found guilty of murder and cruelty to children after their 6 week old son died of malnutrition:
"Twenty-seven-year-old Jade Sanders and 31-year-old and Lamont Thomas will receive automatic life sentences for starving the boy, who weighed just three-and-a-half pounds when he died."
We all have heard that a completely vegan diet is unhealthy; however some people believe that it is healthier than eating meat, or even vegetarian eating. But, there is no mention in the article as to whether or not this couple realized that they were starving the child, who was being fed a diet of soy milk and apple juice.
This was their first child. Did they really deserve life sentences?
I would think that, if anything, this was a case of criminal negligence; maybe even negligent homicide. But murder? There was no criminal intent here. How can that be right?
And there's so much information; were they purposely and/or knowingly ignoring advice from a doctor? Had they really researched their diet to make sure it was safe for the baby? Had a doctor told them that it should have been all right?
I do believe that they should have been punished for something; I think it's horrible that they ignored the health risks of their diets and that as a result, this baby starved to death. But I think murder is the wrong charge.
However, this case can be used in the future for education to show other vegans that while they may be choosing their diets out of moral reasons, they must be sure to research and make sure it is the right diet not only for them, but for others they are feeding.
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a vegan diet can be screwed up just as a non vegan diet can. This couple obviously was not following the vegan diet properly. With an ordinary citizen (no dietary necessities such as anemia or diabetes) Vegan IS the healthier way to go.....if youre that way from birth.....or if you make a gradual change...none of this cold turkey (no pun intended) stuff.
This couple obviously had no idea what they were doing....however I'm not sure what the charge should have been. Not every degree of murder requires criminal intent. And there's more than "first time parenting" problems going on when you let you six week old drop to 3 pounds.
Their lawyer was cheezing up the pity speech a little too much especially with the whole "they were simply trying to adhere to the strict dietary outlines of veganism". I'm sorry, it is not that difficult to adhere to the laws of veganism (for both children/infants and adults alike) Society nowadays is making it very easy and they should have known to take advantages of these opportunities.
This is unfortunate.....I wonder if they can be charged for murder for starving their child, I wonder if a parent can be charged for murder when they allow their child to eat too much, resulting in death from health issues revolving around their obesity?
a new day and a new line to draw i guess.
If your 6 week baby weighs just 3.5 lbs then you have to know that something is wrong!!!
Exactly, they should have at least been able to see that their baby didn't look well and took it to a doctor, but just like Fanaile said, there doesnt seem to be any malicious intent, its an issue of negligence on the parent's part.
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A new look at the negative media influence surrounding the VT tragedy:
VT Affects a Would-Be Marine
That is so devestating...I guess I had never thought how a baby would be fed with vegan parents...breast-feeding is such a natural thing I assumed thats how the baby would be fed...what is the correct punishment for such a thing? i am curious to know if they were seeing doctors because when a baby is young, you see the doctors quite frequently to make sure their weight is increasing and what not...
With the commercial food market in America what it is today, I'm not so sure I would want to put that into my child. It sounds like they were just standing on their own convictions.
I don't eat meat because of what the livestock market is, but I have researched that conclusion, read up on it, talked to doctors. And I know that I can stay healthy without it, but I wonder why no doctor pointed out the dangers of this diet to the baby's parents.
Babies are supposed to have a check up a week after their birth, why didn't the doctor give them information on a healthy feeding diet? Especially since this was their first child?
It seems wrong, I'd put this case under negligent homicide, but nothing higher than that, unless if the baby had other markings of abuse.
visit this blog: http://www.progressiveu.org/175107-slavery-still-exists-be-an-abolitionist
...is that under Georgia Law...
A person also commits the offense of murder when, in the commission of a felony, he causes the death of another human being irrespective of malice.
http://w3.lexis-nexis.com/hottopics/gacode/default.asp
Cruely to Children is in most serious cases considered to be felony in Georgia. Thus, the felony murder charge (and the mandatory life sentence) was most likely imposed for this reason.
perci
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Arthur: Which is the greatest quality of knighthood?
Merlin: Truth. That's it. Yes. It must be truth, above all. When a man lies, he murders some part of the world.
(From John Boorman's Excalibur)
I've been a vegan for about 6 years, and I was a vegetarian before that for about 5 years. If I ever had any children, I'd definitely raise them vegan, and it wouldn't be that hard to do so. How a vegan couple could accidentally kill their baby by underfeeding it is completely beyond me. I mean, baby food is usually just mashed fruits and vegetables! How could you just give your child soymilk and apple juice and think it would be ok? When they are younger you feed them breast milk and as they get older you start giving them vegan cereal like cheerios, pasta, etc. until they can eat regular vegan food.
The whole thing is really unnerving to me, particularly because there are a lot of people who criticize me for wanting to raise a vegan child. I've been vegan for a long time and I know what kinds of food I can eat, and if I had children I would know what to give them. There's no excuse for not seeing a doctor and a vegan dietician for you while you're pregnant and for your baby once it's born.
-JP
Hi Jp!
I have a question; do you not like the idea of allowing your child to choose for him or her self whether or not to be a vegan? Why make that choice for them?
And, when your child turns, say 13, and decides she doesn't want to be vegan - will you let her change her mind? Will you fix her non-vegan foods?
I only ask because I've known a lot of vegans who did just as you decribe, and not one of their children is vegan now.
I think if it's "forced" there's a bigger chance that they're going to rebel; especially if they have friends that are going to McDonald's or whatever. I'm a meat eater, but I'm not going to raise my kids as "meat eaters" - they are going to eat healthy, balanced meals - some with meat, some without, until they decide which dishes they like the most. That's how my mother raised my sister and I.
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"Dream as though you'll live forever, but live as though there's no tomorrow" --James Dean
Fanaile Essence,
A-Team Member
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Every vegan parent has to accept that one day their kids are going to have to make the choice for themselves on whether to continue being vegan or not. I'd like to hope that my kids would choose to continue being vegan, and hopefully I'll have taught them respect for all living things. Raising a child vegan isn't forcing them anymore than raising a child on eating meat is forcing them to eat meat. And I will teach my kids about veganism and animal rights because it's important for them to know, and those are the value I want them to hold. If they decided they didn't want to be vegan when they are older, there really is nothing I could do to stop them. I'm sure one day they will try eating meat, as we all try different things, so I'd let them do it and hope it's just a phase. However, I do not allow meat in my apartment and that will never change. I don't spend my money on animal products, either, so if my child wanted to eat those things they would not be able to do it in my house.
Veganism is a big part of my life, as well as the life of my boyfriend. We find a lot of ethical issues in killing or mistreating animals, and we fight against it in any way we can. Every parent has to decide how they are going to raise their kids and what kinds of values they want to encourage. Some people raise their kids believing certain religions and some people refuse to use physical punishment on their kids. These are all choices we have to make, and veganism is just another of these choices.
-JP
Very true and very well thought out :)
I guess this is where I got lucky :) My mother was very open and taught me about several lifestyles. Including religious lifestyles and eating lifestyles.
I remember at least once every couple of months she would go through a vegan thing. Not that she was vegan, mind you, but she wanted to expose my sister and I to vegan lifestyle. I think because she didn't want to be accused of forcing her lifestyle on us. But that ended when I was about 9 or 10 and diagnosed with severe anemia. I had to eat liver at least once a day, absolutely nasty. But when my mother researched there were no effective alternatives. So her vegan weeks were ended rather abruptly.
I think that actually might be why I am balanced out today, and I believe in balance above every thing else. I and my mother had to make that choice - try to control my anemia through diet - which would have to include meat, or suffer through a painful operation with a long recovery period. Sometimes, you have to place your health first.
Some people can function just fine without ever eating meat, eggs, cheese... Others simply can't. I hope your children grow to hold onto the same values you've set (of course, we all hope that for our children) but I hope you will be understanding to their choice if they ever decide to adopt eating meat.
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"Dream as though you'll live forever, but live as though there's no tomorrow" --James Dean
Fanaile Essence,
A-Team Member
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Okay I guess some people are just weird but how do you mis a starving child???
Th parents did not notice the intense screams on an infant, family and neighbors did not notice??? The preceeding lethargy was ignored, I just can not believe it, but murder?? Maybe negelect and stupidity but not murder.
Plus, there are others who are just as guilty. As stated above, what about the Doctor's and Nurse's responsibility. People really need to have more education on nutrtion and sources...Geez this is so disturbing.
http://www.progressiveu.org/102757-governments-role
all truths are easy to understand once discovered; the point is to discover them ~galileo
except the child was taken away from the family before he or she died. The family did not believe in breastfeeding because they didn't want to give any animal products to their child, including breast milk (this is weird to me, since I thought being vegan is all about fighting suffering, and since you'd think a mom would want to nourish her baby, she would be freely giving her breast milk, not suffering the way a cow suffers when pumped full of hormones to make milk for say, baby formula.) Anyway, the baby was being fed soy formula but wasn't doing well on it, and since the family refused to give the baby anything else, the baby was placed in foster care.
I think the family had other kids and they where taken away and put in foster care as well...it baffles me that a family would be working so hard to prevent cruelty, yet they'd rather have their children suffer through foster care then feed them well. What the fuck? I love radicals and especially my vegan friends, but don't let radical idealism get in the way of nourishing your children people...that just doesn't make sense.
Love ya,
Carrot