A Man Abandons Nine of his Children!

It’s hard enough for high school seniors. College applications, enduring the final year of the often tedious four years of high school, the social drama, etcetera. Imagine though, on top of everything that we’re dealing with already, if we were suddenly abandoned by our parents along with 8 other siblings. No! You would say. In this day and age the law wouldn’t allow such an abrupt and traumatizing neglect. But it can happen. And it did—in Omaha, Nebraska. According to last week’s San Francisco Chronicle, “a single father walked into an Omaha hospital and surrendered nine of his 10 children, ages 1 to 17, saying that his wife had died and he could no longer cope with the burden of raising them.”

There is something called the Safe Haven Law, which allows parents of newborns to surrender their children to any hospital, police station or fire station, without any questions. The specifics of this law vary from state to state, and Nebraska was actually one of the last states to implement this law. Usually, the law limits this act to newborns, young enough not to get attached to their mothers as to traumatize their psyche when they are separated. However, evidently this does not apply in Nebraska, for this man managed to abandon nine of his children.

I support this law—it must be a life saver for those mothers who are emotionally or financially unstable to support a child. Although at times the mothers don’t care for the babies at all, I’m sure in many cases they only wish the best for their children and their future. If followed correctly, this law has the potential to gain many merits. It would most likely put the parents at a better position in life, and it will give the abandoned children a chance to receive a better life they otherwise might not have received. However, it seems as though this man—and many others, according to the article—have taken advantage of this law and is abusing it.

I think the New Haven Law is for those who are truly desperate. Not for exasperated parents of mischievous teens who can’t handle the parenting because it’s simply too difficult for them. I’m not a parent, and the only thing close to parenting I’ve ever come to is babysitting on a Saturday night, but even I know that it takes a lot more than what this man had to raise kids.

Maybe my thoughts are too biased. After all, I have only read an article and I have no clue what this man must’ve felt after losing his wife and realizing that he now had to support 10 children by himself. I just think that abandoning them was just irresponsible on his part. I don’t think I could deal with anything remotely close to that experience. But what do you guys think? Does this Nebraska man deserve some respect for his decision?