Baby Abandonment Essay, Research Paper

In the world today there are numerous single teen and young adult women having unwanted pregnancies. A lack of experience and maturity causes many of these young parents to feel frightfully inadequate in the face of their newborn child. Some of these people believe abortion is immoral yet also see putting a child up for adoption as an insurmountable burden. For this reason, there are those who feel justified in abandoning a child, leaving him or her parentless. Of course, others abandon their child not because of any ethical dilemma but because they are without any sense of responsibility whatsoever. Many of these tragic circumstances can be prevented or overcome through establishing orphanages, increasing the availability of firehouses where the child can be dropped off, and by having more strict laws against the abandonment of an infant. Orphanages would help a great deal in decreasing the numbers of abandoned children. Imagine a place where a distraught parent could turn their child over to people whom they knew would care for it. Moreover, think of the considerable attractiveness of turning one s child over with no questions asked or moral judgments passed. Orphanages on the other hand can present problems. It is hard for a healthy child to be raised in what so often can feel more like a warehouse than a real family. It could also discourage adoptions because people would think that these children were being taken care of and, subsequently, not feel as compelled to do something personally. And of course, it is expensive to have an orphanage due to the almost infinite number of regulations that churches and other institutions would have to adhere. Isn t it possible that many orphanages would be started and then abandoned, leaving the children where? Another solution to decreasing the amount of abandoned babies would be to have firehouses available where the child could be dropped off for thirty days. In this way, mothers would not feel that there was no option other than abandonment after deciding that they are not ready to be a parent. This would also ensure that the child is safe and cared for rather than left to the fate of someone finding it dead or alive in a trashcan. However, this also just gives people an easy way out. How can a person learn from a mistake for which they do not have to pay social consequences? Also, is being able to put out a fire proof of being qualified to care for and protect a child, even for only thirty days? There are laws against the abandonment of a child but they are not harsh enough. If these laws were stricter and uniformly enforced it would intimidate people away from leaving their children. The consequence of this intimidation would be a decrease in the amount of children being abandoned. Another positive outcome from stricter enforcement of such laws would be justice for the innocent child. They cannot speak for themselves, defend themselves nor vindicate themselves. It is up to the judicial system of this nation to take swift action in regard to defending such people from criminal acts. Of course, in some cases, the problem with this is that there are people who are so depraved that they will just kill the baby and bury it. Moreover, there are also individual circumstances that must be considered. For example, what does a thirteen-year-old girl know? Should she be incarcerated because she foolishly abandoned her child on the doorsteps of a hospital? It certainly is more commendable than, say, leaving it in a bathroom stall. While there are certainly hurdles to overcome in regard to these suggestions, the potential for better care and justice for the children outweigh the possible problems. Orphanages are better than abandonment, Firehouses better than death, uneven justice better than no justice at all.