|
How Many Have Been "Saved"?
Does anyone have solid information on how many infants have been saved by Safe Haven laws? And no, that isn't the number of infants who have been anonymously abandoned at approved sites.
The answer to this question lies in the answer to a deeper question: of the infants anonymously abandoned at approved sites, how many would have been dumped in an unsafe location had these laws not been enacted? I'd argue that it's not 100%.
My concern with Safe Haven laws is that we're assuming the capacity for rational thought in individuals who obviously aren't thinking rationally. She most likely didn't tell anyone she was pregnant, she doesn't want anyone to know she gave birth, and she definitely doesn't want any trail to lead back to her. It's a decision about HER, not about the CHILD.
Knowing this, why would we assume that she would think the action through and find a "safe" place? If that was the case, why aren't more infants anonymously abandoned on the doorstep of some wealthy persons house instead of in dumpsters?
My second concern is that we're somehow promoting irresponsible behavior in people who would otherwise choose a responsible, already established option - legal adoption. Are we encouraging women who would have chosen adoption to instead dump their infants?
Data on this is all difficult, if not impossible, to gather of course.
"If even one infant is saved, this law has done its job" - something posed by supporters of such legislation.
Another angle - "If even one woman changes her mind about placing her child for adoption and instead chooses anonymous abandonment, then this legislation has undone the job of all previous legislation that tried to put the best interests of the child first".
|