The Child Victim

I've been really bothered by the kind of news that permeates the news that includes children dying or suffering at the hands of those who should know better. To wit, I did a search on January 11, and here is what I have found on CNN in the last five days before that date:

Man Killed Baby Daughter Because He Wanted Son
Pregnant Marine Dead
Killer's Parents Cry, Hug With Parents of 2 Slain Teens
Washington Mayor: City Failed 4 Slain Children (Related article here, and here, and here)
Dad Denies Throwing Kids off Bridge
Madeline Parents in Movie Talks
Court hears of Child Army Terror
Police: Teacher Exchanges Nude Photos with Freshman
12-year-old Beats Toddler To Death With Bat, Police Say
Cells, Texting Give Predators Secret Path to Kids

In November, I brought up the story of little Riley, whose mother and her mother's boyfriend confessed to killing the little girl because she refused to say "please" and "yes sir," and I wondered why Riley suffered at the hands of a man who she was not related to, and why her mother allowed him into their lives. When we all found out what Andrea Yates had done to her five children, and the life that Rusty Yates had to live after that, we scratched our heads wondering why five innocent souls had to suffer at the hands of a psychotic disease that took over their mother. How many other names can we think of? JonBenet Ramsey? How about the other nameless children out there who suffer at the hands of adults, lost forever in the continuum of being born in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Further, the fascination that the media has with children suffering makes the majority of mothers pull their children closer to bosom and probably help spawn ridiculous inventions such as the child leash. And when I refer to "media," it's not just the news outlets: Seen the movie "Ransom" lately? How about "The Ring" or "The Exorcist" or "The Sixth Sense"? Suffering children at the center of every movie. The movies themselves were wildly successful, and nothing makes someone's skin crawl more than watching a defenseless human dealing with some very adult-like situations.

There are even situations in which a child suffers, and there's no adult to blame. Then what? Bindi Irwin had one of the most lovable dads in television, with bravery and balls to match, and nature took its course when Steve Irwin died doing what he loved best. We all looked to Irwin's children and wondered what they'd do, and thankfully, Bindi picked up and, with a little help, is trying to start where her father left off.

But we don't hear as much about Bindi in the news as we hear about the Rileys and Madelines and JonBenets; child victims are a dime a dozen in the media industry, but still catch human attention every single time. I think those of us who are parents would love to see their child in the spotlight, but the chances of that being under good conditions are next to nothing. Some days, I do try to be careful what I wish for, because if I asked God for my child to be famous, what are the chances she'd be famous for her death rather than her life?