Medical Kidnapping is one of the Internet, blog sphere hot topics right now. Do an Internet search and numerous stories pop up with emotionally charged accounts about how the child or children were taken by CPS for unfair reasons such as for second opinions and alleged medical neglect. From a purely observational standpoint, the reporting bodies of these incidents are most often parent's rights sites and news stations.
The only thing I can say is to READ WITH CAUTION.
These stories sound horrific. They sound outrageous and incredible. They threaten the very fabric of trust in the health care system and the evils of any child protective service. They are emotional charged and sad beyond explanation. CAUTION.
That is the point of writing that story. Sometimes, the point behind that blog or site IS to en sight the public in an effort to garner support and money for their plight. These stories ARE emotional. They are talking about our kids, about taking our kids. Most of us would take a hot poker to the eye and a katana to the heart for the safety and well being of our children. To hear about the sorrowful story of a baby ripped from her mother's arms because of differing opinions on medical issues would make any person angry as a nest of agitated bees. But we must use caution when reading these stories. We must stay objective. From the accounts of the commenters, the general public doesn't remain too objective. People are being en sighted and emotionally charged. Success on the part of the author.
In life, in reality, back here on earth, there are two sides to every story. That's why there is a defending attorney and a prosecuting attorney. That's why there are arguments every day in homes across America between spouses, between children, between tenant and landlord. If there is more than one person in an argument (which I guess is necessary to make it an argument...) than there are a least two sides to that story. TWO SIDES. Two sides, two opinions, two sets of facts, two sets of perceptions, at least. TWO SIDES. Even evidence has two sides. There is evidence that is measurable and observable and there is circumstantial evidence. There is objective information and subjective information. And if you are trying to get support for your story, your campaign, your belief system, you are going to present YOUR side of the story. One side.
I think that my biggest theme here is that we, as consumers of information, perpetrators of stories and payers of donations, need to remain objective. Ask the questions that need to be asked, even if it is to only yourself. Look for obvious subjectivity in a story, obvious violations of rational thought. Look for unlikely scenarios like a direct quote from a physician to a child when the person claiming the quote wasn't there. Look for assaults to your emotions and triggers to outrage. These are notes of caution and mean that the consumption of said article or story should be done with caution. And that isn't easy to do. It requires a sense of fairness and judiciousness that not everyone has. It requires being able to identify in ourselves when we are being triggered.
The next time you come across a story on Facebook about the baby taken from his or her parents because the parents requested a second opinion, read it with caution, with a grain of salt and a hint of doubt. It could very well be true and accurate and a real injustice. It could also be fabricated or at minimum, grossly subjective to meet someone's agenda.
I'm just saying, READ WITH CAUTION.
