SpunkyHomeSchool: Pray This Never Happens to You

Spunky has been doing a great job of covering the Abraham Cherrix story. You can read a lot of her work here
SpunkyHomeSchool: Pray This Never Happens to You

In May the judge issued a temporary order finding Jay and Rose Cherrix neglectful for supporting their son’s choice to pursue alternatives. Judge Jesse E. Demps also ordered the parents to share custody of Abraham with the Accomack County Department of Social Services; they face losing custody completely.

“What it boils down to is does the American family have the right to decide on the health of their child or is the government allowed to come in and determine that themselves and threaten one way or the other to split our family up?” Jay Cherrix said Tuesday night. Barry Taylor, the family’s attorney, said the case had major ramifications not only in Virginia, but across the nation, when it comes to parents’ rights to determine what is best for their children.

This probably isn’t the choice I would make for my own son, but if the young man and his parents have made their own informed decision, then why is it any body else’s business? This is the same reasoning that persecutes midwives for attending home births, and persecutes parents for opting out of immunizations or selectively immunizing, and why homeschoolers are always under the microsope.

Spunky has it right. Apparently the euphemism, “choice” really does only mean “to kill or not to kill” in reference to unborn offspring. According to some, and apparently supported by the court system and social services, babies should only be born in a hospital under the care of an OB, receive every single treatment and immunization currently recommended without question, and of course, attend public school from pre-school through 12th grade. That’s not really choice at all.