Children in the United States are routinely sacrificed on the pyre of
their parents’ faith by pandering politicians without a moral compass.
Children don’t vote but insular religious communities often vote as a
bloc mandated by the male officials at the top, and that fact is not
lost on power-hungry politicians like those in Utah who let the
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS)
patriarchs marry off girls and abandon boys so that the men will have a
better place in heaven. The same relationship between elected officials
and the ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities exists: there are known risks
to children but these politicians look the other way as they are feted
by the rabbis and a community that keeps children at risk.
It is
the time of year when Jews observe a series of important religious
holidays beginning with Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. I submit this
column as a subject to be pondered in the midst of celebration and
reflection.
As with the FLDS, the ultra-Orthodox communities have put children at
risk due to inadequate medical treatment, educational neglect, and
mostly undeterred child sex abuse. In an interesting twist, the gender
most severely affected in this community is male. Boys are at risk of
herpes infection from metzitzah b’peh, or MBP and boys are less
educated than girls because their education is focused on the Torah
rather than secular subjects. Both, however, are at risk of sexual
abuse. As in every community, that risk is significantly higher for the
girls than the boys. Therefore, boys and girls in this community need
prompt attention from the authorities, and politicians pandering for
bloc votes need a conscience check.
The Plight of Children at Risk in the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Communities and the Failure of Government and Pandering Politicians to Protect Them | Marci A. Hamilton | Verdict | Legal Analysis and Commentary from Justia
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