Maine Couple is Criminal and Racist?
You probably join me in my shock that Nicholas and Lola Kampf would see kidnapping their daughter and forcing her to have an abortion as an appropriate response to her telling them she’s pregnant. In addition, their rationale (or lack thereof) is reportedly fueled by racism. According to ABC News:
If convicted, the Kampfs could face up to 15 years in prison.
I'm going out on a limb here, but I think everyone on both sides of the issue would agree that no woman should ever be forced to have an abortion. Sadly for Katelyn Kampf, her parents were the ones who tried to take away her right to decide if and when she was to become pregnant (and with whom).
Julie in Philly
A Maine couple accused of tying up their 19-year-old daughter, throwing her in their car and driving her out of state to get an abortion were upset because the baby’s father is black, a Maine sheriff said Tuesday.
"This whole race-card things is ridiculous and objectionable," said [Defense attorney Mark] Sisti, who represented both of the Kampfs for their arraignment Monday, but is now representing only Lola Kampf.
Katelyn Kampf escaped from her parents in Salem after persuading them to untie her so she could use a Kmart bathroom, police said.
If convicted, the Kampfs could face up to 15 years in prison.
I'm going out on a limb here, but I think everyone on both sides of the issue would agree that no woman should ever be forced to have an abortion. Sadly for Katelyn Kampf, her parents were the ones who tried to take away her right to decide if and when she was to become pregnant (and with whom).
Julie in Philly
posted by ACLU of Pennsylvania at 9/22/2006 09:56:00 AM
4 Comments:
whoa
19?
What the heck?
Well, I'm disgusted by these allegations. If true (and isn't it somewhat ironic that that the couple's surname is Kampf (Mein Kampf)), I hope the parents are given appropriate punishment for the crime.
Of course, according to the article, the race thing is highly speculative at the moment. And people sometimes make up stupid lies. So let's not hang the race card around this couple's necks yet or believe fully in the media supposition, who are known to be sensationalist bastards... Then again, defense lawyers will object to everything said as a matter of course. Will be interesting to see how this one pans out.
On the freedom of choice side, yes, every person should be free to do whatever they wish with whomever they choose. Obviously, parents can make reasonable, lawful decisions for their children (minors), which may not be liked much by a child, since the parents are ultimately responsible for the welfare of their children, not the state nor any government institution.
Three weeks ago I was in Maine (and NH), which was lovely. Even if everything that has been alleged turns out to fact, I do not believe that such vile actions are indicative of the majority. New England, on the whole, is open-minded and freedom-loving (perhaps especially many people from NH, where the State motto is "Live Free or Die"). Everywhere has bad seeds.
Naturally, it is always minority (having nothing to do with skin color, mind you) viewpoints that the media are most interested in blathering on about. Such weighted broadcasts often give a false picture of a true majority opinion. If 100 people turn up to an event in a city of 2 million, it's practically the majority opinion, eh? That's what they'd have us believe.
Anyway, even if half of this is true--either half--it's still despicable.
As for racism, it's something I never understood, though I've witnessed it and experienced it directly. Aren't we all people? To that: Is racism a misnomer, since we are all one race with, I think, minor cosmetic variations? I suppose skin tone-ism (color-ism) doesn't quite have a snappy ring to it.
I do agree that the race card is thrown about too easily. I know there is racism everywhere; I am not saying there it is not. But not every criminal action between people of different heritages is inherently racist. Speaking generally, it is really sad how low we can stoop sometimes. (And if this couple, if they actually did this, are the lowest of low (again, pick any half the issue).
On the positive side--for it is generally agreed upon to end on a positive note--it seems to me that each new generation of Americans is less inclined towards racism than previous generations. I strongly believe this to be true.
Well said, bidge. I agree that "racism" is a misnomer these days. Most people who are accused of being "racist" are not reacting to differences in race, but to differences in culture. Those are the differences that cause discomfort and therefore people avoid them. Maybe culturalism is a better word.
With that in mind, I respectfully disagree that younger generations are less inclined to racism. Younger generations are not given a clear picture of what racism/culturalism is. And it's no wonder... the way the word is thrown around by adults, how can they help but be confused about it?
What those parents did was horrible and just plain stupid. But I hope the media has a reason for drawing the "race card" other than the guy was black. Because I'm sick to death of people inserting racism just to make the villains in the story seem more evil and make the drama more romantic. Doing so is making it even harder (damned near impossible) to fight the very real, very deeply hidden racism that is still violently oppressing people in this country and in this world.
Or maybe the daughter has mental health issues and the parents are not racists, in fact the mother is a MSW (social work) and has fought for the oppressed her whole life. Maybe she was advising her daughter not to have a baby because she was still a baby, and a mentally ill one at that. The last time I looked, abortion is legal in this country and while it is never a happy occasion, sometimes it is for the best. Perhaps their daughter had issues and made all this up because she was a little off her rocker and wanted to hurt her parents.
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