Word: elisa
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SENTENCED. AWILDA LOPEZ, 29, to 15 years to life in prison for the murder of her six-year-old daughter, ELISA IZQUIERDO. Elisa's death, after years of sexual and physical abuse, attracted attention to the failings of the child-welfare system...
...matter the seat-belt, drunk-driving and environmental movements, all of which have changed the way Americans live--the children's movement is more like a series of spasms than a focused, well-coordinated effort. True, when a Polly Klaas or Megan Kanka is abducted and murdered, or when Elisa Izquierdo falls through the gaping holes in New York City's social-services system, outraged parents and community leaders can rear up, roar and carry the day for "three strikes" or Megan's Law. And in the endless wrangle over welfare reform, which hit the headlines again last week, children...
...overzealous protection of children. Separating a child from a parent can have a devastating effect upon both parent and child. Until we are certain that a parent presents a true danger to a child, we must continue to promote the preservation of the family. When a child like Elisa falls through the cracks, we should be careful to place the blame where it is truly deserved--on the person who has abused the child. DONALD V. LINKE Wauwatosa, Wisconsin...
ATTEMPTING TO REFORM PARENTS, AS was done in Elisa's case, puts the children at further risk. Our system supports an adult's right to procreate and procreate again--regardless of ongoing substance addiction, unwillingness to work or proven abuse to children--but holds society responsible for the children. There is a problem with this thinking: money cannot buy parenting. Elisa's mother initially abandoned her, and Elisa's mother ultimately murdered her. JEAN G. HOLLOWELL Chapel Hill, North Carolina...
THANK YOU FOR PUBLISHING LITTLE Elisa's sad story and for exposing the grave injustice that agencies such as the Child Welfare Administration in New York City do little children. The cwa is not held accountable for its actions or failure to act. It is time that such agencies and the courts broadened their awareness to include what is really important: a child's best interests. Elisa, a youngster with the potential for a bright future, could be alive today if someone had cared enough. Why do we reunite children with their families when we know the youngsters...