Posted on 03/12/2009 12:09:05 PM PDT by Paved Paradise
CLEVELAND — Willie Robinson's parents claimed they couldn't afford medical treatment for the dying 8-year-old boy's cancer, prosecutors said, but they had enough money to pay a veterinarian to treat their pet pit bull for fleas. A Cuyahoga County grand jury on Wednesday indicted William Robinson Sr. and Monica Hussing for involuntary manslaughter, child endangering and felonious assault.
Willie died nearly a year ago, on March 22, shortly after he was admitted to MetroHealth Medical Center suffering from the final stages of Hodgkin's lymphoma, one of the most common and curable of cancers to strike children. The county coroner found that the child died of the cancer and pneumonia, but ruled his death a homicide.
Prosecutors said parental neglect was as responsible for Willie's death as the diseases.
"They never once took him to a doctor," said County Prosecutor Bill Mason. "It just is not right. This kid should be alive today."
Investigators said while Willie suffered without care, his parents paid $87 to have the pit bull, Petey, treated for fleas.
Assistant County Prosecutor Anna Faraglia worked on the case for the past year with police and family members. She said she is outraged by how the parents ignored a child who begged them to take him to see a doctor, but was rejected.
"There were some horrific symptoms," she said. "What weren't they seeing? Even a blind person would have known there was something wrong with him."
The parents were not arrested Wednesday, and have remained free since Willie's death. They will appear in court for an arraignment hearing in about two weeks, Faraglia said.
Sorry, we’ll have to disagree on this one. I think that prosecutor did the right thing and I hope they nail those parents to the wall.
By the way, do you even have the slightest idea how that child suffered? Cancer destroying his body so he could not even move without sheer agony. They would not have allowed that dog to suffer like that I am sure. I am sure.
Oh, and FWIW, they had five children!
The Bible says that we should never consider ourselves better than others. Of course, people reap consequences and I don’t believe in rewarding bad behavior.
This was a child, plain and simple; and he did not have to suffer OR die. It was so avoidable. It is a lesson for all of us to look within and see where we are lacking. There is none righteous, no not one.
Have a good night. In spite of our not seeing eye to eye, you do sound like a lovely soul for the most part.
Catch-22.
People that stupid, are too stupid to use it, let alone use it effectively.
"Uhh, duh, it were too hard to a-member if'n I taked it or not ever day, so's I done tooked all 30 the first day, when I gets'm, then I doesn't has got to a-member! Why'nt it didn't work?"
That is missing the point: the dog was important enough to seek treatment for; the child wasn't.
It isn't a money dichotomy; it is a priorities issue.
There is a difference between turning a blind eye and telling someone they can’t have everything they think they should have. There’s also a difference in what the gov’t is allowed to do per the Constitution and what we are compelled to do in the eyes of God. Just because you think that American’s wouldn’t do it voluntarily doesn’t mean it’s so. I believe that people want to and will give more when they don’t think the gov’t is already taking care of it.
As a Christian you should know that giving freely of your heart is rewarding both to you and the person you are gifting. Being forced to give doesn’t really do anyone any good and certainly we don’t need the gov’t acting as the middle man and keeping 50% for their own ill use. You confuse the role of the gov’t and the role of the Christian.
It all depends on whether or not they asked for help from charities. If they didn’t even attend to their ailing son at a graduation party, I really doubt that they gave a ****.
No. You are wrong. I confuse NOTHING kiddo. What I am saying is that I do not see a problem with the government taxing me to help others. I hope you don’t harbor any fantasies that our government is going to suddenly eliminate this practice.
However, I am not so naive as to think that people, and even Christian people, will give. And I disagree with you that people will give more. I don’t hold such lofty views of people’s generosity. While Americans are more generous than other nations, “to whom much is given, much is required.” If you really think that everyone would suddenly just start giving all this money, boy do I have a couple of business opportunities to discuss with you.
And finally, this entire thread is about the death of an innocent child. I don’t think providing that boy with needed medical care to SAVE HIS LIFE would be giving him, as you said “everything they think they should have.”
Okay?
EXACTLY. Glad someone on here gets it (I know a few do).
donations and charity is the way to go. Every charity would strive for excellence in order to be competitive. The government doesn’t have to be smart.
The only reason why the people ever ask for socialized healthcare is that they are thinking only of themselves. In an unselfish society, people give to charity and the government doesn’t steal from anyone.
We shall agree to disagree, FRiend.
You are right in a sense. It is wrong to force people to pay for universalized healthcare because it will also go towards irresponsible slobs who don’t deserve it.
Like you, I would much prefer that my money is going towards innocent poor people down on their luck, especially children in dire circumstances.
When you expect less of people they give less.
I’m not disagreeing at all. I just believe to bring up a vet bill in court to compare to the lack of medical treatment of their son was nothing but theatrics.
I’m certainly not blaming the kid. Where are you getting this idea?
If I could ever get to those “parents”, I would shoot them on the spot.
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