Posted on 06/19/2003 7:36:03 PM PDT by mhking
Edited on 06/23/2003 2:48:15 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
PORTAGE COUNTY -- A mother traveling from Detroit to Pittsburgh got into trouble in Portage County while trying to drive and breastfeed her baby at the same time.
Twenty-nine-year-old Catherine Donkers had fed the baby before she left Detroit but said her seven-month-old daughter was hungry again.
"I knew I was doing nothing wrong when I was breastfeeding her," Donkers said.
Donkers doesn't consider her actions excessively dangerous.
"I think there are lots of things we do when we put ourselves at risk, just by the very fact that I'm in a car and there's lots of car accidents every single day," she said. "I think it would be reasonable to say even that's a danger."
A truck driver apparently saw it as a danger and called the highway patrol. But Donkers wouldn't pull over for police until she got to a tollbooth.
"I've directed her to, that when she doesn't feel safe, she goes to a public place," said her husband, Brad Barnhill.
At the tollbooth, Donkers didn't give the trooper a driver's license. She instead pulled out an affidavit as identification and got cited for not having a license.
The couple also claims she did nothing wrong, saying Michigan law has an exemption to its child restraint law for nursing mothers.
They claim that since the turnpike is an interstate, drivers can follow the laws of their home state. But the highway patrol says that as long as the stop occurred in Ohio, they have to abide by Ohio laws.
The couple has done extensive research on the law and believes in a strict adherence to them. Donkers is facing child endangering and child seat violations among other charges. Her and her husband say they plan to fight all charges and will file a counter suit.
Im not defending the fact that this woman, Im defending her right to do dumb things with no intention of malice. As far as protecting the baby from the steering wheel should someone cut her off, How about safe distance allowing you to use the STEERING wheel to avoid collision? In the scenario that You called ridiculous the mother could not have the advantage of allowing safe distance as there is only so much distance between mama and the ground. And whats the difference between being smashed between mama and the Wheel or mama and the ground?
Should we ever venture out of the house for fear of this goblin or that hobgblin? Every breath is a risk. Could be an SARS spore in it. Best to stop breathing.
YES or NO.
The only people who find that question difficult to answer are those who aren't reasonably prudent. A case can be made that those individuals shouldn't be allowed to operate a multi-ton vehicle at high speeds.
Im not trying to defend her stupidity, Im trying to point out that We cant outlaw stupidity....that would be the ultimate stupidity
And that is one of the primary differences between Constamatooshinalists and the sane - we don't like to see the lives of others endangered through the sort of stupidity that these people seem to embrace and revel in.
Hey, no problem--as long as said dumb things don't raise the prospect of harm to others.
Romans 13:1-2, 5-7: "Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves...Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For because of this, you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor" (NASB).
How do you deal with this passage, I humbly ask?
I understand your point but think that there is a world of difference between risk and malice.
I cheerfully will.
Her car was well controlled while she drove. No injuries, no accidents happened.
You are conflating "she got extremely lucky" and "her car was well controlled."
Here's the bottom line: if someone's luck runs out...would you say "I'm not going to second-guess her adult decision," or are you going to say "hammer her," or are you going to run for cover and hope nobody notices the bone-headedness you've been spouting?
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