Defending the freedom to babysit when you're accused of abusing children

[proud2BlibKansan]

Remember Cynthia Davis, the MO rep who said hunger can be a positive motivator for children? Cynthia's a real role model for conservatives who care about kids, especially since her 2 year old child was found in the middle of a state highway a couple years ago. Then Keith Olbermann made her famous by honoring her as Worst Person TWICE for her statement about hunger in children.

Well Cynthia has a new cause. She is defending the right to babysit after a child dies in your care!

O'Fallon loon (and Missouri state Rep.) Cynthia Davis is dangerous.

Davis is often the butt of jokes around here. But make no mistake, Davis is powerful even if she appears folksy and dumb. As the Children and Families Committee in the Missouri Legislature, she's the gatekeeper who decides which bills get a hearing and which die in the committee. And so far, she's locked the gate on on H.B. 1534, a bill that would stop unlicensed child care providers from babysitting children while they're facing criminal charges such as child abuse.

The bill -- sponsored Rep. Linda Fischer, a Democrat from Bonne Terre -- is also called Sam Pratt's Law, named for a 3-month-old boy who died while in the care of an unlicensed day-care provider in February 2009. Pratt's autopsy report said he died from "non-accidental head trauma." His sitter, Martha Farris, is charged with abuse of a child resulting in death and involuntary manslaughter. Her trial is scheduled for October.

In an e-mail, Sam Pratt's aunt Amanda Thrasher tells The Pitch that in the five-and-a-half months Farris was being investigated, she was still babysitting other children whose parents had no way of knowing about the charges against her. Thrasher adds that police even asked Farris to stop babysitting, but she retained an attorney and found out there's a loophole that allows unlicensed day-care providers to keep babysitting when facing criminal charges.

Thrasher says they want the loophole closed.

Davis apparently doesn't want to the loophole closed. She isn't a fan of Sam Pratt's Law. She won't even give it a hearing. Her reason: It's not about abortion. Davis explained this in an e-mail to Pratt's mother, Hannah Pratt, on April 7. Here's an excerpt:

Our committee focuses on abortion issues and we have had a number of pro-life bills to deal with this year. There are over 11,000 babies killed every year through intentional abortion in Missouri alone. Every year we wait to pass reforms that can be corrected by reshaping our abortion laws, we have thousands more unborn babies whose lives are ended in violent deaths. I know that your story does not involve an abortion, but our committee has been charged with this duty and we must fulfill our primary mission.

It's all about the babies, you see. The unborn babies. Once you're out of the womb, you're on your own.

more . . . http://blogs.pitch.com/plog/2010/04/cynthia_davis_throws_her_support_behind_day-care_providers_charged_with_child_abuse.php

[ck4829]

1. Just proving that the "right to life" goes from conception to birth

[sammytko]

2. she even looks loony

clean up those eyebrows