Shawna Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 I read about stuff like this and I wonder why I was unable to (naturally) have a baby, and why I had to submit to a background investigation, a home inspection - and a pelvic exam - to adopt, when idiots like this can have as many babies as they want and subsequently torture them. So my question is this: to those of you who believe in the existence of God, how would you explain his reasoning behind this? RENO, Nev. (July 15) - A couple who authorities say were so obsessed with the Internet and video games that they left their babies starving and suffering other health problems have pleaded guilty to child neglect. The children of Michael and Iana Straw, a boy age 22 months and a girl age 11 months, were severely malnourished and near death last month when doctors saw them after social workers took them to a hospital, authorities said. Both children are doing well and gaining weight in foster care, prosecutor Kelli Ann Viloria told the Reno Gazette-Journal. Michael Straw, 25, and Iana Straw, 23, pleaded guilty Friday to two counts each of child neglect. Each faces a maximum 12-year prison sentence. Viloria said the Reno couple were too distracted by online video games, mainly the fantasy role-playing "Dungeons & Dragons" series, to give their children proper care. "They had food; they just chose not to give it to their kids because they were too busy playing video games," Viloria told the Reno Gazette-Journal. Police said hospital staff had to shave the head of the girl because her hair was matted with cat urine. The 10-pound girl also had a mouth infection, dry skin and severe dehydration. Her brother had to be treated for starvation and a genital infection. His lack of muscle development caused him difficulty in walking, investigators said. The Straws have been given public defenders. Jeremy Bosler, head of the county public defender's office, declined to comment to The Associated Press on Saturday. Michael Straw is an unemployed cashier, and his wife worked for a temporary staffing agency doing warehouse work, according to court records. He received a $50,000 inheritance that he spent on computer equipment and a large plasma television, authorities said. While child abuse because of drug addiction is common, abuse rooted in video game addiction is rare, Viloria said. Last month, experts at an American Medical Association meeting backed away from a proposal to designate video game addiction as a mental disorder, saying it had to be studied further. Some said the issue is like alcoholism, while others said there was no concrete evidence it's a psychological disease. Patrick Killen, spokesman for Nevada Child Abuse Prevention, said video game addiction's correlation to child abuse is "a new spin on an old problem." "As we become more technologically advanced, there's more distractions," Killen said. "It's easy for someone to get addicted to something and neglect their children. Whether it's video games or meth, it's a serious issue, and (we) need to become more aware of it." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweet Jane 61 Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 Shawna I heard this on the news in the car and was in shock! How in the world could this be happening?? Where were other family members? When I hear about things like this happening I hug my daughter tight and want to save all the abused kids in the world. Heartbreaking... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Laurie_ Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 This is very disturbing, and I wondered the same thing SJ...Don't these people have other family members or neighbors that might of known about the way these children were being treated....makes ya wonder.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 Some women should get a license and go through all kind of exams to have their own babies... They just have them and throw them into this world as if they were toys, or some curse from above... they never heard about ways not to be pregnant or they´re so sick and irresponsible that they just don´t care about it. We´re a generation who grew up with he pill, I never understood why people accept to have babies when they really don´t want them. And when we can chose to have them or not... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miamisammy29 Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 I'll bet the parents were big fat cows. Yet the kids didn't get anything to eat? I don't, for one second, believe that it was video games that caused the neglect of the children. That's just an excuse for the courts. Those parents are just scum and shouldn't be allowed to have children. Feeding the kids should be the #1 priority in a parents' life. Those b*stards shouldn't be taking care of cats, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Joe Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 Amen Sammy! Shawna, I'm sorry but I'm still hung up on the "pelvic exam" required for adoption. ??????????????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawna Posted July 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 Shawna, I'm sorry but I'm still hung up on the "pelvic exam" required for adoption. ??????????????? are you wondering what a pelvic exam is? Or why I had to have one? If it's the latter, I can't tell you. I was pretty flummoxed when they threw that one at me. I guess it went along with all the blood tests they did and the physical, etc. If it's the former, well.... accompany your wife to her gynecologist someday and you'll find out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 That is just rotten. Those people should be left to starve and rot in prison and see how they like it. Maybe their respective cell mates can take pi**es and craps on their heads, too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Joe Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 are you wondering what a pelvic exam is? Or why I had to have one? If it's the latter, I can't tell you. I was pretty flummoxed when they threw that one at me. I guess it went along with all the blood tests they did and the physical, etc. If it's the former, well.... accompany your wife to her gynecologist someday and you'll find out. No, it's not the former. I've conducted many pelvic exams over the years. But...flummoxed? Did you challenge them on that one? Was this a doctor or a lawyer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawna Posted July 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 it's all part of the laws for adopting a child. Every potential adoptive parent is put through the ringer. The potential adoptive mothers go through more, and I'm guessing it's because they have more to go through. The upshot is, they want to make sure you're "healthy enough" for them to feel good about handing over a child to. The unfair part, to me, is that women who can get pregnant naturally and bear children have to go through NONE of the stuff I went through. And nobody's going to question things when those mothers are handed their newborns in the hospitals to go home with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonJonSurfer Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 It's rare that two total idiots get married. Sometimes there is one total idiot and one partial idiot. The partial idiot might have the sense to try to take care of the kids while the total idiot ignored all and played on the internet. Sometimes there are two partial idiots. There are even cases of one total idiot and one non-idiot who is just stupid for marrying a total idiot. In both of these scenarios, somehow the kids are looked after. But to find two married total idiots who are addicted to the internet is a real find. I hope anthropologists are available to study this rare phenomenon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayzor Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 That's just plain sickening. These people should be subject to some form of ancient torture for several years. Sitting in prison watching cable TV and getting 3 square meals a day seems to be too good for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawna Posted July 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 it's the "getting 3 square meals a day" that I strenuously object to. I think they should be placed behind bars and fresh trays of food brought to them daily, and set outside the bars just far enough that they can smell the food but not touch it. And oh yeah... a full-time deputy can be sitting in the room with his computer on playing video games all day and blatantly ignoring them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayzor Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 Amen Shawna!! I suggested ancient torture, but yours sounds so much more fitting!! Damn morons... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Ry 71 Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 Getting born in the state of Mississippi Papa was a copper and Mama was a hippie In Alabama, she would swing a hammer Price you gotta pay when you break the panorama She never knew that there was Anything more than poor What in the world does your Company take me for? Black bandana, sweet Louisiana Robbin' a bank in the state of Indiana She's a runner, rebel and a stunner On her merry way, sayin' baby watcha gonna Looking down the barrel of a hot metal 45 Just another way to survive California rest in peace Simultaneous release California show your teeth She's my priestess; I'm your priest She's a lover baby and a fighter Shoulda seen it comin' when it got a little brighter With a name like Dani California The day was gonna come when I was gonna mourn ya A little loaded, she was stealin' another breath I love my baby to death California rest in peace Simultaneous release California show your teeth She's my priestess; I'm your priest Who knew the other side of you Who knew what others died to prove Too true to say goodbye to you Too true to say, say, say Push the fader, gifted animator One for the now and eleven for the later Never made it up to Minnesota North Dakota man was a gunnin' for the quota Down in the Badlands she was savin' the best for last It only hurts when I laugh Gone too fast California rest in peace Simultaneous release California show your teeth She's my priestess; I'm your priest California rest in peace Simultaneous release California show your teeth She's my priestess; I'm your priest This sort of reminded me of the song...and it was playing at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Laurie_ Posted July 17, 2007 Report Share Posted July 17, 2007 Well I'm addicted to Songfacts, and I still manage to feed my kids.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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