This has just appeared in my Facebook news feed, posted by Chase's Guardians:
This morning, Thomas Hunker, the mother's attorney, filed a Withdrawal of Motion and Notice of Voluntary Dismissal of the federal case. We do not yet have answers to why this happened but will report here once we do. Please continue to support Chase's basic human rights and his mother's plight to get out of jail and have custody of her son returned to her.I fear the worst...
A court system that can't protect the most basic human rights of a minor is broken indeed. A sad day in the world it is when a child must undergo court-ordered abuse to appease a crazed father's whim.
My thoughts are with Chase and his mother.
If his father goes through with this, Chase will have essentially undergone needless genital mutilation and abuse, and the courts sanctioned, ordered, even facilitated it.
I pray for the day when male children are given the full protection of their basic human rights as female children are.
As I look into the face of this poor, innocent little boy, I can only clutch my own children close and pray for his protection.
WE ARE ALL CHASE
This is child abuse.
It is child abuse, and our justice system allowed it to happen.
No, Judge Gillen MADE it happen.
He ignored this child's most basic of human rights and he is directly responsible for allowing, if not directly facilitating this abuse and direct violation of basic human rights.
He will be remembered as the judge who jailed a mother for attempting to protect her son from needless surgery, taking the boy and handing him to his father so that he could facilitate the child's abuse.
You have a boy's blood on your hands, Jefferey Dana Gillen.
You will be remembered, and Chase will remember you.
Poor mother... How must she feel... She must feel that she failed her son... She must feel betrayed by the justice system in our own country.
I don't know how I would feel if I were jailed for trying to protect my children, they were taken away, and I was told that they were going to do to them the very thing I was trying to protect them from, and there is nothing I could do about it...
Poor Chase... How must he feel... I can only imagine what it can feel like to be a bystander to the rape of your own body...
Poor Chase... Poor, poor Chase...
I can't believe this is happening in my own country...
Such a let-down...
What a sad, sad day it is today...
Previous Posts:
FLORIDA UPDATE: Father Intent on Circumcising 4-yo Son Seeks to Legally Paralyze Mother
FLORIDA UPDATE: Mother in Circumcision Dispute Fails to Appear in Court - Judge Orders Her Arrest
FLORIDA: Belligerent Judge Seeks the Circumcision of a 4 Year Old
FLORIDA UPDATE: 4-yo Circumcision Case Goes Federal
FLORIDA CIRCUMCISION SAGA: Mother Arrested, Child Nabbed
FLORIDA UPDATE: Court Battle Slated for Monday - Father Objects to British TV Coverage
A Word Of Prayer for Chase
While a Florida court is mandating a mother relinquish her son to be circumcised without medical or clinical indication, in Israel, in a similar case, common sense prevails. Let us hope common sense prevails in American courts as well.
Common Sense in Israel
The lawyer had little choice. The Federal judge obviously did not understand or want to deal with the core issues of the case. Letting him rule against Chase would set the precedent that Federal courts would not consider the basic rights of children. Judges are cowards. This judge is no exception. If he were to rule in Chase's favor, it would call every circumcision performed in the United States into question. He wasn't willing to do this. So rather than let the judge close the door on the Federal courts as a way of protecting the basic human rights of children, withdrawing the case keeps that door open.
ReplyDeleteAlso it does not make sense to spend more effort and money when you know the judge does not want to understand you position. Those who have criticized the lawyer for making this move need to read his filings, recognize that all of the arguments were included in writing, and concede that a better advocacy to protect Chase was not possible. The cowardly judge wasn't going to let it happen in his court.
Just an observation, but I think it's interesting how the father and the judge are so adamant that the agreement which both the mother and father signed is to be upheld. Except for the part of Heather being notified, and her consent being necessary for Chase's circumcision to happen. For that, the judge is willing to tweak the agreement and waive the part where it says Heather needs to give consent.
ReplyDeleteHow absolutely disgraceful that absolutely no one wants to acknowledge this child's personhood.
"Letting him rule against Chase would set the precedent that Federal courts would not consider the basic rights of children."
Well. At least *male* children. Female children are protected by federal law.
The double-standard is despicable.