Government Butts Into Private Lives . . . Again.

by Dave C. Jones

Folsom, CA - 1 Aug 2009 @ 2230 PDT - In Wisconsin, Dale Neumann was convicted today of second degree reckless manslaughter for the "faith healing" death of his 11-year-old daughter. I could not be more disgusted with the people of this country. How can we possibly assert our views and beliefs on this man and his family?

Neumann is Pentecostal, believing that the Bible teaches that God will heal and that going to a doctor to heal places God second to doctors. He claims that he and the family believed his daughter had the flu and that their prayers would heal her. Once she stopped breathing, the family did call 911.

Whatever you may think of faith healing and those who believe in it, why should your beliefs trump theirs? Simply put, they should not.

I know, I know. What about that poor child? Who's going to speak for her? Her parents. I don't care if you think they are crazy or misguided. The parents should have ultimate say over their kids.

Call me whatever you like, but it's not as if this world is hurting for people. It's not as if all but ten people on the planet got wiped out in some doomsday scenario. The all-knowing government (through its apparently all-knowing citizenry) should not be dictating how parents raise their kids even if some of those decisions lead to the death of kids. Neumann will be judged by God when his time comes. He did not do anything to society at large—just to his own family.

And if you still don't agree with me, riddle me this: Why should someone who puts their faith in God to heal their child who ultimately dies be any more legally culpable than someone who places their trust in a doctor to heal their child who ultimately dies?

If a person's actions only harm his own family and not society at large, government should back off and keep its nose (and other parts) out of our private lives.

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Dave Jones is not your typical liberal California criminal defense trial attorney. He is a libertarian who believes in less government, more guns, and greater freedom–in short, the principles on which this country was founded. He can be reached at his law firm, the American Justice Center, via e-mail at djones at AmericanJusticeCenter.com. Read more of his writings at blog.AmericanJusticeCenter.com.