Sailing On the Rocky Seas of Child Neglect

Its a dream many of us have: sailing around the world, completely disconnected from cell phones, email, Twitter, Facebook, television and the thousands of other little distractions that make modern life seem like little more than an unending series of minor distractions and aggravations that constantly tug at our ever decreasing attention spans and, in the end, leave us almost feeling less than human.  For Eric and Charlotte Kauffman, that dream became a reality when the boarded a sailboat in Mexico and headed for New Zealand.  The fact that they never made it to New Zealand and instead had to be rescued by the U.S. Navy would have scarcely captured anyone's notice had they not taken their two children, Cora and Lyra, ages one and three respectively, with them.  The entire story of the family's ordeal can be found here. 

The firestorm of criticism set off by this case is both understandable and enlightening.  To be sure, the Kauffmans took an enormous risk when they boarded that boat with two children who were utterly and totally dependent on their parents for virtually anything.  In the event of an accident, the Kauffmans would not only have to figure out how to save themselves, but their children as well.  But the case prompts more philosophical questions as well.  Specifically, is the outrage against the Kauffmans at least, in part, fueled by the fact that they have chosen a different path in which to raise their children?  Do we simultaneously envy and scorn their choice?  These are difficult questions which different people will reach different conclusions to.

One might also consider that those who traveled west during the expansion of the American frontier took just as many, if not greater, chances with their children.  They had no access to medical care and were faced daily with the prospect of starvation, dehydration and attack by wild animals.  And yet we laud these people in our history books and elevate them to the status of heroes.  Is what the Kauffmans did so entirely different?  Their frontier was certainly different, but it offered similar potential for adventure and a life altogether different from the one that many of us choose, one that is filled with conveniences and safety.  And, one that we frequently wish we could escape from. 

Questions of a far less extreme example can be seen everyday in Family Court.  For example, parents who decline medicine or transfusions on religious grounds pose similar and perhaps thornier questions.  The point is that there is almost another side to the story, and quite often, it is important that that story not only be told, but understood by those responsible for casting judgment on persons charged with child neglect.