Posted by: Poonte March 28, 2012
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No one should be defending Dawa -- what she did was heinous and she has been held accountable. Her case should also serve as a severe admonition to other would-be criminals of similar category.
However, the perceptions of criminality -- and of the consequences thereof -- vary from society to society; and most immigrants are not even fully aware of what constitutes a crime in the US (not nercesarily in this particular case -- throwing a newborn into a trash bin is an obvious crime), let alone be informed of severity of consequences of committing them.
For instance, I wonder if Dawa would have been deterred from dumping her newborn in the trash bin had she been:
a. Fully aware of the severity of consequences of such a crime; and, more importantly,
b. Well informed of other safer, legal avenues to get rid if her unwanted newborn, i.e., to give up the baby within 5 days at a local police precinct, fire station or a hospital ANONYMOUSLY (New York law).
I am of the opine that as the government goes on convicting people like Dawa, it should also aggressively engage in awareness programs to prevent other Dawas from making news headlines.
However, the perceptions of criminality -- and of the consequences thereof -- vary from society to society; and most immigrants are not even fully aware of what constitutes a crime in the US (not nercesarily in this particular case -- throwing a newborn into a trash bin is an obvious crime), let alone be informed of severity of consequences of committing them.
For instance, I wonder if Dawa would have been deterred from dumping her newborn in the trash bin had she been:
a. Fully aware of the severity of consequences of such a crime; and, more importantly,
b. Well informed of other safer, legal avenues to get rid if her unwanted newborn, i.e., to give up the baby within 5 days at a local police precinct, fire station or a hospital ANONYMOUSLY (New York law).
I am of the opine that as the government goes on convicting people like Dawa, it should also aggressively engage in awareness programs to prevent other Dawas from making news headlines.