Are drop boxes the answer to abortion?
There is a new system that opened in a Tokyo hospital called “Stork’s Cradle”. This Catholic run hospital set up drop-boxes in the hopes of discouraging parents to abandon their children in parks, and other public places that are potentially harmful to them.
This drop-box system allows anyone to drop off their children to an incubator through a small hatch and it was opened 24 hours a day. The purpose is to receive newborn children.
Although the goal was to discourage abortion, one cannot help but think that on the other hand it might trigger an influx of child abandonment. I cant help but think it might be construed as an easy way out rather than as a last resort.
While it is true that parents should have a way to remain anonymous when faced with giving up their child, this rather cold process strikes me the wrong way. Here, there are a lot of places or “homes” that welcome mothers who opt to give up their children or those places where abandoned children whether newborn or not are guaranteed care and lodging.
Which is why its sad that a system believed to become a good thing has immediately been misused on its opening day. Imagine, the nurses finding a toddler rather than a young infant in the drop box. Apparently, the dad dropped the toddler off at the hatch. A toddler! A toddler, though very young would already be able to feel the effects of being abandoned but not be able to understand it. The poor kid will be traumatized for life.
This leads me back to the “Stork’s Cradle”. Is it the answer? Or is it the curse?
See other articles on “drop boxes”:
** Pictures from journaltimes.com
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Instead of that new system called storks cradle..why don’t they go on a serious campaign on family planning.. that way unwanted pregnancy can be prevented rather than be faced with a dilemma of dropping off a child.
Sounds like a very controversial system. It does seem like an opportunity to choose the easy way out but it still has some benefits. Abortion and abandoning new born children to die are part of a sad reality and I hope that this system will serve its purpose and not lead to the increase of statistics.
@luiza
- My thoughts exactly. Their new system does not target the root cause of the problem. Its more of catches the result.
@Rach
- Yes. Looking at it, you hope it turns out to be a good thing. However, I am more inclined to think that the human side of it will make people abuse the system.
hmm it’s similar to UK’s new approach to the high rate of teenage pregnancy. They’re letting contraceptive pills be available via the school nurse, they will not need parental notice.
Both are trying to solve something in a superficial manner but the logic is twisted. Very disturbing itong stork cradle. I’d like to catch the father who dropped his toddler off & hang him by ding-dong. Goodness! Can’t he have dropped his son to an orphanage if he really doesn’t want the child?!
@auee
- I must say I feel comfortable with UK’s approach than this one. I guess its because I see more victims in the case of the stork’s cradle - the children.
I feel the same way! Let me know when you catch him, I will help you hang him.