Cancer and the Courts vs. Parental Rights

I am the mother of seven children. I know what it takes to raise a large family, and I'm no fan of neglect; if you have children, take care of them.

So what is neglect? I think we've all seen dirty, unkempt children at the supermarket or other public place. Think of the orphans in Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist" as one example. That is neglect!

My thoughts have been of 13 year old Daniel Hauser recently, and the implications of his illness.
For those who don't know, Daniel has Hodgkin's Lymphoma. The parents, Catholics, had sited religious objections to harsh cancer treatments, and had opted for natural healing practices instead, and therein lies the trouble.
Daniel was treated in February with current cancer treatments, and, when he "failed to show up" for the second round of hellishness in April, the doctor called "authorities." By mid May they were in court and his mother confirmed they would not be resuming chemotherapy. A judge then ORDERS that Daniel MUST resume chemo and ever so "benevolently" leaves Daniel in the custody of his parents (WHEN did this become a custody battle???).

Daniel and his mother flee--as I would have done I think, and have recently returned to Minnesota to submit to Big Brother.

I am shocked, appalled, outraged, and otherwise ticked off that this could happen in America. I know it's not the first time either.

Was Daniel's mother neglectful? Absolutely NOT! In this country we have been free to have our own belief system, our own way of looking at life. This freedom is not granted by our government!!! It is a gift from God. As individuals you get to choose what path you will take, what outlook you will have and who or what you will allow to influence your decisions and choices.
Was Daniel's mother a bad mother for not choosing current medical treatments? NO!!!
Oh my goodness!!! If that were the case, my parents, in today's lunatic environment would also be considered neglectful because...oh heaven forbid, we didn't get vaccinated!! I had the measles, the mumps and the chicken pox. However could they have let me suffer?
My grandfather was a Naturopath, and we had a different belief system than the mainstream medical community. Does that make it wrong? NO! It was an individual choice, made by informed adults who loved me.

Why are the people of Minnesota not speaking up? Why are they not coming to the defense of this family? It could be any one of us next, do we want the government coming in and telling us that we aren't raising our children right, are neglecting them in any one of thousands of various aspects of parenthood?

Nearly 400 years ago, they burned people at the stake for having "alternative medicines" and practices. It seems we've only advanced slightly from that era.
The government should have NO RIGHT to tell you what is best!!! I want to scream it from the rooftops. Daniels parents chose a valid alternative, something they wanted to try, and they are being told by Big Brother that they have no right to make those decisions for their family.

It won't be long before they tell the rest of us the same thing, and it won't be just about medicine.