PENNSYLVANIA
Daily Times
Christine Flowers, Delaware County Daily Times
Last weekend on my radio show, I had the distinct honor of interviewing Angela Liddle, the president of the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance, a heroic organization based in Harrisburg that lobbies on behalf of children who are in danger of being abused, or who have already suffered abuse. During our hour-long conversation, this native of York, Pa., did what so many of us have failed to do, blinded by our politics and our passions: Find real solutions to protect the most vulnerable among us.
People who have read my column in the past know full well that I have very strong opinions on child abuse, whether physical or emotional, and whether the abuser is part of a church, a secular institution or the nuclear family. I’ve railed against what I’ve viewed as disparate treatment in the courts and the legislatures, and I’ve been very outspoken about what I see as an unfair focus on the Catholic archdioceses, both nationally and in our own neck of the woods. As recently as last week, I wrote about proposals in Harrisburg which would level the playing field between public and private institutions, legislation that has created a great deal of controversy between those who care more about their pocketbooks than about due process.
Angela, and her organization, are above the partisan bickering. The PFSA doesn’t care about who can sue, and who can be liable for past harm. Well, perhaps it does at some level, but the focus of this organization is not to avenge but, rather, to protect. While a lot of the focus on child abuse has been on who can get their pound of flesh or their righteous reward (depending upon your particular, partisan point of view,) the PFSA is concerned with one thing only: Making sure that children are raised in a safe and nurturing environment. For this exceptional group of people, success is not measured in how many lawsuits can be filed and how many people can be prosecuted. It is determined by how many children grow up without ever knowing what the word “abuse” means. Prevention, not punishment, is the central focus of PFSA. Or, as the vision statement carried on its website proclaims, “Every child deserves to grow and thrive free from abuse and neglect.”
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