Why it matters, part 743

While we are all paying attention to what is happening in the courts with regard to SB1088, let's not lose so sight of why we care in the first place.

As I know those of you who read this blog won't tend to do.

A Garfield County man contends sheriff's deputies barged into his home and forcibly took his 11-year-old boy to a hospital after he refused to allow paramedics to examine a bump on the boy's head....Someone called for an ambulance, but before paramedics arrived, Tom Shiflett said he picked his son up, brought him inside, put him on a couch and applied an ice pack to his head.

When paramedics arrived at the home, Shiflett said he let them look at his son, but refused to let them treat the youngster.

"I told them I didn't call for an ambulance. We're taking care of it," Shiflett said. "I want you people to leave. I didn't call you."

That led to a visit on Friday morning from two social workers. Shiflett said when he rebuffed them, they vowed to come back with a court order.

Deputies returned to serve the order later that evening. Shiflett contends he would have let them in if they said they had a warrant.

He claims they gave no such notice and barged in with a battering ram.

Shiflett said deputies temporarily handcuffed him and his wife and their oldest daughter and left with the boy.

Here's the link to the story.

Here's another take on the story.

The moral of the story: Child dependency laws are extraordinarily powerful. It is in the interest of everyone that there be a check on that kind of governmental power.

Period.