Well stated and I agreed!!

Yeah, a child needs a mother AND a father.

How did this story become about gays? There are people that really shouldn't be parents regardless of their sexual orientation, and the couple in this article fit the bill. The biggest problem gays have is the constant need to tell the world they are gay. I don't feel the need to shout out my orientation. Why do you? Stop hijacking articles to announce your favored topic please.

Throw these bastards threw the wall of the barn and board that hole back up. Lock the door and throw away the key. Eff these people! I can't stand people that treat defenseless children badly.

You are an idiot! How does anything in that article have any bearing on if the parents are gay or straight. Move on with your own issues and realize this is about children not a place for you to make a half assed political statement. Get over yourself.

15 and 25k bail?

nosferatu, I was actually surprised they were able to make that bond. In both these cases, the children and society wuld be better off had the perps been shot and killed while trying to escape. Lump these animals right up there with Sandusky. Send them all off to life terms in prison. I doubt they serve 2 years before someone ends their miserable lives.

We read/hear about these stories all the time....how many more children are out there trying to get out and have had no success so far. That is the question we should also be asking ourselves.

Think about that. Think hard.

The gay/straight thing it a total derail. Of course, it is no more a derail than when some political moron comes in here screaming about Democrats or Republicans.

What is incredible is that you can't not know what these kids are suffering from is completely wrong. There is no parent or caretaker in the world who does things like this to their kids and doesn't know it is wrong.

PJ, on this point we agree. It is the solution that is hard to agree upon. I believe everyone has good intentions when they come up with plans to fix things like this. The problem is that few things ever work out like we plan them. I am not saying there is no point in trying, just that we need to be careful not to make things worse over all.

WHY don't these people put their kids in foster care, if they don't want to deal with them?? HOW can ANYONE ever justify treating another human being like this??

This couple needs a grand dose of that good "ole time religion". It'll fix 'em right up!

L.J Rhodes, no no no, you forgot. It's the adoptive parents that do this kind of crap. No wait. It's the single mothers that do this. You know, the argument will be they happen to be mentally insane but the gay, adoptive, and single parents, well they're just bad people who shouldn't have been parents because god didn't want them to be parents.

I think the "gay" comments are making a valid point. A person's sexualiy has little to do with their ability to parent.

On the bright side, the parents' method of abuse would make dreaming up a just punishment for them pretty easy. Prison, with one loaf of bread weekly.

How is this possible? From their mugshots, they look like fine upstanding parents. Shocking!

There should be NO bail for these poor excuses for human beings. They should be locked in a very small room for months!

Two words for parents like these... MANDATORY STERILIZATION.

SeekingSanity -- I agree with you. What is wrong with a legal system that allows such a low bail or bond for such charges?

To borrow from Forrest Gump - "Evil is as evil does." Joy Evonne Skipper, and Johnny Rufus Dickson, are evil people and do not deserve to be parents. More likely than not, this is not the first time they have done something like this. I hope that both of them have to serve a long time in jail.

This matter could be "the tip of the iceberg." What about siblings or other family members who might have been abused? Investigators should complete a full investigation, in order to learn if there should be any more charges.

By their booking photos, or "mug shots," one can tell that both of these criminals are real sweethearts...

WhistleBerries

I believe it's Stupid is as stupid does Ms. Blu

Society and the court system will write them off as white trash, close all arguments to the public (for the sake of the children (*cough, cough*), and pretend it did not happen on their watch.

Next time it happens, all will pretend as though they never heard of anything so atrocious, and never think of it again after they get past that next morning coffee and toast.

Personally, I hope they get bonded out, move in next door to you folks, and strike up a good relationship with your children, because you can claim ignorance.

Time and time again I read these articles, and nothing meaningful is ever done.

Courts sly away from these issues because they NEVER want to be held accountable.

Protective services buries these cases for year on end to avoid scrutiny and losing their jobs.

The system pretends ALL IS WELL to keep the government crony system well alive.

Last but not least, they "err on the side of caution" because it is "in the child's best interest"

Enjoy the smoke up your ass!!

To those commenting that this isn't a gay issue:

Sam adams commented, sarcastically I believe, that a child needs a mother and a father, which the boy in this article had. I think he was trying to make the point that we seldom hear of a gay couple mistreating their kids.

some people should not be allowed to breed.

Thank you for clearing that up for us MNpat.

You have an incredibly keen sense for the blatantly obvious.

Thus I vote to collapse your post as well.

As for the gay on parade, please get a life. Most could not care less if you have an opinion not related to this article, or an opinion at all. I am not against people finding their happiness anyway they can, but shouting it out here is a waste of your time and mine.

Highlight of my day,

PJ agreeing with himself/herself. Or maybe just the coincidental "PJ" less the suffixed number.

Saves for the meander of an un-consolidated mind.

I hope you are a Gemini, PJ, or people may think you are nutz. Or both "PJs'" as the case may be.

Children have been known to be afraid of monsters under the bed, in the woods or in the closet.

But at times the worst monsters come disguised as Mom and Dad.

I'm guessing Hatchet-101 will find fault even with this statement.

--- wait for it ---

@ Just Wondering

Not at all.

Perfectly valid point, and much on point.

Parents often fail miserably, even when they intended the result of their procreative action.

At the same, I waste less time for the misgiving of what we may hope is a reasonably educated adult, and place my energies with the child.

We might realize a better place if you and I keep our concerns in that direction.

Two-Faced - Wouldn't it be interesting if political sidings were also published for people who break the law, such as this? Now that would be interesting information. Who or what have their votes been going for?

Do we have to set laws in place which would prohibit people from becoming parents until they took and passed a class? Can't parents just do what they are supposed to do? How can someone do this to anyone at all never mind their own flesh & blood? What goes through their mind? While their kid is all locked up with no food or water doesn't it cross their mind a million times throughout the day? How do they sleep at night? How does a child recuperate from such damaging treatment which is coming from the people who are supposed to love them the most?

Joy Evonne Skipper, 45, and Johnny Rufus Dickson, 41, have been charged with child abuse, inflicting serious bodily injury and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

These 2 idiots should be charged with attempted murder in my opinion. Plus it seems that they were also supplying alcohol to this child on top of not feeding or caring for him! Are these 2 lowlifes mentally challenged (and I mean no disrespect to those that are) or worse, maybe insane?

The law of the country is suppose to protect the children but I think its so lacking that these types get off almost Scott free most of the time and the law needs to be changed fast.
Anyone caught abusing a child (IMHO) should lose custody of their kids immediately and after trial and their time spent in jail for the crimes they should be blocked from having any visitation with the children until the child is 18.

Yes it would be hard on the children but keeping so called families like this together is a major crime just waiting to happen and the kids may not even live through it. Children also learn so much while growing up with their parents and then the abuse continues to their family.

It needs to stop now and if parents knew that they would be losing their kids until they turned 18 maybe, just maybe they would think twice before doing any of these horrible things that they do to these poor kids. Let the kids also have a say in what they want for their future (with or without their parents) after professional counseling of course.

This is just a rough idea but its far better than whats happening to these kids now and the laws favor the parents because they want to keep the families together, That's working out so great as these news stories prove.

Or as many have said here, An eye for and eye punishment seems quite fair and will get better results and faster. How about the old stockades?

@Hatchet - have not a clue who the other 'PJ' is - yup coincidence but thanks much for pointing out the obvious. PS - Virgo.

That said, regarding your comments "Time and time again I read these articles, and nothing meaningful is ever done. Courts sly away from these issues because they NEVER want to be held accountable." While I agree with your first statement, I'll disagree with your second - I don't know that it is 'accountability' that causes the court to shy away as much as they appear to take the Pollyanna approach, that in reality, 'all is well with any given family unit' - a false sense of safety and normalacy - and toss the children back to the wolves. THAT we will agree - happens all the time.

And while on the subject of accountability? Shhhs - that's easy - as a whole, we have become a society that accepts NO accountability for our actions.....but, but, but HE - SHE - THEY made me do it. HE - SHE - THEY caused it....but HE - SHE - THEY did it...I thought I could too. Whine, Whine. Whine. Blame always goes to the guy next to you. What people have forgotten? It always goes to character...which is lacking in all but the minority of the population these days.

I have been in north carolina for 4 and 1/2 years now soon moving out west . this state is crazy and not alot of the child abuse and selling of little children to pedophiles has been kept local . that couple looks disgusting proberly long time drug and or alcohol abuse which is no excuse the man is not the kids father and the thing that gave birth to that child who allowed who her child to be treated like that should be put down locked in a room and starved to death . why are they out on bail and not in jail what is wrong with the justice system when it comes to children and when the perps are sentence it is just a few years . where is the justice . I also got to wonder if there had been any previous complaints about them .

the pics of them are far from flattering he looks mean and nasty and she looks like she has 2 black eye and looking down like she knows she is the scum of the earth only cause she got caught ,not while she was abusing her own son .

I have a 14 year old grandson and just got him away from his abusive mother and after 2 years of living with his father ,my son, and his wife my grandson is doing wonderfull . it cost me alot of money and effort on my part but it was so worth it . if family members see stuff like this they need to speak up and do what they can for the kids . it is up to adults to take care of our future generation and not turn a blind eye to abuse of any kind .

This has nothing to do with homosexuality vs heterosexuality. How stupid.

This has to do with horrible people abusing their children. I pray those poor children never have to see those people again. How cruel these people are.

God forgive me: I think they need to be treated just as they treated their children.

is this the new in thing to do to kids now days ? what ever happened to loving your child ? Oh thats right its all of the damn drugs that people use and the welfare that has ruined 3 generations now .we have gangs in Chicago that shoot little kids while their family and friends hide them from the police , we have illegals running all over the place , priests that bother kids , teachers and coaches that bother kids sickos watching child porn and most people seem to think its okay . What about that childs right to be a child without this crap they have to face ?People you really need to storm the government to crack down on whats happening here in the states instead of some stupid foreign country ! !

You know someone mentioned that the woman looks as though she has two black eyes. I was an abused wife for a time and when that jerk turned on my children I ran and never went back. I went to another state, started over again, I had nothing but I left anyway. NO WOMAN should allow her children to be abused.

I was even able to get a divorce without his signature because I didn't know where he had moved to when I left. I sent him the final papers through his sister. He was totally shocked that I could divorce him without him being there. Best thing I ever did for us.

even children who live in ivory palaces so to speak sometimes live in abusive homes but you dont hear about them because the parents have money.my aunt juanita & uncle henry had 13 children and they lived in complete squallor. pigs running through the house. roosters pecking at the wallpaper. they had plenty of fresh water and food to eat. they were never physically abused. they all grew up and took good jobs and had families of their own. what is the real definition of abuse cps would have confiscated thse kids had it been in todays world.its seems to beating them up or starving them would be abuse.please reply.

I agree. They should be locked up for a few years, while the kids grow up without them They don't deserve children

I agree, What is wrong with people now days??!! The things that are being done to children, elderly, animals, it all makes me sick to see what is becoming of our society. Is there no respect for life in general? This just scares the hell out of me to see this happening, we all need to get back to basics and get some love and compasion and empathy for living things and stop the greed and self-centered abuse the rules our actions before it is too late, OR MAYBE IT IS ALREADY TOO LATE?? Have we doomed ourselves? I pray not, but I am shocked every day I read the news. Guess I should stop reading?

I think it's time we had licenses to parent. Maybe it would stop some of this crap.

ForPostsOnly, People ignore license laws for dogs and even abuse dogs they have licensed every day of the year.

EngEsq: While you all are trying to figure out what is wrong with these people they should NOT be allowed bail, or allowed any kind of contact with the human population. THey should only be allowed enough water to survive and food only once every 3 days. Preferably nothing but matza crackers. However our Rule of Law which is the only thing that matters in the courtroom have already let these morons out on bail. They will get a slap on the wrist and then the idiots at child services will give the child back to them so they can kill in some horrendous way. The law is as bad or worse the criminals themselves.

I think whatever bad thing you do to a child (or animal for that matter) should be done to you. Forced empathy and then lock them up. These 'parents' -and I shudder to call them that- are horrible people and I hope that kid is able to bounce back from this with no or few physical/mental problems.

Obviously, all those adults involved have a serious stitch loose and no nurturing instinct or parenting skills. Makes you wonder why people like that have children in the first place. The bail isn't nearly enough, and once convicted, the penalty will not nearly be enough either. Let's hope the children are never returned to them.

Put them in the same cell with enough food/water each day for only one of them.

I wonder the same thing! The only thing I can come up with is that people pass down these horrible things from parent to child. I would imagine that these two had horrible parents and they are just too stupid to not do the same thing. I agree with a prior post that says these type of people are in the same catagory as Sandusky! Its scary to think how many kids are in the same situation right now somewhere, hurt, scared, starving and thristy!!!!!! Makes me want to go search every house in the country and find them!!!

Even though there should be some way to verify people are fit to raise a child before having one there's no way something like that could ever be instituted. Too many differing opinions exist on what is appropriate and you'll be infringing on people's rights (even though the person who's rights need protecting most are the future child's).

why you ask, thats what gets them off, makes them feel good, to control others and abuse them,like my family is doing to me. they know its not right, but they dont care.

S in Ar if your family is abusing you why don't you contact someone. Back when I was a child no one ever heard of contacting the police about child abuse so we were abused also, but today it's different. You need to get help

Ive been trying to, they wont listen to me, so Im about ready to take the law in my own hands and protect myself, Ive been telling everyone, but they dont care. my situation, its a long story Debora

S in AR, I don't know how old you are but if you are old enough to leave and make it on your own do so. That is what I did, at 15 I left. I went to another town and after several months of working in an all night diner I got picked up as a run away. The police called my folks to come get me and when they showed up my dad told me; in front of the police, that he would beat me half to death when he got me home. The police didn't send me home. That may not be what happens in your case but if you are old enough to make it on your own just pack up and leave.

debora congragulations to the officer who had enough sense not to send you home with your parents. nowadays the laws would say we have to send you home. its the law no matter how abusive the home might be.

That's what I thought. Lock 'em up till their trial, and then throw away the key. We need to pass Barbara Boxer's Violence Against Children Act to ensure consistent mandatory sentencing rules for child abusers.

I was busted with $30 worth of illegal drugs (spare me the lectures....yes, I know!), and my bond was $30,000. No @!$%#.

Start? I can't tell if you are being sarcastic or not. Abusing children is as old as parenthood. Thanks to instant media we just hear about it more.

My guess is bail bondsman. That's what they do.

I agree. I try never to judge the book by the cover. But these two look like the moldy stuff you scrape off old cheese. Sorry.

And the 'mom' with the 32 lb daughter locked in the closet? Why not an attempted murder charge. That's what she was really trying to do.

Women are more violent towards children than men. They kill more of their own children than men. Maybe she looks like Hell because she's a crack-head. You are making excuses for a child abuser based on gender.

And you are making assumptions. Perhaps they do kill more of their own children than men do (emphasis on 'their own'), but most of the child homicide cases are, in fact, perpetrated by men (when you consider both the 'their own' and the 'not related'). Not exactly relevant to this article since the child wasn't, in fact, killed.

Katethebratt, you may be right about her being abused. But, to me, it looks more like she is an abuser of some serious drugs/alcohol, or she is one fry short of a happy meal, or both. Him, too, of course, but he looks like he has some serious anger issues. Still, as you say, no excuse for it.

@ Enough: "... but most of the child homicide cases are, in fact, perpetrated by men."

Citations please. According to the CDC, among others, the vast majority of child murder victims five or younger are murdered by females, most likely their mother.
FYI:
Article maternal murder.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42634832/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts

Katty Kay-Morning Joe.
http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/most-children-who-die-from-abuse...

@ Enough: "Not exactly relevant to this article since the child wasn't, in fact, killed."

Not yet at least.

Him, too, of course, but he looks like he has some serious anger issues.

I agree Annie, but it does tend to tick perps off ... when they are caught and arrested. That anger usually comes out in their arrest photos. While the article didn't mention it, I hope there was enough sense in NC to keep this child away from these ... upstanding citizens?

Ahhhh, yes, another agenda. She looks a h*ll of a lot meaner than he does.

I wonder if he's the natural father. Most instances of abuse this bad involve stepfathers or boyfriends.

So where was God in all this? I guess he couldn't take time out of busy schedule of not helping staving children in Africa to help.

Little FYI child abuse has been happening for thousands of years. It's only recently did we decide it was a bad thing. It was about the time we started throwing off the yoke of religion coincidently.

Don't blame God for the evil people do. They have choices and it's heart breaking the way people use that freedom. I don't understand it and I don't understand the "logic" behind child protection "experts" who argue that children are amost always better off with their biological families. Some people seem to be so given over to cruelty and destruction; and lacking in any human empathy and basic nurturance that they treat their children worse than any animal. Most female animals will lay down their life to protect their offspring - seems only humans fail at this.

Alverant, people like you come of looking really obtuse with your "Where was God to stop this" comments.

God didn't make a perfect world for us. People have free will to do as they want. He offers a perfect world in heaven if you show faith in him and abide by his word in treating others in this life.

I could be wrong, and thank goodness I haven't had to find out about this firsthand, but I think that the old "stereotype" of women who have more babies just to collect more welfare is less common than people think, at least that's what I think. Not missing your point or the point of (most of) these comments is that these people are scum, now matter what their economic level or sexual orientation. Not sure how people can do this to kids. Put a child in a closet, for days with no food, no water, no bathroom, and then beat the child when you do let it out. This is some sick s*** and these folks deserve the worst that jail has to offer them. Also not understanding how their bails could be set so low and why are people like this and the other woman in the news today, even allowed bail.

Well of course they are out. Nearly starving a child to death only got them a whopping $15,000 and $25,000 bail. Nice. I would get a higher bail for growing a small patch of marijuana in my back yard.

Bail has one and only one purpose: to ensure the Defendant's appearance in court. Its not for pre-trial punishment. You ever attend school? Your post was almost as ridiculous as the posts calling for the couple's execution. Whats really funny is anyone posting from facebook questioning others intelligence.

Jeff,

I actually attended a lot of school and bail is sometimes NOT set with the defendants being held until trial due to a potential danger to the community. We are talking about people who the evidence indicates tortured a child for days. That is MORE than enough potential danger to others for a judge to have the defendants held without bail.

But if they hold them without bail then no one makes any money.

@Brenda Watson

Thank you for that post.

Most succinct, well thought, well adressed, well expressed.

I wish there were more like yours on about this forum.

I also admit that I wish we disagreed, as the melee would be interesting.

Keep up the great thought and great posts!

I'm not disagreeing that there have always been parents who abused and mistreated their children. However, I do think there is a significant difference between parents who 'beat' children, or lock them in a room without food, or prostitute them versus parents who used an occasional spanking as "discipline". To group all those things together in the same category is at best an oversimplification. The real question to me is how do we interupt this multi-generational pattern of child torture and cruelty?