"Speak Out" is an expression of opinion from the Editorial Board of WBTV, and is presented by General Manager, Nick Simonette.
A mother places a frantic 911 call saying her daughter isn't responding.
Just hours later, her 2-year-old child is dead.
Addison Lanham was too far gone by the time paramedics got her to the hospital.
The story of the little girl's tragic death has caused outrage in our community, and not all of it aimed at the mother who is now accused of child abuse and death.
Family members have said they called the Department of Social Services six times about little Addison.
SIX times. What was possibly the only agency that could have helped this child didn't, and we want to know why.
Now this isn't just a problem in Gaston County.
Far too often we hear of tragic deaths like this one.
We hear DSS was called but failed to keep the child safe.
We hear of budget cuts and how DSS workers are now spread too thin.
We want to know why.
The department gets 1.3 billion dollars a year to keep kids and families out of harm's way.
But how can those dollars be justified in the wake of this most recent gut-wrenching tragedy?
Maybe the problem is in the priorities.
Maybe the solution is in setting up a better system, whatever the cost.
It's not hard to argue that we need to do a better job at protecting those that can't defend themselves.
But now we see again what happens when we don't.
Tell us what YOU think. SpeakOut@wbtv.com.
