Children, Power, And Punishment

Opponents answered with stories—not abstractions, but voices. They spoke of teenagers who finally stopped self-harming after years of drowning in their own skin. Of families who spent countless hours in therapy rooms before ever approaching a medical decision. They described doctors who felt muzzled by political fear rather than guided by science, and parents who now faced an impossible choice: obey the law, or save their child.

When the vote was called, the chamber filled with a tension that felt almost holy—like a space holding its breath for the children not present. Then the tally flashed. Gasps, cheers, a smattering of applause, a few murmured prayers. And just like that, the chamber emptied. Lawmakers filed out, their quotes ready for the evening news, the vote already turning into narrative.Continue reading…

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