Parents who know

chic

chic

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If a parent knows their son or daughter has embraced radical Islam and has traveled to Syria to join ISIS, should they be compelled by law to divulge this information to the authorities or face prosecution for not doing so?
 

It would not have to be a actual law for me.

If you did not turn them in how would it make you feel if while watching the evening news you recognized your child as the one setting someone on fire or cutting off their head ?
 
I would report the kid without a doubt...
 

On one hand I understand how up until the last second sometimes we want to have magical thinking about our kids. Even when it's in your face that something has gone terribly wrong. But to save the lives of others you'd have to do it.
 
I would too. Definitely. If they join ISIS they're already forever lost to you and could hurt so many innocents.
Also, in theory, if a parent knows a child is radicalized and doesn't tell the authorities, and the child proceeds to blow up a night club or shoot everyone in a movie theater, the parents should be considered accessories before the fact. They knew something deadly could happen, that their child had murder on his/her mind but did nothing about it.
 
I would do it, law or not. I know of someone whose son left their home with decorative swords they had hanging on the wall. The young man was on prescription drugs for mental/emotional issues, when he walked out the door he mumbled to them to call 911. They did, and found that minutes later their son was arrested for trying to kill a neighbor who had been nothing but kind to him. Luckily, the cops came before the murder took place, and the son was rightfully jailed. I can't imagine how the parents would have felt if they kept quiet or how the family of the potential murder victim would have been devastated in their grief if the parents had not done the right thing.
 
Linda said:
I would have to turn them in immediately, I couldn't live with myself if I didn't. But it would break my heart, worse than having a child die I think.
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I agree with you Linda. That would be more painful than death. And so many parents now are going through exactly that.
 
YES!! Many years ago, we had to involve the police in a situation which resulted in one of our daughters being arrested. Was an extremely difficult decision that my wife and I had to make on a moments notice. All the questions "Will she ever forgive us?" to "Do we really need to be sticking out nose in this?" to "Will there be retribution that could endanger our other children?"

In our situation, our daughter turned her life around and is an extremely successful corporate VP. She and her husband will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary next May. All similar situations may not turn out as well as ours. With the harm anyone converted to radical Islam can do to our fellow man, no matter how close you hold them you need to involve the authorities.
 
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