Judge Philyaw is a fine man, attorney, and Judge. I read all the criticism, and it is simply wrong.
The public is blessed to have Judge Philyaw over the Juvenile Court for children that have been failed by our community, village, churches, school system, government, and family. Often there is a history of child abuse involved in troubled children. I hung onto every word of former councilman and school principal Jack Benson who spoke strongly about the impact of child abuse. If the public really knew the long-term damage of adult-inflicted child abuse or sexualized behavior from abuse, it would be a capital crime with a swift end.
When children fail, we all failed them. The people who point at Judge Philyaw as somehow failing by applying rehabilitative law provided in Tennessee Code Annotated for children involved in crime are wrong in their assumptions. Juvenile law is rehabilitative and not punitive, as it should be. A child’s brain is still developing and they act impulsively. Did we all forget the child we were, with plenty of room to make mistakes, and learn? That is rehabilitative.
Look at the end products of our public school system, where only 30 percent of children are reading grade level, according to the state of Tennessee testing results. In critical schools, the number of learning to read grade level is much less than average. It is scary to see the state of our children.
There is a state of emergency in full play regarding the children of Hamilton County. I care what is happening locally, and detest the local excuse mongers that say, “Oh this is a nationwide problem.” We all have the ability to change the state of children in Hamilton County.
Read the data in the Tennessee school state report card. Students come to school with no supplies, barely clothed, and the HCDE feeds them the only meal they get oftentimes. More property tax money results in little improvement with HCDE. However, we have children that need additional support before they can learn to read. Science speaks strongly that security, safety, and food must occur before learning is possible. Maslow’s triangle is proven science.
How would the community, village, and churches work collectively to make a difference? I don’t know, but we need to because we are going to pay a lot more on the other side. Mothers mourn the loss of their children in groups now.
What is the adult cure for the state of emergency for the children of Hamilton County? Does anyone even know?
My heart breaks for Hamilton County and the state of children. Judge Philyaw is simply dealing with the result of adult failures, and applying the law.
Have a blessed day, whatever it brings.
April Eidson