| October 11, 1998 Rage follows lad
to his grave
By MICHELE MANDEL
Toronto Sun
Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them
not; for such is the kingdom of God ... Mark 10:14.
It
was the signs of his suffering that made what followed inevitable. How could you gaze for
even a moment inside little Randal Dooley's casket and not rage at the evil he had
suffered? For there he lay before yesterday's funeral, that seven-year-old baby so
achingly still on the white satin, his tiny hands placed around a spray of white
carnations, his dark tuxedo so loose on his frail bones, and despite whatever makeup they
applied, his bruises still so evident over his closed eyes.
And as mourners stopped short and the sobs began at the sight of this
helpless, beaten child finally at peace beside a stuffed teddy bear and a little Tigger,
grief turned to anger.
Where was his father when this poor child was being beaten? Where, for God's
sake, was his big, strong dad?
His wife, Marcia Dooley, the boy's stepmother, is charged with second-degree
murder. When asked about further charges, Toronto Police say only their investigation is
continuing.
Wherever Edward Dooley had been during his son's short, tragic life, he was
there to bid him farewell in death. He arrived at St. Margaret In The Pines Anglican
Church, leaning heavily on the arms of two men. He wore sunglasses as dark as his black
suit, and seemed oblivious to the angry stares and the murmurs that followed him down the
aisle as he was led to his seat in the front wooden pew. Earlier this week, he was rushed
to hospital after, friends say, he took an overdose of pills. Now he was out, if only for
the day, to attend his son's funeral, his bowed head swaying oddly from side
to side.
He hardly looked up when his cousin, Violet McFarlane, told the hundreds who
filled the pews and stood in the aisles and overflowed to the parking lot outside, that
"we have failed" little Randal.
"The next time, we must have our eyes open for these little ones,"
she told them. "They have no protection, but us to take care of them."
It was only when mourners began wailing in despair at a hymn that spoke of
"My father's arms around me. My child, we are going home," that Dooley buried
his head.
Where were those father's arms? For weeks, that question has been simmering
as this city has mourned this little boy.
His tall, strong father lived in the same home as his battered son. He had
sent for Randal and his brother from Jamaica, telling their mom, Racquel Burth, that he
could give them a better life here with his new wife.
Just seven months later, Randal lies in a donated casket, and the father
entrusted with his care never once dares to glance across the aisle at the boy's weeping
mother.
Randal had always dreamed of his mom and dad reuniting, his cousin said in
his eulogy. That little child even promised his mom that he would send for her one day.
And so he had, but only to lay him to rest.
"Every form of abuse must come to an end," Rev. L.D. Walters
exhorted the mourners who replied with applause and a resounding, "Yes."
So when the crowd emerged from the emotional service and spotted the boy's
father, their questions finally turned to rage. "That s.o.b.," screamed one
woman with tears streaming down her cheeks. "That boy was just a baby."
In the ensuing melee, there were rumours of a gunshot and chilling hopes that
some had "gotten some licks in." Northel Small watched the mob of anger pounding
on the father's car as it tried to leave the funeral. "This is not the right
way," she said sadly. "But there's so much anger in people."
At Pine Hills Cemetery, Randal's father did not appear for the burial. His
mother collapsed at the gravesite and had to be whisked away. And so hundreds of strangers
-- most from the Jamaican-Canadian community-- helped bury that little boy yesterday. He'd
been so alone in life, it seems. In death, they would not abandon him.
They lingered long by his side as the fall sun grew colder, repeating those
endless questions that have yet to be answered. Which must be answered.
Of a father who failed to protect his child. Of a community and a system that
let him down. The Children's Aid Society had been alerted by Randal's school last year. If
there was not enough evidence to lay charges, then why, at least, didn't the CAS check
back on Randal?
"This should never have happened," Pauline Spence said furiously,
echoing so many others. "How did he fall through the cracks? This child should be out
playing with his buddies and instead he's dead."
Instead, he's buried in a donated plot, with a few flowers and a little box
of Smarties strewn on the fresh dirt.
And a father still too cowardly to be seen. In death, it seems, as in life.
Michele can be reached by e-mail at mmandel@sunpub.com.
Letters to the editor should be sent to editor@sunpub.com.
CANOE home | We welcome your feedback.
Copyright © 1998, Canoe Limited Partnership.
All rights reserved. Please click here for full copyright terms and restrictions.
_____________
See also: Big Sister Is Watching!
An epidemic of state-sponsored kidnapping feeds a tyrannical system hungry for
revenues. Child Protective Services and Children's Aid Societies systematically and
increasingly often rob children from their parents. Kafkaesque chicaneries that the
targeted families find impossible to comply with are the tools used to keep the revenues
rolling in. Many families don't survive the ordeals that they are being subjected to
by any given CPS or CAS.
Subject: Hate Crimes against Men Must End!
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1998 13:27:39 -0400
From: Ted Greenfield
<ncpd@rogers.wave.ca>
To: mmandel@sunpub.com
CC: "Peter Meier"
<pmeier@interlinks.net>, "DaveyFamily" <rbdavey@interlinks.net>,
JudyLongfied <LongfJ@parl.gc.ca>, DanMcTeague <McTeaD@parl.gc.ca>,
ChristineStewart <StewaC@parl.gc.ca>, IvanGrose <GroseI@parl.gc.ca>,
AlexShepherd <ShephA@parl.gc.ca>, "Greg Oliver, Online Editor"
<goliver@canoe.ca>
Dear Ms. Mandel,
Hate crimes against men must end!
Your article below, in my opinion, fuels hatred against men.
The step-mother, (allegedly) repeatedly abused, then (allegedly) murdered the
little 7 year old boy and you call the father a coward! What do you call her, an alleged
murder, a victim?
Another woman, this past week, coached and counseled her daughter into a state of
paranoia, that the child's false allegations had a man arrested and his name splashed
across the Greater Toronto Region, for the crime of being "scary". What do you
call that mother, a hero?
All men and fathers in North America walk on eggshells afraid to even look at women or
children, the "wrong way". Reality is that false allegations are excepted for
full value and therefore men are first guilty; then in too many cases found to be innocent
after being arrested and their names and reputations soiled.
As well, your article below offers scant attention to the very real and serious problem
of a total lack of accountability by the Children's Aid Society (CAS). Once again this
agency has been involved in the death of a child, without facing accountability or
responsibility for it's actions.
The CAS was entrusted to protect the child. Why did the CAS apparently (once again)
walk away from this poor little child?
Ms.Mandel, you are a special piece of work to detail the heinous crimes this woman
(allegedly) inflicted on this helpless child and conclude that the father is a coward.
Totally unbelievable and totally unacceptable.
Stop spreading hate against men. It does nothing to help children. Of course big
"F" Feminists care nothing about children unless they can be exploited to
justify hatred against men.
Sincerely yours,
Ted Greenfield
16 Nearctic Court
Whitby, ON L1N 6P7
Subject: [EPOC] Hate editorials are not acceptable
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1998 21:45:57 -0600
From: George Charpentier <gcharpentier@stpaulrcssd.saskatoon.sk.ca>
Organization: Saskatoon Catholic Schools
To: EPOC_NEWS@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM
Dear Ms. Mandel:
Like you, I am horrified at the death of little Randal Dooley. Like you, I
wondered about his father and how this could have happened. We part company there,
however. You have taken the death of this unfortunate little boy, and used it to
further the politics of your feminist bigotry and hatred of men.
Would you have been as vitriolic if the father had killed the child and the mother had
apparently been negligent? Would you ever call a woman who failed to defend her child a
coward?
The one thing that I am sure of is that no matter what this man would have done, you
would find him guilty. The only constant in your rhetoric is the universal guilt of
all men, in all circumstances, coupled with the universal innocence and victimization of
women. Children don't even enter the discussion, unless you can use them to further your
feminist goals. You could have used this opportunity to make the lives of children
safer now and in the future. You did not. How sad. Instead, you chose to
promote hatred. Your writing is as despicable and irresponsible as anything I have
ever read.
I don't know what Randal's father did or did not do. I wasn't there. Were
you? His mother has not yet been convicted. I don't have those facts
either. Do you? Remember that "innocent until proven guilty" belief
that doesn't apply to Canadian men anymore? I will leave this case for the police to
investigate, and the courts to sort out. Why don't you do the same?
The way I see it, if he is guilty of something, he will likely go to jail, and perhaps
he should. If she is guilty of anything, perhaps she should too, but she probably
won't. We live in Canada, after all.
Sincerely,
George Charpentier
#210 - 212 - 10th Street East
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
S7N 2T6
c. Various distribution lists |
