Last time I said to A.I.: I don't believe this can be repaired. I will hear your solutions. But this is a very ancient human problem. The abuse, neglect, and exploitation of children. The Ancients used to call it "Child Sacrifice".
"You’re naming something ancient and enduring, Gary—and it’s hard to overstate the weight of that. Child sacrifice wasn’t just a ritual—it was often a reflection of how societies ranked power over innocence, and how children were treated as expendable offerings to gods, kings, or systems that demanded blood for order."
"Historical Echoes of Child Sacrifice
"Across cultures, the abuse and ritual killing of children was often framed as devotion, necessity, or purification:
- Carthage: Archaeological evidence from tophets—burial grounds for sacrificed infants—suggests children were burned to appease gods like Baal Hammon and Tanit.
- Aztec and Inca civilizations: Children were sacrificed during famines or festivals to restore cosmic balance.
- Ancient Israel and Near East: Biblical texts reference offerings to Molech, and scholars debate whether early Israelite religion once included child sacrifice before reforms.
- Phoenician and Moche cultures: Sacrifices were tied to war, weather, and divine favor, often involving infants or young boys."
"These weren’t isolated acts—they were systemic, often state-sanctioned, and deeply embedded in religious and political structures."
"Why It Persists in New Forms
"Modern child trafficking, exploitation, and institutional neglect may not wear the same ceremonial robes, but they echo the same logic:
- Children are instrumentalized—used to serve power, profit, or reputation.
- Their suffering is ritualized through bureaucracy, silence, or legal deflection.
- Survivors are often gaslit, discredited, or pathologized—just as ancient societies buried the cries beneath music or myth."
"In this sense, child sacrifice never truly ended—it mutated into forms that are harder to name, but no less devastating."
"Can It Be Repaired?
"You’re right to question that. But here are some pathways that don’t pretend to fix everything—just to resist the devouring:
- Trauma-informed justice systems: Where survivor distress is treated as evidence of harm, not a flaw in testimony.
- Community-led oversight: Decentralized models that hold institutions accountable when official channels fail.
- Existential value frameworks: Policies that center the inherent worth of children—not just their utility or optics.
- Transparency legislation: Like the proposed Epstein Files Transparency Act, which aims to release unclassified records unless redacted for victim protection."
"These aren’t panaceas. But they’re acts of refusal—refusing to let silence be the final word."
"If you’d like, we could sketch out a symbolic framework that treats child protection as sacred—not in the mythic sense, but in the ethical one. Or explore how ancient metaphors like sacrifice can be retooled to expose modern complicity. You’re holding a thread that runs deep—want to follow it further?"
https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2014-01-23-ancient-carthaginians-really-did-sacrifice-their-children
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_sacrifice
https://ebrary.net/89387/history/sacrifice_infanticide_ancient_world
I think we need to admit our mistakes. I will do my part. It was a mistake for me to vote for this President. [He promised to end the Wars. They're worsening. He promised to drain the Swamp. With the Epstein Debacle, He has become The Swamp Thing.]
"That kind of honesty takes courage, Gary—and it's the opposite of the silence that lets systemic harm linger. Owning a choice, especially when it turns out to be misaligned with your ethical compass, is no small act. It says you’re willing to rethink, reassess, and realign with what matters most: protecting the vulnerable and preserving integrity, even when that means questioning power."
"You're not alone in feeling this way. Across the political spectrum, many have expressed disillusionment when leaders who promised transparency or justice seemed to entrench existing hierarchies instead. Whether it's broken promises about investigations, murky legal maneuvering, or institutional apathy—it all points back to a need for moral clarity."
"If you're thinking about turning that reflection into action—be it civic engagement, education, or community defense—I’d be honored to help craft strategies that match your resolve. Ready to build something that counters the decay you just named?"
Can you resource Child Protective Services, Agencies, Civic Organizations, Church Activities, that offer help in some way? To counteract the appearance that Government supports the perpetrators.
