Some people are miserable bastards and deserve to be shot.

[fire_of_avalon]

This is an issue with so many areas to look at. I think deep down, what worries me the most is the fact that the parents could claim that they were unaware of what they were doing, perhaps blaming it on alcohol, and COULD actually pull it off because we've become a society that is scared of putting responsibility for people's actions on people. We'd rather blame some sort of external problem such as alcoholism than the parents because it's somehow easier on our conscience.

Just to be clear, one of the first things that's taught in substance abuse classes is that while you MAY have a problem outside yourself that other people don't understand, and while this problem MAY be very difficult to control, it is controllable. In other words, just because you're an alcoholic doesn't mean you don't have a choice, and doesn't mean you're unaware of that choice. In other words, throwing you hands in the air and saying "I can't help it! I'm an alcoholic." doesn't get you very far, legally speaking. Because there's always help, if you choose to take it.

So I think the only way their apparent alcoholism would factor into a case such as this would be to even further prove their irresponsibility. While that DOES serve as a blow to recovering alcoholics the world over, and to the view of alcoholism as a legitimate physical condition, it's nothing but the truth.