Every once once in a while, a local government gets it right. Stephen Green links to an AP report, and says that a New York couple who had their baby girl on a strict vegetarian diet have been charged with child endangerment. The 16-month-old girl weighed only ten pounds. Green adds:

I have to go on a very old rant of mine now.

Forget that god fellow and his orders that we lord it over the animals. Please. Theological debate is a lot like masturbation -- fun but useless. Instead, let's look at the basic design of the human animal.

Our eyes are both in the front of our head, giving us stereoscopic vision. This is a feature found in predators -- animals who hunt and kill. Vegetarians, like cows, have eyes on the sides of their heads to give them a wider view, in order to better spot creatures like us coming.

The AP article says:

Authorities were alerted to the situation by an anonymous call in November, said Maris Campbell, a spokeswoman for the district attorney. She said the baby was "in grave risk of death."

"She weighed only 10 pounds, less than half the weight of an average 16-month-old female child, and appeared to be the size of a 2- to 3-month-old baby," District Attorney Richard Brown said Monday.

The child has been in foster care since November, and now 20 months old and doctors said she now weighs 20 pounds, still about the normal weight of a 10- to 12-month old baby. Campbell said the girl faces major developmental problems.

Why do I get the feeling Law & Order will do an episode on this?