What on God’s Earth does it take to make people understand there are civilized avenues to follow if a child is born to a parent who cannot care for him or her?

The story out of Dalhart should sicken anyone to the core.

A young woman was arrested after a newborn infant was found alive in a Dumpster. Shonnie Smalley, 21, is charged with child endangerment.

Whoever did this likely is beyond redemption.

Let’s be clear about what’s out there for folks who bring unwanted children into the world.

They can take them to hospitals or to houses of worship. The state enables these places to receive unwanted children with no questions asked. They became instant wards of the state of Texas. I don’t know how many states have similar policies, but I’ll bet real money virtually all of them allow it.

None of us can pretend to know what possessed the individual who did this heinous deed. No one can yet understand how someone could discard a helpless human being in such a heartless manner.

The media ought to take this story and run as fast and as far as it can with it.

How? By developing public service announcements that advise parents that government is empowered to take care of these children if their parents are unable or unwilling to do so.

Then it ought to flood the airwaves and fill up print space for as long as it takes for the public to understand the conduct of the individual who did this to that poor baby in Dalhart is pure evil.

I get that eradicating this evil from society is likely too steep a hill to climb. Nevertheless, we ought to try.