For over a year, Lou and Linda Pelletier have been fighting the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families to regain custody of their teenage daughter Justina. DCF took custody of Justina after her parents disputed the diagnosis doctors at Boston Children’s Hospital’s handed down. Boston Children’s Hospital said the then 15-year-old had a psychiatric disorder – not mitochondrial disease, which her parents had been treating her for at the direction of another doctor.
Glenn has been covering this story since the fall, and other media outlets have gotten involved as well. All the while, concerned individuals around the country have called on politicians like Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick to get involved. On Thursday, Reverend Patrick Mahoney, the spokesman representing the Pelletier family, confronted Gov. Patrick outside an event in Lowell, Massachusetts.
Watch the exchange between Rev. Mahoney and Gov. Patrick below:
On radio this morning, Glenn reacted to the encounter – praising Gov. Patrick for allowing Rev. Mahoney to speak his mind but also questioning the politician’s sincerity.
“I have more respect for Deval Patrick on this particular thing. I didn't think I would like Deval Patrick ever,” Glenn said. “But listen to the way he's letting this guy speak. I think that's encouraging.”
With that in in mind, however, Glenn did question the political expediency of Gov. Patrick’s decision to let Rev. Mahoney speak. With cameras all around, Gov. Patrick comes across as respectful and rightly concerned, but will there be any further action steps taken to actually end this nightmare and bring Justina home?
“Is there a follow-up? It's one thing when you have cameras around and a powerful pastor saying this and he's being reasonable, you might want to stop and just listen to him. And then just try to say, you know, ‘My hands are tied,’” Glenn explained. “When you really believe this – forget about executive order or anything else – you lead the charge… This is what Mahoney is talking about. ‘I respect what you did for civil rights cases… So where are you now?’”
You can learn more about the fight for free Justina HERE.
