This morning an Alabama man was arraigned on charges that he murdered his 3 year-old son and 5 year-old daughter. He and his wife already were in custody, having been arrested last week on child abuse charges.

Among other atrocities, the couple is accused of binding their children with duct tape, stuffing them into suitcases, and leaving them in closets for “about 14 hours” at a time.

You can read about it here.

I did. I read about it. I almost wish I hadn’t, but I did.

Now, as I write this with a tennis-ball-sized pain in my stomach, I have two thoughts.

First, Keanu Reeves – or, rather, Keanu Reeve’s character, Tod, in the movie Parenthood – was right, “You need a license to buy a dog, to drive a car, hell, you even need a license to catch a fish. But they’ll let any butt-reaming asshole be a father.”

Second, kids need communities. These children have not been seen for months. The abuse would have left visible marks on them and deeply affected their behaviors. However, nobody from their neighborhood or school said anything. Rather, the murder and abuse came to light when, ironically, the mother sought police protection from the father.

There is a peculiar characteristic of too many child victims: they are barely visible to those around them. That is, they are barely visible to you and me.

Look around you and look carefully. If you suspect that a child in your life is being abused, your probably are right. Contact the authorities. Do not hesitate. You can do it anonymously. Please do not worry about the rights of the parents. If they are innocent, they will be fine. Parents are adults and can fend from themselves. Kids cannot.