I say this with all due respect. To be honest, it's not for you to "give her a pass." None of us knows the struggles this family faced, or what they believed in terms of how safe they were, or whether or not they felt morally okay with growing marijuana. There's no evidence to suggest that the family knowingly would place their children in danger, and I would suggest that it's more likely than not that they believed they were safe and secure. This is a hardworking family, and Dayna seemed to be doing her best to make a living and care for her children, grandchildren, and the rest of her family. In an area that's this economically suppressed, the options can be close to nothing. These days, the so-called American Dream can be so far out of reach that simply providing the basics in terms of stability (food, housing, clothing) is no longer a given even for someone who works their rear ends off. I personally don't think I would have engaged in such an enterprise, because I would be terrified of going to jail and other repercussions, but that is me. It may be that people see the marijuana laws being changed and enforcement looking the other way, and so believe that the risks are worth the rewards in terms of trying to provide for self and loved ones. I just don't know.
And this isn't meant to be directed at you. I'm upset because I just find it so gauche to engage in victim-blaming, and yes, that IS what's going on here. There's absolutely no need to try to stand in judgment of them now. These people were victims! There's nothing to be done about the mistakes they may have made. What, do you (not you individually, I mean collectively) want to dig them up and lecture them about their bad decisions? For me, getting up on a high horse about them seems incredibly myopic and judgmental. We are not in their shoes, it is not something that we CAN even judge, and it's certainly not something that we SHOULD even judge at this point. I don't think most people who are looking askance at the Rhoden family are doing so out of bad will, but I DO think most lack empathy and likely are ignorant about certain realities, which often comes from a place of privilege. I have no doubt that a lot of the crap being thrown around, whether intentionally or not, has to do with the perceived class and lifestyles of this family. I think it's much more important to have empathy and to try to gain some understanding of the root causes of such situations.
I'm sorry if this sounds harsh or if it's taken personally. This is just something that means a lot to me, so much that I felt it was important to at least say something.
