I’ve been away for a few days, and came back to hear on the radio in the cab two news stories about children in Chicago — three who’d been burned to death in an arson fire by a man seeking revenge on a roommate, and another whom I think had been killed by a parent (couldn’t quite hear the details).

Local stories that unfortunately won’t get the attention Yates did, but food for thought about how many children are killed by adults in this country one way or another. If everybody knew everything about these cases and their causes, could they be prevented or at least slowed down? My impression is the scope is horrendous; just that most make the news a day or two and then are forgotten.

In a graphic ad on DC’s Metro system, there’s a black-and-white photo of a teeny infant with nose tube and all kinds of equipment attached, with a headline to the effect that he is a “Shaken Baby.” Shaken by an unlicensed day-care provider reads the copy.

More people, more child abuse? We can cure pneumonia, prevent/treat the flu, but childhood death is still a fact of life. At our own hands . . .