By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
A Seattle news medium saw it fitting to send a news team out to investigate a report of a child leaving school early and walking home. No, it was not The Onion but KOMO News. It does show a sense of the zeitgeist and the culture of fear that is sadly inherent in many today.
A five year old boy wanted to walk home after having first been driving to school by his father. He then left school early and walked home to see his mother. He reportedly walked a mile to reach home.
In an interview with reporters, the father reported that he was “scared to death” when he received a call from the school the boy left.
“When somebody like that calls you, you think of every milk carton kid, every lost kid, every child molester”
The parents are now saying they will be home schooling their children beginning next school year.
The school admitted its error and vowed to beef up security and have more adults guarding the perimeter of the school as well as on crosswalks and throughout the area surrounding the school. It showed surveillance video of the boy leaving.
A news crew had a video segment retracing the boy’s route home. The reporter commented how there was no sidewalk and what he described as heavy traffic. (one car driving by) He asked rhetorically at an intersection “How could a little five year old get across without being hit?”
Then came the almost predictable reference to sex offenders amok in the community
“And I did some checking. There are five registered sex offenders in this general area; [Lacey, WA] fortunately, none around this route.”
Statistically, the boy would have a greater chance of being struck by lightning than being abducted. But the fear is that child molesters wait behind trees and mailboxes all day to pounce upon wayward children.
Remembering back, somehow I survived my half-mile walk to kindergarten along with many of my other classmates. In fact, some of my elder relatives who went to school walking or on horseback generations ago seemed to have survived long enough to continue the family lineage. But today the perception of risk is so detached from actual risk the mollycoddling and defensiveness exercised by parents brings up the question of what is actually more of a risk to the children–the culture of fear or the extremely remote risk.
Sadly, a child errantly walking home becomes matter for a major news outlet.
Source: KOMO News
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Tyger Gilbert, I REALLY hope you are JOKING… That you just have a VERY dark sense of humor.?
Because NO, parents are NOT doing anybody a favor by killing their children…
Tyger
I seem to make these typos when typing comments on my phone, as opposed to my computer. Yes, I do proof my comments, but the mistakes are not as readily apparent on my phone, for some reason. Not sure that making corrections to typos, which were missed after a review on my phone, would be considered cryptic.
“Fact is, a child is more likely to be murdered by a parent or caregiver.”
Justagurl, that’s understandable. Some kids are so bad they are intolerable, and those closest to them are the ones who have to put up with them the most. In those cases, the parent or caregiver is probably doing society a favor, but no one will ever recognize it as such.
Maybe it’s the statistics that are misleading. For example, since the U.S. started its crackdown on crime a few decades ago, and starting locking up millions of thugs, the crime rate went way, way down
Some people say it was in spite of the crackdown, and would have gone down anyway. Therefore there is no need to keep millions of thugs locked up. Others, like me, say the reduction was was due in large part to the crackdown. And that if we free large numbers of thugs, the crime rate will go back up.
Isn’t it the same way with over-protecting kids??? Maybe the stranger-abduction rate is low because parents tend to hover. . .and that if parents quit hovering and over-protecting, then the rate will go up.
I think this really comes down to being just a matter of opinion. As for me, if I had kids, I would rather err by over-protecting, than under-protect and have all the guilt if something did happen. Isn’t this the same question we ask when we spend $800 Billion on national defense a year, and why some of us pack heat???
Pursenal Injury???
An Irish Poem by Squeeky Fromm
Some folks say the penalty’s worse,
For having a gun in my purse.
That the chances are low
I’ll get rape/killed, but NO!
I like ME staying out of a hearse!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Squeeky – if you look at crime statistically, most crime is committed by people in particular age groups. In fact, as you age, you age out of particular crimes and into other crimes. At a certain point you pretty much age yourself out of crime. This doesn’t mean you don’t have outliers, but for the most part people are within a particular age range
Some day soon, some not so lazy reporter will research the issue and present statistics to illustrate the situation, comparing today in context with the past fifty years. Between the immediacy of news, the laziness of reporters, and the interconnected aspects of our society, I wonder if things are any different than when I was that age, out and about, roaming my territory. If I had four hours to myself, I would go in a new direction for two, turn around and go back. As my time increased so did my distance. The only difference I can see is nowadays, I would be picked up and turned over to child welfare. Ah, the places I’ve been and the things I’ve seen.
I am not a mother, and frankly, thankful you were not mine. Happy Mother’s Day to you, bam. My prayer is you check out the resources I suggested on this topic. The website, the book, etc. Knowledge is power. These FACTS, of which I spoke, are on what I base my thoughts on this important topic. I can have a frank and honest discussion w/ almost all people. I can clash w/ them, and then have a beer w/ them afterward. I have gone toe to toe w/ attorneys cross examining on the stand, MUCH more lively than this. Then, had beers w/ them and laughed. I think you’re that type person. I hope so. Some here are not secure or stable enough to do that. I like you. I can take your shots and let them go. Hopefully, you can do the same.
Allowing fear of failure to predominate over desire for success dooms anyone, or anyone’s society.
I. Annie
Same to you. A great Mother’s Day to all, even sour and crusty Nick.
Happy, lol.
Ohhhhh BamBam, you just made my Mother’s Day. I’m glad you see what I do. Now I’m off to brunch, Haapy Mother’s Day!
Not if there an.
Bam, have you ever considered proofreading your comment BEFORE you post it? We all make little typos, but most people can read through them or figure them out pretty quickly. The separate correction posts just draw more attention to the errors and can seem a bit cryptic until the connection is made.
If there is.
I seriously doubt that people are falling over themselves in an attempt to get Nick to pour out his peals of wisdom and address crowds on this, or any other, topic. His mostly antagonistic and bullying behavior, often displayed on this blog, including his declarations that someone is a waste of time, reveals an insecure and pompous individual, who fails to tolerate a differing view on any subject. Anyone with a valid, but differing perspective, is automatically assessed as being a person with a chip on his/her shoulder. Sounds like a very sound and balanced individual. Just the kind of man one wants to address a crowd, where, heaven help them if there an independent opinion that doesn’t jive with his stilted world view.
Back in the 1950s when my little brother and I would fight in the car sometimes our mother would toss us out and make us walk home 2 or 3 miles. When I was 7 I’d be sent on my own to travel by train and then subway from New Jersey to the dentist in Manhattan and then back home again….
“These parents didn’t allow this child to walk a mile, it was the school’s mistake.”
Yes. An important point.
Here’s a good example. Guest blogger’s name is in bold-faced type. It should stand out.
http://jonathanturley.org/2014/10/26/a-penny-for-my-thoughts-how-the-right-uses-paid-commenters-to-manipulate-public-opinion-and-trash-free-speech/
anon – we know that George Soros paid $33 million to bus in and support protesters in Ferguson. And CAIR is paying people to blog. I am not sure how big Hillary’s war chest is, she is having trouble raising money from what I heard.
JAG, the odds are greatly increased that in a mile long walk as opposed to a block long walk that if there were to be a predator, simply because of the TIME it talks to walk a mile and the child would be out alone. Sadly we all have heard about the statistics about parents killing their own children. Some people most assuredly should never be parents, some people have poor instincts when it comes to the safety of their child. Some parents are excellent loving parents, but have extremely poor luck. For the parents who would not kill their own child, or be reckless with his life, the odds are increased to be unlucky in that mile long walk. These parents didn’t allow this child to walk a mile, it was the school’s mistake.
@sgtsabai that was VERY well said… Every last word!!!
Awww Nick, thank you!!!
and back at cha.. 😀
I always miss our social intercourse…. 😀
Annie, You said:
there are pedophile predators out there and the odds are greatly increased that a lone 5 year old is in greater danger walking a mile nowadays.
———————————————————
Actually, the Statistics say, that is is in FAR MORE danger ONCE he gets home and there is family or a family friend in the house.
Children are NOT far more likely to be molested by strangers, they are FAR more likely to be molested by a FAMILY member or by a Close Family Friend.
Now, those are real statistics. Not fear based, but rather fact based.
——————-
http://www.childmolestationprevention.org/pdfs/study.pdf
3. High Risk Children:
Only 10% of child Molesters, molest a child they don’t know.
4. Children in the family:
The overwhelming majority of molesters (68%) Sexually abuse children in their own families – either children whom they parent, nieces and nephews, or grandchildren. As teenagers, they molest much younger siblings.
5. Children in Social Circle:
The next largest number of molesters (40%) abuse children of families in their social circle. Some molesters molest children in their own families AND children in their social circle.
by the way, Fact is, a child is more likely to be murdered by a parent or caregiver.