"Yet the US is not experiencing an epidemic of child abduction. Figures released by the FBI indicate that the number of children kidnapped by strangers has been declining. The number of such abductions averaged 200-300 per year in the 1980s; last year they were down to 93. Despite this good news, anxieties about "stranger-danger" continue to thrive. It is no wonder: the cumulative effect of the ceaseless exploitation of the issue of child snatching by the US media is poisoning the relationship between adults and children." (Frank Furedi: Panic over child abduction is the wrong response)


I hate the TV media. Papers and radio and all that are just as bad these days, but they just don't have the same emotional punch that TV has. And they use that punch to hurt us. It is all done in the name of education and information, but that is bullshit. they find a topic that gets people riled up and keeps them glued to their TV and they squeeze every single rating out of it they can get. This summer it is child abductions. Last summer it was shark attacks. There is always something.

Parents aren't completely off the hook with this subject tho. As Joie and I discussed, what are these parents doing instead of watching their child? So many of these cases are obviously related to how closely the adult was watching the child. How responsible they were being. I realize that people make mistakes and I don't think that anyone deserves to have something like this happen, but some people are just asking for trouble. You hear a strange noise in the house and find the door open, but assume that your spouse did it and go back to bed without checking the kids? You go to the park and just let them run off, assuming that your 5 year old will keep an eye on your 3 year old? Come on!!!

Ugh. It is all too disgusting. I am tired. I am probably not making any sense. I apologize.