Mosqui's Comments
It's nice to see that the very first comment started out with a nice cogent, rational response. I guess hostility begets hostility though.
Personally, I think (almost) everyone makes a valid point. Overall though, there's enough pain and mistrust in the world. I don't see why we should aggravate the situation through ignorance and fear-mongering.
I realize there are children in the world who get kidnapped and molested; parents should care about the safety of their children and take steps to protect them. But is it really necessary to keep an eye on them every second of every day? Is it really so harmful to let them roam around on their OWN once in a while? I think not.
There are plenty of bad things that happen within plain view of adults, blows both physically and mentally scarring that are landed by the hand of a trusted adult themselves, and if someone is really determined to take little Billy and Cindy away and do bad things to them, an adult being present is not going to impede them.
That's not to say that children shouldn't be supervised, but I think there's a line between being safe and being overbearing that too many adults cross far too often. People just need to use common sense and teach their children to avoid strangers, and yes if the need arises, to use violence. Sometimes violence does solve problems.
So who cares which political view you submit to or if you walk in the center, I don't think that affects how you should raise your children (I happen to be a democrat and don't think that plays any particular role in how I feel). And Vic, I think the idea isn't necessarily to actually let a bunch of children run around unsupervised on the 22nd, but to let parents know kids need some freedom on occasion from a parental dictatorship.
If you live in a bad area, common sense tells you that not watching your children is a blatantly stupid idea, but if you live in a decent area, let them be free on occasion. I really don't see why there's so much hubbub about a simple and reasonable idea. If you don't like the concept, hover over your children all you want and be as over-protecting as you'd like. Some people feel differently though.
Oh, and Felix, there are plenty of bad law enforcement officers and there is a reason why lawyers don't hold a cherished place in the hearts of very many people. Listing jobs you've held (regardless of what they were) aren't automatic credentials for knowing what they hell you're talking about.
I know this is long, but I had to get that all off my chest. If even one of you found any of this even remotely enlightening, I feel I've done my job. For any who disagree, well... you're entitled to your opinions too.
Personally, I think (almost) everyone makes a valid point. Overall though, there's enough pain and mistrust in the world. I don't see why we should aggravate the situation through ignorance and fear-mongering.
I realize there are children in the world who get kidnapped and molested; parents should care about the safety of their children and take steps to protect them. But is it really necessary to keep an eye on them every second of every day? Is it really so harmful to let them roam around on their OWN once in a while? I think not.
There are plenty of bad things that happen within plain view of adults, blows both physically and mentally scarring that are landed by the hand of a trusted adult themselves, and if someone is really determined to take little Billy and Cindy away and do bad things to them, an adult being present is not going to impede them.
That's not to say that children shouldn't be supervised, but I think there's a line between being safe and being overbearing that too many adults cross far too often. People just need to use common sense and teach their children to avoid strangers, and yes if the need arises, to use violence. Sometimes violence does solve problems.
So who cares which political view you submit to or if you walk in the center, I don't think that affects how you should raise your children (I happen to be a democrat and don't think that plays any particular role in how I feel). And Vic, I think the idea isn't necessarily to actually let a bunch of children run around unsupervised on the 22nd, but to let parents know kids need some freedom on occasion from a parental dictatorship.
If you live in a bad area, common sense tells you that not watching your children is a blatantly stupid idea, but if you live in a decent area, let them be free on occasion. I really don't see why there's so much hubbub about a simple and reasonable idea. If you don't like the concept, hover over your children all you want and be as over-protecting as you'd like. Some people feel differently though.
Oh, and Felix, there are plenty of bad law enforcement officers and there is a reason why lawyers don't hold a cherished place in the hearts of very many people. Listing jobs you've held (regardless of what they were) aren't automatic credentials for knowing what they hell you're talking about.
I know this is long, but I had to get that all off my chest. If even one of you found any of this even remotely enlightening, I feel I've done my job. For any who disagree, well... you're entitled to your opinions too.
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Maybe you don't recall what it was like to be a child, but if I was told something when I was younger that didn't relate to me because I was never in a situation when I thought that knowledge might be even remotely useful, I tended to shrug it off as mumbo-jumbo. And I recall plenty of opportunities when I wish I was alone but was not permitted to be. It made me feel like my parents didn't put enough trust in me to make intelligent decisions, and it often infuriated me.
Never letting a child have the experience of having some time to themselves, unsupervised, is the opposite of safe. It denies mental growth by creating only one safe little walled-in scenario they will ever be exposed to. Until they're an adult of course, and then they tend to rely too much on others (I'm not saying this is ALWAYS the case).
Besides, you only get to be a kid once. Why not experience as much as you can then? If the kid doesn't like to be alone, then that fine. While kids do require a high level of supervision, I think it's ok for them to decide what they do and don't like on occasion. If it's skipping around the park that's right across the street by themselves once in a while, or riding a bike around the block, that's fine by me.