A few weeks ago there was a new story in the city I live in of a father who left a loaded gun in a place where his 3 year old child could get it. Sure enough the inevitable happened and the child shot himself. The parents are currently being charged with child neglect and child endangerment (and a coupe other things I think).
Over the past few years, there have been numerous stories of young kids whose parents forget they're in the car during the summer months leading to the deaths of these children, and yet none of these parents are ever charged. It just goes down as a horrible accident.
The most recent case of this - to compare to the gun story - is one of a white teacher from a decent part of town while the gun story comes from a black family in a not-so-decent part of town. I was listening to a local talk radio station discuss the case of the teacher who left her kid in the car and whether or not she should be charged. Some lady called in saying that there's a BIG difference between the two stories, that the gun family should be charged and that the teacher should not be charged. One of the hosts of the radio station was voicing what was essentially my opinion that both the cases should either carry criminal charges or they should both be declared horrible accidents while the other host was supporting the caller saying that there's a difference between leaving a loaded gun in a place where a kid can get it and leaving your kid in a broiling car.
Here's how I see it...
"Well you just don't forget you have a loaded gun in the house and should always put it somewhere safe!" Yeah, well you also just don't forget that you have a child - YOUR OFFSPRING - strapped into a car seat in a blazing hot car.
"Yeah, but loaded guns are easily recognizable as being dangerous!" Yeah, and alllllll the child deaths over the past few summers (I think something like 600 over the past 5 years or something) kinda prove that a hot car is easily recognizable as being dangerous.
Personally I think in both cases, criminal charges should be brought up due to both cases being the death of a child as a result of a "forgetful parent", but the host that was voicing the opinion that I agreeded with brought up the point that one reason society might look more sympathetically towards the teacher rather than the gun family is specifically due to the socio-economic divide between the two. White teacher from a good area vs black family from a bad area. For that reason, above all else, I think that both these cases should be handled the same. Either you charge both of them criminally, or you don't charge either of them criminally.
How about you, my fellow Escapists? Is it fair to say that a parent that leaves their kid in a burning hot car because "they forgot" is forgiveable while a parent that leaves a loaded gun out because "they forgot" isn't? Or should both families be treated the same?
Over the past few years, there have been numerous stories of young kids whose parents forget they're in the car during the summer months leading to the deaths of these children, and yet none of these parents are ever charged. It just goes down as a horrible accident.
The most recent case of this - to compare to the gun story - is one of a white teacher from a decent part of town while the gun story comes from a black family in a not-so-decent part of town. I was listening to a local talk radio station discuss the case of the teacher who left her kid in the car and whether or not she should be charged. Some lady called in saying that there's a BIG difference between the two stories, that the gun family should be charged and that the teacher should not be charged. One of the hosts of the radio station was voicing what was essentially my opinion that both the cases should either carry criminal charges or they should both be declared horrible accidents while the other host was supporting the caller saying that there's a difference between leaving a loaded gun in a place where a kid can get it and leaving your kid in a broiling car.
Here's how I see it...
"Well you just don't forget you have a loaded gun in the house and should always put it somewhere safe!" Yeah, well you also just don't forget that you have a child - YOUR OFFSPRING - strapped into a car seat in a blazing hot car.
"Yeah, but loaded guns are easily recognizable as being dangerous!" Yeah, and alllllll the child deaths over the past few summers (I think something like 600 over the past 5 years or something) kinda prove that a hot car is easily recognizable as being dangerous.
Personally I think in both cases, criminal charges should be brought up due to both cases being the death of a child as a result of a "forgetful parent", but the host that was voicing the opinion that I agreeded with brought up the point that one reason society might look more sympathetically towards the teacher rather than the gun family is specifically due to the socio-economic divide between the two. White teacher from a good area vs black family from a bad area. For that reason, above all else, I think that both these cases should be handled the same. Either you charge both of them criminally, or you don't charge either of them criminally.
How about you, my fellow Escapists? Is it fair to say that a parent that leaves their kid in a burning hot car because "they forgot" is forgiveable while a parent that leaves a loaded gun out because "they forgot" isn't? Or should both families be treated the same?
