In some instances this is quite unintentional. On the news last week they kept playing a clip of a frantic dad on a 911 call explaining he accidently left his kid in the car.
Should a parent be criminally tried for such an act?
Would the courts tend to be more lenient to father than mother in these instances?
It's tragic, but I don't believe a parent is acting with any criminal intent when they forget their kid in a car. The guilt they'll live with is a more severe punishment than any court could exact. I'd hope that mothers and fathers would be treated equally in such cases, but I could see where men, white men particularly would get more lenient treatment.
I think a lot of public perception centers around what the parent was doing while the child was in the car.
I'm not sure gender is the dividing issue around how the parent is perceived. I see it as more of a class issue. But to be fair, I see most issues as class issues. I have my own biases.
Technically speaking I suppose they have to be investigated for negligent homicide or some such, but it really comes down to the court as to what they want to pursue; again, what the parent was doing and how the parent is perceived by the court are going to be factors in that decision. And frankly, what the parent was doing would be a factor for me, as well.
____________________________
In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.
My coworker was critical of the decision not to file criminal charges against one forgetful dad. She claimed that if it had been the mom that forgot the kid in the car, she would be charged.
Would the courts tend to be more lenient to father than mother in these instances?
That would be the exact opposite of most criminal sentencing. White people would probably still get more lenience, but I doubt it would favor fathers over mothers.
Would the courts tend to be more lenient to father than mother in these instances?
That would be the exact opposite of most criminal sentencing. White people would probably still get more lenience, but I doubt it would favor fathers over mothers.
I dont' think so either. Her argument was from the standpoint that we don't hold fathers as accountable as care-givers to our children as we would mothers.
Yeeeeah, but that's countered by the "protector" status for fathers in general. I don't think it's a big factor either way, but maybe your coworker has some insight I'm missing.
____________________________
In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.
Would the courts tend to be more lenient to father than mother in these instances?
I don't know if the courts would be, but society in general sure would.
I'm still surprised by the double standard to some degree. If I'm out alone with the kids and there's a problem of some kind the reaction I seem to get is more sympathy than anything else, especially from women. Like 'that poor guy is left alone with a toddler and a baby, here let me give you a hand.' Then comes the interesting conversation, of course.
"So where's your wife? Is she working today?" "Oh no, she's at home, just getting some stuff done around the house." "Oh... well it's sure is great of you to take the kids out and give her a break like that." "Oh, um, well it's not a big deal, we do this a lot." "Really?" "Um, yeah..."
*awkward silence*
Whereas the Mrs. would be getting scornful looks from people wondering why she can't control her children, why she's letting them disrupt and annoy everyone, and struggle to fathom why would someone bring their child out in public if they still might have an "accident" in the store? True story, yay for potty training mishaps...
But we're not talking about anything major of course, more like child having a bit of a meltdown because they're tired, or playing with something on a store shelf while you're distracted, or wandering around the corner out of sight. I really hate that last one. We've never left the child in a car before, and I do struggle to understand how that could happen, though I suppose it isn't unheard of. But yes the whole double-standard, expectations people have for women but not men thing, could see it coming into play.
Anyway speaking of babies in cars, there was a small SUV with a "baby on board" sticker swerving in and out of traffic and cutting people off like crazy during the commute this morning. I can only assume it's a dad with a legitimate excuse for being late and doing his best to correct his mistake, or a mom who failed plan her day properly and is putting her kids at risk of injury in a traffic accident.
Women...
____________________________
That monster in the mirror, he just might be you. -Grover
The general census of parents who have left their child in the back seat of their car, is that they were under so much stress that they forgot the child was there. Seems that when stressors build up, the lizard brain overrides the brain and affects the memory. Washington Post had an article on this several years ago.
____________________________
In the place of a Dark Lord you would have a Queen! Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the Morn! Treacherous as the Seas! Stronger than the foundations of the Earth! All shall love me and despair! -ElneClare
This Post is written in Elnese, If it was an actual Post, it would make sense.
Anyway speaking of babies in cars, there was a small SUV with a "baby on board" sticker swerving in and out of traffic and cutting people off like crazy during the commute this morning. I can only assume it's a dad with a legitimate excuse for being late and doing his best to correct his mistake, or a mom who failed plan her day properly and is putting her kids at risk of injury in a traffic accident.
Predictable in hindsight I guess, this is kind of interesting...
Quote:
Two decades ago, this was relatively rare. But in the early 1990s, car-safety experts declared that passenger-side front airbags could kill children, and they recommended that child seats be moved to the back of the car;
there was a small SUV with a "baby on board" sticker swerving in and out of traffic and cutting people off like crazy during the commute this morning. I can only assume it's a dad with a legitimate excuse for being late and doing his best to correct his mistake
Not nice to call the baby a "mistake" even if it did make him late for work
Well if she would just take the pill at exactly the same time every day and stop making stupid excuses this would have never been an issue in the first place.
____________________________
That monster in the mirror, he just might be you. -Grover
The times I drive and there's a cockbite with a Baby On Board plaque and driving like an idiot I give them as hard a time as possible. I've also keyed cars taking up multiple spaces at parking lots, but that has less to do with the whole presumption that a child in the vehicle lessening the driver's responsibility.
____________________________
George Carlin wrote:
I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.
there was a small SUV with a "baby on board" sticker swerving in and out of traffic and cutting people off like crazy during the commute this morning. I can only assume it's a dad with a legitimate excuse for being late and doing his best to correct his mistake
Not nice to call the baby a "mistake" even if it did make him late for work
In some instances this is quite unintentional. On the news last week they kept playing a clip of a frantic dad on a 911 call explaining he accidently left his kid in the car.
Should a parent be criminally tried for such an act?
Yes, of course. What an idiotic question. If nothing else for the moral hazard of "oh no what a terrible """mistake""" my colicky 1 year old drown in the bath and now I can sleep ever."
I dont' think so either. Her argument was from the standpoint that we don't hold fathers as accountable as care-givers to our children as we would mothers.
No, no, you have it wrong. Just as accountable, just assumed to be incompetent. Trust me, I spent hours a day with stay at home moms. If they haven't met me before, they immediately assume I'm seconds away from killing the children at all times. In fairness, though, when I see dads who work at the park with their kids it is ******* Amateur Hour. I actually had to ask one to leave because his shouting at his kids was scaring other children. He was initially reluctant, but I made a compelling argument.
____________________________
Disclaimer:
To make a long story short, I don't take any responsibility for anything I post here. It's not news, it's not truth, it's not serious. It's parody. It's satire. It's bitter. It's angsty. Your mother's a *****. You like to jack off dogs. That's right, you heard me. You like to grab that dog by the bone and rub it like a ski pole. Your dad? Gay. Your priest? Straight. **** off and let me post. It's not true, it's all in good fun. Now go away.
Just as accountable, just assumed to be incompetent.... Trust me, I spent hours a day with stay at home moms. If they haven't met me before, they immediately assume I'm seconds away from killing the children at all times.
Ugh, ain't it the truth.
Smasharoo wrote:
In fairness, though, when I see dads who work at the park with their kids it is @#%^ing Amateur Hour.
My favorite is the phone addicts. What is it with dads that when left alone outdoors (park/zoo/etc) with the kids immediately grab the phone and completely zone out? Sometimes I swear it's like 3/4 of the ones I see.
____________________________
That monster in the mirror, he just might be you. -Grover
In some instances this is quite unintentional. On the news last week they kept playing a clip of a frantic dad on a 911 call explaining he accidently left his kid in the car.
Should a parent be criminally tried for such an act?
Yes, of course. What an idiotic question. If nothing else for the moral hazard of "oh no what a terrible """mistake""" my colicky 1 year old drown in the bath and now I can sleep ever."
The courts don't seem so one-minded. The forgetful parents are tried in most cases it seems (though not all). In the couple cases highlighted in this recent articles the defendants were found not guilty; one of manslaughter and another of involuntary manslaughter (that had been reduced from 2nd degree murder). One was a dad and one a mom.
An interesting twist in this case. The dead-baby was adopted. The couple now wants to adopt another child.
Just as accountable, just assumed to be incompetent.... Trust me, I spent hours a day with stay at home moms. If they haven't met me before, they immediately assume I'm seconds away from killing the children at all times.
Just as accountable, just assumed to be incompetent.... Trust me, I spent hours a day with stay at home moms. If they haven't met me before, they immediately assume I'm seconds away from killing the children at all times.
Ugh, ain't it the truth.
Count to ten.
That's too old school. These days you count backwards from 5 to calm down.
____________________________
That monster in the mirror, he just might be you. -Grover
Just as accountable, just assumed to be incompetent.... Trust me, I spent hours a day with stay at home moms. If they haven't met me before, they immediately assume I'm seconds away from killing the children at all times.
Ugh, ain't it the truth.
Count to ten.
That's too old school. These days you count backwards from 5 to calm down.
Is counting backwards that much harder for most people that you could cut the cooldown time in half?
An interesting twist in this case. The dead-baby was adopted. The couple now wants to adopt another child.
They can only adopt 8 at a time now, to lower the risk of them all falling asleep in a car together. Co-joined, obviously, don't want one getting separated from the herd.
____________________________
Disclaimer:
To make a long story short, I don't take any responsibility for anything I post here. It's not news, it's not truth, it's not serious. It's parody. It's satire. It's bitter. It's angsty. Your mother's a *****. You like to jack off dogs. That's right, you heard me. You like to grab that dog by the bone and rub it like a ski pole. Your dad? Gay. Your priest? Straight. **** off and let me post. It's not true, it's all in good fun. Now go away.