Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And kudos to tbe neighbor in Arlington who called 911 about the kids sting alone in their own yard, someone who thought something was off and called authorities. Thank God for that person!!!

Yes, a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old in their pajamas in the front yard at 7:50 am on a Friday.

In the Free range world kids in their yard in pajamas is not off.

Exactly. And in the Free Range World, you're not supposed to call the police because it's none of your business because all parents know best for their own children. (Because there are no bad parents, I guess, except the non-free-range ones.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And kudos to tbe neighbor in Arlington who called 911 about the kids sting alone in their own yard, someone who thought something was off and called authorities. Thank God for that person!!!

Yes, a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old in their pajamas in the front yard at 7:50 am on a Friday.

I don't know those people, or what was going on, but I am actually glad someone did something. If my 3 and 5 year old were out alone at that time, it would mean they had snuck out while I was in the shower. And we're right by a road, so that would not be good. Of course, I'd rather someone come knock on my door rather than call the police, but if I didn't answer, I'd be glad they called the police. What if the person inside has had an accident or something?

Yes, I am glad someone did something in this case too. I think that a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old in their pajamas in the front yard at 7:50 am on a Friday is a reasonable reason to suspect that something may be wrong. I don't think that a 10-year-old and a 6-year-old in their regular clothes in DTSS at 5 pm on a Sunday is a reasonable reason to suspect that something may be wrong.

And yet the Meitivs and the Free Range nutjobs upthread will tell you that they can navigate the world at 4, and people should just trust the parents, so MYOB because their kids are their business and everyone should leave them alone. Oh, and by the way, if you call the police you're just a busybody or abnormally smothering your kids. Except, you know, when it turns out the mom is dead in the house. Which I guess you should just know psychically is or is not the case.

Are you agreeing or disagreeing with PP?

I disagree with the PP. Because it's clear that everyone agrees that there's a place for intervention, and everyone things that the people who actually witnessed the Meitiv children (both times they were reported, by two different people) AND the police AND CPS are all wrong, and they are right about whether there were signs of something being wrong. And the first poster (and the one who posted about Sweden) who mentioned the 3- and 5-year-old ALSO assumed that it was overreach in that case. But it provably was not overreach. The strident, ridiculously insulting tone taken about this toward the police and CPS, whose only goal is to protect kids, is wrong. I don't know the truth of the Meitiv situation, and I don't pretend to. I do know that this is a factually complex situation that's being investigated. Honestly, of course the Meitivs should have their say --and we all know they do -- but everyone else who thinks they know better should STFU.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And kudos to tbe neighbor in Arlington who called 911 about the kids sting alone in their own yard, someone who thought something was off and called authorities. Thank God for that person!!!

Yes, a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old in their pajamas in the front yard at 7:50 am on a Friday.

I don't know those people, or what was going on, but I am actually glad someone did something. If my 3 and 5 year old were out alone at that time, it would mean they had snuck out while I was in the shower. And we're right by a road, so that would not be good. Of course, I'd rather someone come knock on my door rather than call the police, but if I didn't answer, I'd be glad they called the police. What if the person inside has had an accident or something?

Yes, I am glad someone did something in this case too. I think that a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old in their pajamas in the front yard at 7:50 am on a Friday is a reasonable reason to suspect that something may be wrong. I don't think that a 10-year-old and a 6-year-old in their regular clothes in DTSS at 5 pm on a Sunday is a reasonable reason to suspect that something may be wrong.

And yet the Meitivs and the Free Range nutjobs upthread will tell you that they can navigate the world at 4, and people should just trust the parents, so MYOB because their kids are their business and everyone should leave them alone. Oh, and by the way, if you call the police you're just a busybody or abnormally smothering your kids. Except, you know, when it turns out the mom is dead in the house. Which I guess you should just know psychically is or is not the case.

Are you agreeing or disagreeing with PP?

Anonymous wrote:Though it sounds a little harsh, I totally agree with the letter to the WaPo editor below:



"As a retired law enforcement officer with 38 years of experience, I think the Meitiv parents should simply send a certified letter to local, state and federal law enforcement, including Child Protective Services, relieving those agencies of any culpability in the event their children are kidnapped, molested, injured or worse during their “free-range” escapades. They should also pin a copy of that letter to their children’s outer clothing. I suspect such parents would be the first to sue law enforcement and the county in the event anything were to happen to their kids."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/should-parents-allow-their-children-to-range-freely/2015/04/16/89dd6ada-e2b7-11e4-ae0f-f8c46aa8c3a4_story.html

Unfortunately, that would have no legal effect. And we as a society generally do not accept that we should let them perish for their parents' stupidity.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And kudos to tbe neighbor in Arlington who called 911 about the kids sting alone in their own yard, someone who thought something was off and called authorities. Thank God for that person!!!

Yes, a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old in their pajamas in the front yard at 7:50 am on a Friday.

I don't know those people, or what was going on, but I am actually glad someone did something. If my 3 and 5 year old were out alone at that time, it would mean they had snuck out while I was in the shower. And we're right by a road, so that would not be good. Of course, I'd rather someone come knock on my door rather than call the police, but if I didn't answer, I'd be glad they called the police. What if the person inside has had an accident or something?

Yes, I am glad someone did something in this case too. I think that a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old in their pajamas in the front yard at 7:50 am on a Friday is a reasonable reason to suspect that something may be wrong. I don't think that a 10-year-old and a 6-year-old in their regular clothes in DTSS at 5 pm on a Sunday is a reasonable reason to suspect that something may be wrong.

And yet the Meitivs and the Free Range nutjobs upthread will tell you that they can navigate the world at 4, and people should just trust the parents, so MYOB because their kids are their business and everyone should leave them alone. Oh, and by the way, if you call the police you're just a busybody or abnormally smothering your kids. Except, you know, when it turns out the mom is dead in the house. Which I guess you should just know psychically is or is not the case.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And kudos to tbe neighbor in Arlington who called 911 about the kids sting alone in their own yard, someone who thought something was off and called authorities. Thank God for that person!!!

Yes, a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old in their pajamas in the front yard at 7:50 am on a Friday.

I don't know those people, or what was going on, but I am actually glad someone did something. If my 3 and 5 year old were out alone at that time, it would mean they had snuck out while I was in the shower. And we're right by a road, so that would not be good. Of course, I'd rather someone come knock on my door rather than call the police, but if I didn't answer, I'd be glad they called the police. What if the person inside has had an accident or something?

Yes, I am glad someone did something in this case too. I think that a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old in their pajamas in the front yard at 7:50 am on a Friday is a reasonable reason to suspect that something may be wrong. I don't think that a 10-year-old and a 6-year-old in their regular clothes in DTSS at 5 pm on a Sunday is a reasonable reason to suspect that something may be wrong.

Way to backpedal.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And kudos to tbe neighbor in Arlington who called 911 about the kids sting alone in their own yard, someone who thought something was off and called authorities. Thank God for that person!!!

Yes, a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old in their pajamas in the front yard at 7:50 am on a Friday.

I don't know those people, or what was going on, but I am actually glad someone did something. If my 3 and 5 year old were out alone at that time, it would mean they had snuck out while I was in the shower. And we're right by a road, so that would not be good. Of course, I'd rather someone come knock on my door rather than call the police, but if I didn't answer, I'd be glad they called the police. What if the person inside has had an accident or something?

Yes, I am glad someone did something in this case too. I think that a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old in their pajamas in the front yard at 7:50 am on a Friday is a reasonable reason to suspect that something may be wrong. I don't think that a 10-year-old and a 6-year-old in their regular clothes in DTSS at 5 pm on a Sunday is a reasonable reason to suspect that something may be wrong.

What if it appears to passersby that it is a six and seven year old wandering about, heading toward four lane roads and looking behind office buildings? You'd see that and think, oh, two kids out having just having a good time?

Though it sounds a little harsh, I totally agree with the letter to the WaPo editor below:



"As a retired law enforcement officer with 38 years of experience, I think the Meitiv parents should simply send a certified letter to local, state and federal law enforcement, including Child Protective Services, relieving those agencies of any culpability in the event their children are kidnapped, molested, injured or worse during their “free-range” escapades. They should also pin a copy of that letter to their children’s outer clothing. I suspect such parents would be the first to sue law enforcement and the county in the event anything were to happen to their kids."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/should-parents-allow-their-children-to-range-freely/2015/04/16/89dd6ada-e2b7-11e4-ae0f-f8c46aa8c3a4_story.html

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And kudos to tbe neighbor in Arlington who called 911 about the kids sting alone in their own yard, someone who thought something was off and called authorities. Thank God for that person!!!

Yes, a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old in their pajamas in the front yard at 7:50 am on a Friday.

In the Free range world kids in their yard in pajamas is not off.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And kudos to tbe neighbor in Arlington who called 911 about the kids sting alone in their own yard, someone who thought something was off and called authorities. Thank God for that person!!!

Yes, a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old in their pajamas in the front yard at 7:50 am on a Friday.

I don't know those people, or what was going on, but I am actually glad someone did something. If my 3 and 5 year old were out alone at that time, it would mean they had snuck out while I was in the shower. And we're right by a road, so that would not be good. Of course, I'd rather someone come knock on my door rather than call the police, but if I didn't answer, I'd be glad they called the police. What if the person inside has had an accident or something?

Yes, I am glad someone did something in this case too. I think that a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old in their pajamas in the front yard at 7:50 am on a Friday is a reasonable reason to suspect that something may be wrong. I don't think that a 10-year-old and a 6-year-old in their regular clothes in DTSS at 5 pm on a Sunday is a reasonable reason to suspect that something may be wrong.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And kudos to tbe neighbor in Arlington who called 911 about the kids sting alone in their own yard, someone who thought something was off and called authorities. Thank God for that person!!!

Yes, a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old in their pajamas in the front yard at 7:50 am on a Friday.

I don't know those people, or what was going on, but I am actually glad someone did something. If my 3 and 5 year old were out alone at that time, it would mean they had snuck out while I was in the shower. And we're right by a road, so that would not be good. Of course, I'd rather someone come knock on my door rather than call the police, but if I didn't answer, I'd be glad they called the police. What if the person inside has had an accident or something?

Well, sadly, in this case, the mother of the children was found dead in the house, so it is good that someone checked on these children.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And kudos to tbe neighbor in Arlington who called 911 about the kids sting alone in their own yard, someone who thought something was off and called authorities. Thank God for that person!!!

Yes, a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old in their pajamas in the front yard at 7:50 am on a Friday.

Ridiculous. In Sweden they leave strollers with their sleeping babies outside of restaurants while they eat inside. Here the parents would go to jail.

But in reality, something WAS off.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And kudos to tbe neighbor in Arlington who called 911 about the kids sting alone in their own yard, someone who thought something was off and called authorities. Thank God for that person!!!

Yes, a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old in their pajamas in the front yard at 7:50 am on a Friday.

I don't know those people, or what was going on, but I am actually glad someone did something. If my 3 and 5 year old were out alone at that time, it would mean they had snuck out while I was in the shower. And we're right by a road, so that would not be good. Of course, I'd rather someone come knock on my door rather than call the police, but if I didn't answer, I'd be glad they called the police. What if the person inside has had an accident or something?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And kudos to tbe neighbor in Arlington who called 911 about the kids sting alone in their own yard, someone who thought something was off and called authorities. Thank God for that person!!!

Yes, a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old in their pajamas in the front yard at 7:50 am on a Friday.

Ridiculous. In Sweden they leave strollers with their sleeping babies outside of restaurants while they eat inside. Here the parents would go to jail.

Anonymous wrote:And kudos to tbe neighbor in Arlington who called 911 about the kids sting alone in their own yard, someone who thought something was off and called authorities. Thank God for that person!!!

Are you talking about the story in today's news? That's a terribly sad story. Thankfully, someone took action before the children were hurt.