Protecting Kids

A hostage situation happened in Grammaland today (and yes, that means that if you've ever even heard of Google you can probably figure out where Grammaland is.  Whatever).  It was just a little ways from everything, at a busy intersection that I've been through a million times.  When news started coming through on Facebook it was very surreal to look it up and see everything so familiar and so awful at the same time.

My bonus mom (who lives nearby, and probably had to pass by to get home) said on Facebook that people were there watching from behind the police tape with their children.

I'm as free range as they come, I am.  And when I was a kid we used to go to fires with my uncles (who were both firemen, and who would say, "Stay in the truck.  I don't care if you have to wet your pants, you do NOT leave the truck," just like their dad said to them).  I understand spectating, I really do, but for GOD'S sake!  People deliberately took their children to a situation where the police and the FBI were actively trying to save 10 people who were being held by a crazed person with a gun.

"Gee, we could go to Chuck E. Cheese, but instead let's go get in the way of the police!"
Photo credit:  NBC News

Here's a clue:  It's your job to protect your children, not to put them right smack in the middle of harm's way.  Let the news reporters get the eyewitness coverage for you, and you and your kids go the hell home.

Honestly, I don't know why some people are allowed to have kids at all.  If I were in charge of anything other than bitching on the internet I would have gotten every single one of their names and I would report them to CPS.

These are probably the same people who won't let their kids play outside because they might get kidnapped, but they'll take them and park them in the Kmart parking lot with lawn chairs like it's a godforsaken football tailgate and let them see if anybody gets shot!

The mind boggles.  Absolutely freaking boggles.

(The gunman released all the hostages and then shot himself twice in the head, which takes an unusual level of dedication, and later died of his injuries.  One woman was minorly injured from a blow - not a shot - to the head.  No one else was killed.  Thank goodness.)