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Should working parents whose children are abducted feel guilty or responsible?

Last week the body of 7-year old Somer Thompson who was abducted on her way home from school in Florida while her mother was working, was found in a landfill in Georgia. Although it is obvious that parents need to work to provide for their children and keep the household afloat, there are likely people out there who place the blame on the mom for being unavailable to pick up her child from school herself (which could have prevented the abduction and murder of the little girl). Do you agree. If not what would you tell a person blaming the grieving mom?
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marisaupa
marisaupa
Marked as Best! October 26, 2009 02:17 AM
I believe that in a situation when any harm comes to child, be it mild, or severe, the parents will always first blame themselves. In the case of working parents and an abducted child these feelings of guilt mat be stronger.

If the working parents had taken all the precautions that one should take to ensure the safety and protection of the child while one is at work one should not lay blame on the parents. The fact that both parents are working single or multiple jobs is often for the purpose of giving the child an environment for their betterment.

If however, the parents displayed indifference in the care of their child while they were away, if they didn't run through possible threat scenarios to the safety of the child, then yes, harsh as it may be, their guilt would be justified due to their irresponsibility.

The ultimate guilt of course will forever rest on the shoulders of the evil people in this world that would actually bring harm to an innocent child.
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ssmacd
ssmacd
October 26, 2009 01:57 AM
The only person who should feel guilty about this is the criminal- and any one who implies that a working parent should feel anything but grief. There is no grey here for me; its black and white.
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tealmyster
tealmyster
October 26, 2009 06:20 AM
If you work fulltime and neither parent can pick the child up...arrange for them to go to a friends after school until you can get them, go to a relatives or have someone come home to watch them. 7 years old should have a babysitter. If the parents allowed their child to walk home by thgemselves and had no arrangements of them being watched then yes, I would blame them.
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alms22
alms22
October 26, 2009 10:20 AM
Its not a matter of what other people think and feel about the situation... For me losing a child in that manner would definitely make me feel guilty and somewhat responsible for it because leaving a seven year old child or any a child while in grade school anywhere alone with no proper adult supervision is a No No for me... Criminals are everywhere so we should always be on guard and be prepared on possible threats around us... Even adults are not exempted from these monsters on the streets so why take the chance with our children... My children are my life they are the main reason why i work hard and strive hard for the best life and what's the use of all the money if ever something bad happens to anyone of them... Always take an extra mile to ensure safety because no matter who you want to blame in the end it is always Us the parents who will end up with the most suffering and grief with that kind of lose... And even if the criminals get caught and even if you kill them their life will never bring back what you had lost...
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srgothard
srgothard
October 26, 2009 01:18 PM
You should never feel guilty for another person's crime. That would be like saying, "I was raped because my skirt was too short." Yes, we all need to protect ourselves the best we can, but if someone harms us, it is always his/her fault. Some criminals have the attitude that stealing from someone who forgot to lock the door is okay, because the victim was stupid. The bottom line is that we lock our doors only because people do bad things, and not because otherwise people have a right to victimize us.

If you were not being careful watching your kids, you will feel guilty and you need to learn to do better, but the guilty party is the person who chose to commit a crime. Not his unwilling victims.
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petermusan...
petermusan...
October 26, 2009 07:15 PM
I think it absolutely has to do with the circumstances of the abduction. If someone stuck up behind you walking down the street with your child in a stroller and knocked you out before you even know what happened then you can't really blame yourself but you should do everything you can to get your child back of course.

If you were lazy and your toddler wanted to go play in the front yard by the busy road and you let him or her play outside alone when you knew it wasn't very safe and they are abducted than you should absolutely feel responsible because it is your fault, you knowingly put your child at risk of harm in this case child abduction.
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evilgenius...
evilgenius...
October 27, 2009 01:20 PM
its always the parents who are responsible for the kids behavior , until the age where the kid knows wat's good and wat's bad.there is nothing important in this world to a parent than the child they have,there all attention should be on the kid and its well being,if they cant take care of that kid,they are better without one.why should they have one,and concentrate on money and work and let the lif of the kid b spoilt...wats the use of having one.
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