Child Safety Against Predators

This is a topic that is very near and dear to my heart. Not because I have gone through anything like this, but because I have children and now grandchildren. Thankfully my children have been safe from such things, and my hope is that my grandchildren will grow up to be just as safe. But sadly, one never knows the future and sadly, not every child gets to have a safe and happy childhood. I adore children and feel they should all be allowed to grow up safe and happy, free from all harm and danger.

Hardly a week can go by before we hear of yet another missing child. How often have we heard someone say, "These things happen somewhere else. I thought our community was safe." Well, sadly, no community can be presumed to be safe anymore. Predators are lurking around just about every corner of every town and city, every rural area, every community and even in some households. Predators are opportunists, and unfortunately, the opportunity is all too readily available to them, no matter where we live.

Our laws are just not protecting our children as they should. The police do their best in trying to catch perpetrators, after the fact, but then either judges or the sentences that they have to adhere to, are just not harsh enough in keeping these criminals off the streets.

A very recent case, in which a 12 year old girl (Brooke Bennett) has gone missing in VT, was sadly in a family where there is a child sex offender within her own midst. Although he (her uncle) is only considered a person of interest at this moment regarding her disappearance, was at one time convicted of a sexual offense to a minor. He was given a 12 year sentence, but because of the disparities in the system, was let out after only serving 3 years. This is an atrocity of the system! Again, I must reiterate, he is not at this time being charged with the disappearance of his niece, but he, along with her own step-father are in fact being charged with abuse to yet another child. Had the uncle still be in prison, serving his initial sentence, this child might not have had to go through such a traumatic experience. Had he still been in prison, his niece might not now be missing. The fact remains, a precious and beautiful, innocent 12 year child is missing when she should be safely at home, surrounded by a loving family.

Our laws definitely need to be changed. This is only one instance of where the system has gone so terribly wrong, however, it occurs much too often. Sometimes it lies in the fault of the archaic laws that are in place. Sometimes our judges are just not qualified to make the right judgments when it comes to handing down sentences. Still, sometimes it's the fault of the parole boards.

Our officials, whether it be elected politicians, those who make the laws, or the judges who hand down sentencing, must be held accountable for the laws that are on the books and for keeping citizens, especially our children, safe.

They must also remember, people who are not abiding by the laws, are usually manipulators. They are so good at pulling the wool over the eyes of the authorities. Manipulators are experts at their craft. Why can the judges, lawyers and parole boards (who are supposedly of higher intelligence) not see this? When it comes to our children, the rights of a criminal must not take precedence over the rights and safety of our children! I cannot emphasize this enough.

As citizens, we have all heard these stories on the news. Yes, we are all appalled by it, but unless these children are a member of your own family, as long as it hasn't happened to you or your loved ones (yet), we can all somehow go on with our daily lives. If it hasn't touched us personally, we cannot fathom the depth of despair, anger, hurt or sorrow of the atrocities these children and their families are going through . Maybe we all need to start feeling and acting as though these children do belong to us.

How can people not look at these photos of missing or murdered children and not feel something? We all have to start imagining, as morbid and painful as it might sound, just what these children are going through or have gone through. No child should have to endure such horrendous actions! Maybe if we, as adults (especially those who create and enforce the laws), can put ourselves in their situation, really empathize what it must be like at the hands of a molester and/or murderer, might we actually start doing something to prevent our children from being the victims of predators.

Look into the eyes of these precious children. Look "through" the eyes of these precious little ones! What can you imagine them seeing? What can you imagine them feeling? No child should have to see or feel these things! No child should have to ever be put in the position of experiencing such panic and fear and pain. Why, as adults are we not protecting our defenseless children?

This is going to be graphic, but I feel it must be said. It cannot be emphasized enough as to what these precious little ones are put through at the hands of a predator. Can you not imagine being a child again? What would you do or feel as some deviant of society is touching you where he/she should not be touching you? What must be going through a young child's mind as they see the sexually aroused nakedness of a man (or woman) trying to do unspeakable things to them? They should not have to learn about such things at such a young age or in such a manner. We cannot bury our heads in the sand. These things are happening to our children. Children are meant to be children, only thinking about childhood things..........not adult sexual acts.

Our laws need to be changed. Our children need to be protected. The innocent need to have rights too!

Constitutional rights should not be given so freely to those who refuse to abide by the laws that were set in place to protect those who do choose to abide by the laws. If a judge or parole board makes the mistake of letting a criminal onto the streets, only to offend again, maybe they should lose their jobs (just as with any other employment, if you're not doing your job correctly, you find yourself out of work). Someone needs to be held accountable and then maybe our present laws will be re-examined. Our laws are in desperate need of changing. Many of the laws that are on the books today are outdated by at least a century. With the ever changing demographics of our society and the continuous rise in population, and in turn, a rise in the criminal element, these atrocities will only escalate as well. It's time to update the laws!

Our children are in desperate need of being protected by whatever means possible. They look to adults for protection, so let's protect them!