Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Not in MY Town

I live in a small rural area. Our "city" is roughly thirty minutes away, and is growing at a rapid rate of two fast food restraunts, one department store, and a better than average food dive every three or four months. The population is a cool 100,000 and growing. Not too big, not too small, even though Teen Two prays daily for the addition of a "TGIF." And although it is a small "booming" town, the crime rate has stayed relatively "low."

Yes, we have the usual city crimes: robbery, drug marketing, prostitution, violence, but for the most part the crime scale isn't on the ricktor scale. So, we live in blissful ignorance of big city living. Many people do.

Last week, one of my co-workers experienced what lax, blissful living can do. She was peacefully shopping at the local Wal-Mart. It's the super size one, so you can do all. It was one of the few times where she was able to escape home with only one of her three boys, the four year old. While she was shopping, with her son secured in the shopping buggy, some guy literally picked up her son out of the shopping cart. Just picked him up. She was fortunate enough to be able to grab onto his legs and pull him away from the man, screaming for help at the same time, however, the man was gone before she could get even a description of him. This story makes my blood run cold and hot at the same time. It scares the hell out of me, and at the same time, makes me mad enough to lay a hurtin on someone.

Of course, this story is the one that stays out of the limelight. No need to cause panic to the public. No need to cause undue stress to the masses. I understand all of that. There are no major details to provide. But I am on alert now because of the knowing. I'm on the "watch" when I have to be in a store. Where I might walk three steps away from the buggy to pick up a box of cereal, I am now pushing the cart along with me.

Before the addition of Abs (4), Gus (3), and V (1), I held my breath through the younger years and was on guard like a pit bull hungering for a pound O' manflesh. I thought that once they hit the teenage years, and could trust them enough to be aware of stranger danger, I find that danger is something that is everywhere and for every age. Remember just a few years ago when boyfriend kills girlfriend and chops her up to stuff her into the trunk of his car? That was someone she knew and should have been able to trust!

Is this a sign of times? No, I don't think so. Crimes against humanity have been happening since the dawn of time. Adults preying on children isn't a modern day past time, it has happened since cavemen knew they had something growing between the nethers. The main difference is modern inventions allow for more macabre tools to fall into the hands of monsters trying to pass as humans. Modern communication and the information highway allows for news to travel faster than the Pony Express could deliver. And the worms are coming out into the bright of day instead of staying hidden in the caves they deserve to be buried in.

What do you think?

13 comments:

  1. That is so scary - a parents worst nightmare.

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  2. omg - that's terrifying - i can't believe that!!! Now i'm scared to even go to the flippin store.

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  3. so scary--When I was a kid I roamed the country side and was never afraid, now I'm afraid to let the kids out of my sight.

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  4. Holy Cats! I have been letting Grant "walk" next to the cart. Of course he wanders away... still in my sightline, but out of my reach. I will not be doing that anymore.
    The brazen attempt to grab your friend's child is what is the most shocking to me.
    Ugh.

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  5. Holy $#*%! The poor wee one and poor mum. A hug to both. And I agree with you I think we need to deliver a hurtin' on the guy that tried this. How unbelievably scary. I am already uber cautious when I'm out at the store with the wee ones, but this makes me ever more aware.

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  6. It is frightening that someone has gall enough to believe they can get away with carrying a child through a shopping center. Seriously? I wonder just how many would have watched him run off with this child (probably screaming and crying), and how many would have done something to stop it. I sometimes wonder what kind of society we have become.

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  7. Dear God! How Bold!
    I can't figure out how my kids (and I, for that matter) made it to maturity with the amount of pervs around.

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  8. OH my goodness! This scares me too death!!!! I'm ALWAYS a "watchdog" with my kids. I'm one of those "overprotective moms." Like really bad! And top secret - i do have a conceal and carry license! I hope I NEVER has to use it!!! Because when it comes to my kids........you know - you are a mom, too!

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  9. OMG! That guy had some big balls. I can't believe he tried that with the boy's mother RIGHT THERE. How scary. And how lucky that the mom was able to intervene. I agree with you that these types of crimes have always occured. They only seem more prevalent now because we are more aware of them due to the media, interenet, etc. "There is nothing new under the sun".

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  10. Wow, I am sitting here mouth hanging open in shock at that story. Agreed, there is nothing new happening but I'm not sure I agree with keeping this story out of the spotlight. Just another indication of how things can change in an instant.

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  11. That scares the crap outta me. My boys both want to walk by the cart, my 3 year old is always trying to "wander." No more. They be sittin in the cart. If that happened? I would die. Just die right there. Thank GOD your friend was right on it. What if she would have had the other kids and maybe wasn't able to pay attention as well? Chills me thinking about it. And they say that evil doesn't exist.

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  12. When my kids were wee, this was my constant fear. I had previously gotten all up in arms when people left their shopping buggies in the middle of the parking lot. Once I had kids, I did the same thing. I wasn't gonna leave them in the car while I returned a buggy.

    I think you - and the previous commenters - are right, though - this sort of thing has always happened. These were the boogeymen of our youth.

    You don't want to live in fear, nor do you want to teach your kids to, but STUFF LIKE THIS HAPPENS!!! It's a scary, scary world.

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  13. One one hand I Know Everything.
    On the other; I am dumbstruck.

    This is scary indeed. Did the WMart NOT have cameras?

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