Baby snatchers

So, I just discovered the story of Verna McClain, a nurse who (allegedly) murdered a woman and kidnapped her newborn baby. Sadly, this is not an isolated incident. There are so many cases where a woman has miscarried and taken someone else's child. Sometimes, they even cut the baby out of a pregnant woman. It's probably one of the scariest crimes I can imagine.

And, interestingly enough, (if I'm not mistaken) the culprits often have some type of nursing career. This issue is one reason why I fully support mothers who choose homebirth, so eloquently discussed here, at Searching for Simplicity. When the nurses and doctors remove the newborn from your room, you have absolutely no say in what goes on. Often, the parents are so overwhelmed and excited to have their baby, they don't think about what the staff could be up to.

I always wondered why my grandmother was so neurotic about pregnant women and young mothers in my family, hardly allowing them to drive to the grocery store without an escort. While I think that paranoia stems from a health standpoint, it seems not to be a bad idea. While I usually don't support media-induced sensationalism or fear, it's hard not to hear this one. Actually, I'm pretty sure that there is a biological basis for taking babies, and it sometimes happens in ape communities when a mother loses her young.

With that said, I'm just putting this out there... Watch your back. Women are often so trusting. Don't be. Carry a gun with you at all times. I know it's such a pain to concealed carry under women's clothes, but it can mean life or death. I know we all want to be empowered, independent women, but it's not worth sacrificing the safety of your child. Therefore, it's a good idea to not go out alone, whenever possible. Take a neighbor or friend when you run your errands. Hey, they'll probably enjoy it. Most people would love to spend a few hours with your new baby!


P.S. The victim was a white woman. Bet you we won't see any protesters and outrage, making this out to be a hate crime. Just saying...

My Kid Would Never Do That: Stranger Danger

As a criminologist, there is probably nothing more infuriating than constantly hearing the warnings of "Stranger Danger". Now, don't get me wrong- there have been plenty of cases where children were abducted or harmed by a stranger. However, this paranoia that's being placed on the conscience of every parent, is masking the real danger- creepy Uncle Jimmy.

Most of today's parents are so uber-involved as to step in on the child's bullying issues at school (that's a whole different post). However, many parents are missing the number one possible suspect that would harm their child- family and family friends. As a criminologist, it makes me cringe to think how many parents allow this activity to go on because they're clueless. Never trust people to be alone with your kids. ANYONE. Anytime you have to leave your child in another person's care, have a discussion with them about how it went and check them for any physical injury. This is an epidemic in our country.

Beware of your neighbors, friends, and family. It's hard to fathom, but be especially critical of anyone who is always eager to have alone time with your child. While some people genuinely do love children, you have to always be skeptical because the safety of your child is more important. There are no exceptions to this rule. If you have children with special needs (need the citation), there is about a 95% chance that they will be abused or neglected.

Parents, please, open your eyes. Even an adult that may be a lifelong friend cannot be trusted. I know, I know, we all want to believe our families and friends are inherently good and it would never happen to our child. However, there is no other adult- except yourself, that you can COMPLETELY trust that they will care for your child in the way that you want them to be cared for. Pay attention. Be paranoid.

Guilty until proven innocent?

Trayvon Martin.

We're all pretty much tired of hearing his name, regardless of how passionate we are on the issue. This week, we learned that George Zimmerman has finally been indicted on second-degree murder charges. The world heaved a huge sigh of relief for Trayvon's sake. Today, we heard that he was receiving a bail hearing much earlier than expected. While I have love for all people, I also have love for American justice. Thankfully, our system has this magical little 'gift-from-God' concept where the burden of proof is placed on the prosecution. Regardless of how you feel toward one side or the other, we all have the right to a fair trial.

Now, with that said, one of my favorite topics of discussion is media sensationalism. Obviously, this news story has great ratings value because it represents a possible hate crime. The general public should shift their social awareness to understanding that our popular media outlets are motivated by one thing- profit. Your local news station is not interested in educating you, promoting general concern, or encouraging advocacy. Therefore, when a story of this magnitude is released, consumers MUST MUST MUST take in information with a critical eye. It has now been revealed that a major news company, like many in the past, limited and/or edited a piece of the evidence against Zimmerman before presenting it to the public. This made the evidence (911 calls) sound much more incriminating than it actual was. Personally, when this type of news story explodes, I wish they would charge the networks with inciting a riot. I'm all for the public being knowledgeable and informed of these types of events, as long as it does not infringe on the rights of those involved.

Because of the sensationalism incited by the mass media, there is now no possibility that Zimmerman will get a fair trial. I know that the general public has already determined his guilt, but even the Devil himself would have the right to defend his case to an objective audience. This reminds me of the Casey Anthony trial. Similarly, the public was presented with a small amount of detail relating to the case, and we sentenced her right then and there. In reality, however, the prosecution team did not have enough evidence to prove her guilty of murder. Regardless of how shady the scenario was, or how bad of a mother she was, the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence proving her guilt. No human being should ever have to prove their innocence.

Even further, according to this article, Skittles sales are suffering as a result of their publicity in association with Martin's murder. I'm flabbergasted to believe that we would allow this type of detail to influence our CONSUMPTION habits. We're a society of mass consumers! Trayvon Martin purchasing Skittles has nothing to do with the evidence in this case, except to represent preceding events. The long and short of it, is that we, as a society, have to step back and place a little more faith in the justice system. It is not perfect, and I am the first to look for a weakness. However, we were not present during the crime and we do not know all of the evidence the courts have. It's our responsibility as productive, concerned citizens to promote civil rights for EVERY human being- including George Zimmerman, and allow him to have a fair trial. That's something I wish we had done in Casey Anthony's case as well. She was exonerated, which doesn't make her innocent, but gives her the right to live a normal life. Just as God is the only one who determines our fate in the eternal life, our judges and juries should be the only ones determining the fate of the accused.