Helicopter Parents, iPod Gunmen, and Paedophiles: The Hysteria of the Modern World

LadyM

Statistically they're rare, but I've still come across plenty of creepers just by being a woman and riding the bus or being in public. So if my hypothetical daughter came to me and said a man was chasing her down the street, my first reaction wouldn't be "No he didn't. Because that's so unlikely." The myth of The Scary Pedophiles Who Lurk Everywhere isn't accurate, but it only takes one actual crazy-ass stranger to harm your kid.

I sat on a jury where the guy being charged had abducted a woman he didn't know (and raped her in front of her kids), exposed himself to random little girls, and tried to kidnap a random teenager at a bus stop. Those kind of people are rare, but they're out there. "Don't believe your kids when they say they were attacked" seems like a bad policy. Maybe "teach your kids from a young age to tell the truth when something bad happens to them, but also emphasize that making shit up about other people is not cool."

CaptainNemo

I can support that policy, LadyM.

matt has a problem

Shogun wrote: »

matthasaproblem wrote: »

Shogun wrote: »

Thanatos wrote: »

CaptainNemo wrote: »

Yes it is. Anyway, what I heard from the deputy was that the kid was nine, ran screaming down the sideroad to her grandmother, who then called the father, who then began circling the block to find me.

Only a parent would believe that a fucking nine-year-old was a good source for an accurate description of events.

especially one of the myriad of idiot parents who believe their child is God's unique and special snowflake.

Yeah, that's right, when your daughter tells you something, tell her she's lying. Make sure that when it's finally something important, she doesn't come to you because she doesn't think you'll believe her. The father overreacted, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't have reacted at all.

Boy who cried wolf?

The young lady was wrong in this occasion. How many other occasions have their been? How many more will there be? Will she learn anything from all this?

This isn't boy who cried wolf. Apparently the girl thought she saw something that she didn't. She did the right thing in this case, telling her father that she thought she saw something dangerous. Her father overreacted.

Thanatos

LadyM wrote: »

Statistically they're rare, but I've still come across plenty of creepers just by being a woman and riding the bus or being in public. So if my hypothetical daughter came to me and said a man was chasing her down the street, my first reaction wouldn't be "No he didn't. Because that's so unlikely." The myth of The Scary Pedophiles Who Lurk Everywhere isn't accurate, but it only takes one actual crazy-ass stranger to harm your kid.

I sat on a jury where the guy being charged had abducted a woman he didn't know (and raped her in front of her kids), exposed himself to random little girls, and tried to kidnap a random teenager at a bus stop. Those kind of people are rare, but they're out there. "Don't believe your kids when they say they were attacked" seems like a bad policy. Maybe "teach your kids from a young age to tell the truth when something bad happens to them, but also emphasize that making shit up about other people is not cool."

If only there were some sort of middle ground between believing every word that comes out of your child's mouth is the Gospel truth as it happened, and thinking that everything they say is a filthy lie.

If only.

CaptainNemo

Not to mention the message was apparently relayed from hysterical girl, to grandmother, to father. I hope the kid is okay, but I also hope the whole clan has learned a lesson from this.

Taxexemption

Cosmic justice, an interesting notion.


The problem is one of culture. Our culture is heavily steeped in certain religious ideology, we as a culture accept and even embrace many ideas that are not healthy for a society to hold. The key one being that mans inherent value is low or non-existent. I am referring to a belief in evil, the original sin doctrine, and the idea that mankind requires something outside of itself in order to save it/give it value. This thinking is extremely unhealthy and counter-productive.


We accept that under certain circumstances violence against others is justified. Not just justified, but idealized. We make many films praising the courageous actions of those against strawmen we have created simply for the purpose of fulfilling some particular persons idea of evil.


We accept that someone can kill another in self defence, but to take a life? Is that self defence? How can you kill another if you were only defending yourself? If I hit a person as a hard as I could, even in a sensitive area, it is unlikely that they will die if my intent was only to stop them from hurting me.


We accept that violence against some groups of people is ideal. We accept that there are people that are evil, when in reality evil is little more than a concept based on the definition of the person using the word. There is no evil, there is only man, trying to fulfill his wants and needs. But no, we believe in evil, never ending supreme evil that exists inside mens hearts, we believe it is better if some people die. Maybe that belief makes us evil?


Many of us no longer know our neighbors or very many people that live in our community. If you don't know the people around you, then you are surrounded by strangers. Why talk to my neighbor who is a Democrat when there are plenty of Republicans on myspace?


We are afraid of our neighbors. All around us the boogeyman is waiting in the shadows. Foriegners, Socialists, Communists, Satanists, Muslims, Papists, Athiests, Capitalists, The Police, The government, rappers, blacks, white supremacists, loose woman, gangs, pedophiles and con-men just trying to make a buck.


We never really sat down and drew up a social contract. We never became friends, we never got together and seriously discussed what society should be like so that it was best for everyone. A lot of us don't even recognize each others right to exist. We don't have a working society, we have a time bomb of ignorance, hatred, injustice and inequality.

Cedar Brown

CaptainNemo wrote: »

It's pretty simple. I go walking with my headphones on to the teriyaki place. I see a bus dropping off kids. I wave to the busrider, give friendly nod of the head to the girl, and keep walking. I get to the store, eat some Bugles, pick up my food, and leave. I walk back, man jumps out, and then the cops get involved.

I'm sorry if I give off the vibe of paedophilia to you.

Don't wave to the bus driver. Don't look at the children. Stay far away from the children. Fight hysteria with hysteria.

CaptainNemo

From now on all my shopping will be done by robot drone.

Shogun

CaptainNemo wrote: »

From now on all my shopping will be done by robot drone.

the next time you see a child just break out running in terror

CaptainNemo

But what if, in my blind panic, I run into a child! Then I'm right back were I started!

KalTorak

CaptainNemo wrote: »

But what if, in my blind panic, I run into a child! Then I'm right back were I started!

Tell your dad the child was chasing you.

CaptainNemo

Or I could punt the child after shooting off it's limbs with a mining tool.

But your idea might work too.

Cedar Brown

Would it be so difficult to just pretend that children don't exist?

I do it as easily as people ignore homeless people.

CaptainNemo

Hey now, everyone's a hero in their own way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqCXXMvMm6g