It's Soapbox Time

I just caught the woman on the news that turned in her 17 & 16 year old children for robbing a store. I applaud this woman. As I listened to her story and reasoning I thought about how hard that could be. She said she had spent some time in prison and didn't want her kids to go through what she did. She was trying to raise her six kids the right way. "You don't take what doesn't belong to you". She also said she had four younger kids at home and would have no tolerance for any of her kids committing such crimes. The woman closed her comments with saying she wished her parents would have turned her in the first time she did any wrong.

As a parent I've been blessed that my children have never gotten into any serious trouble. I received one call for a bailing out, to which I refused. His father ran down and bailed him out, but why wouldn't he...he had done the same thing years ago. I had warned my son, that if he wanted to play the big boy game to make sure he was careful. (I added that I don't bail foolish people out of jail). I can't imagine how I'd feel seeing one of my kids on captured by camera robbing a store. I know that first of all I'd be angry. Then a lot of questions would run through my mind. Would I harbor them? No. I'd urge them to turn themselves in. Then I'd refer them to my dad. This man has a way with words.

I was talking to him this afternoon regarding this woman. He gets the journal on-line and likes to keep up with the Milwaukee news. He then shared the story of the robber who attempted to steal the 70 year old woman's purse and was beat up by several people who came to her aide. Apparently people in Phoenix/Sun City areas have taken matters into their own hands. He said the police are warning people against it but they have continued to do some bodily injury to the would be robbers. Maybe this is something we should adopt around here. Be more aware of our surroundings and help people out. I'd be all for it except for not knowing if there was a gun involved.

I'm sure that we'll see a lot more of these crimes as the Holiday season approachs. It sucks when you have to be afraid to hit a mall past 6pm.