In the long run, what does it matter if they are or not? One is too many.

I say you should be allowed to hit people in the head when they are being stupid. Guess we'll all have to wear helmets...

Sure. But do have any more reason to believe that your child is in danger of abuction than did, say, your parents or your grandparents?

Are we denying our kids by cottonwoolling them with our irrational fears?

Last weekend I took my kids down an old gold mine out in the bush. I first went into this hole when I was kid of about 12. We had gas lanterns, we scrambled over falls, we stared down open shafts in the floor, hundreds of metres inside a hill, we learnt what "black" was. The mine hadnt been touched since the miners walked out 100 years earlier. Remains on the most memorable experiences of my childhood.

On the weekend, the only way in was with an organised tour. The mine has been cleaned up, fenced off and sanitised for the general public. Its wasnt the same thing.

By your use of the word "bush" and your spelling, I would guess you're not here in the U.S. and more likely Australia. I don't know of the current situation with child abductions in Australia, or any other country. So I'm not exactly sure yours is a fair comparison - at least from where I stand. If at all, I would think you have different laws than we do. Plus, being a "country member" is a little different than a "city member." Do you live in the country?

As far as I know, its illegal to abduct children in most countries.

Question is, are your concerns more valid today than for any parent at any time in the past?

I am a country member. OK, I'll remember. RIP, Rodney Dangerfield.
-)

I was discussing this thread with wife tonight. We believe that it may have something to do with the media. I'm not bashing it. It is just reality now. We didn't have 300 channels from all over the globe when we were kids. We had 2,4,7 and sometimes a CBC channel. I think we hear more about it now because of the media and the internet. I don't want to become so paranoid about things that my boy misses out on being a boy and having fun and experiencing SOME of the things I did. Not all good, of course, but that is part of growing up.:(

Are you willing to find out with your own kids' lives on the line? No. Then the answer is YES.

End of story, country member.

Something a of a non sequitur, unless ofcourse I misunderstand you. Your children are at risk (indeed, their lives are on the line) because you believe this to be the case.

Well, perception, as ever, is reality. Have a nice evening.

Why do I get the feeling I know Stuart? I think we all know him. He was the guy in school who was smart, articulate but never really knew when to shut up. He could argue a point but often it was the wrong point. He was the kid that would challenge the teacher for his own reasons that no one ever really understood and most everyone in the class would roll their eyes when he spoke. Sometimes, a guy would say "Hay Stu...shut up! Please!" And the rest of the class (and teacher) would nod in agreement.

So, to all that are reading this thread, say it with me ....

I'll agree with Stuart instead (must be an antipodean thing).

I have no way of telling - beyond a general suspicion - that the world is no more dangerous now than it was in 1980 when I was 5yo (no, I don't have kids, so ignore me if you like).

However, I could do a lot more fun stuff than a lot of kids can now - mostly (I suspect) because "everyone" perceives the world to be more dangerous and kids can't do stuff they used to.

I also noticed that the general concensus on the Pelican BBS is:

a) that sexual predators cannot be rehabilitated (which I understand is true); yet

b) that a death penalty for certain sexual predators will dissuade people from becoming a sex offender.

Does no-one else see the disconnect here?

As always, I don't like killing people, just lock 'em up.

Dear Lube

I am not arguing a point. I have no barrow to push. I am simply posing a question. Ive done it civilly IMHO and in the interests of the discussion.

Your personally directed remarks are tiresome, but predictable. A tactic I notice you throw out quite frequently, usually when called upon to critically examine your own views.

CNN makes the world more dangerous, as does the internet. Communication has made the world much smaller and more dangerous. How these items have done so is subjective, of course. Your perception may vary.

dd:

As does FOX, and CNBC as well, If it bleeds, it leads, so we are drawn into situations that, on a cosmic scale are irrelevant and should be left alone.

But consider this:

150 years ago, or even less, most people did not travel very far from where they were born. Everyone in an area knew everyone else. Today, the easy access to transportation and the propensity of people to relocate on a moment's notice has changed all that. Not many people in suburban areas can identify by name neighbors as close as three doors away. Everything is impersonal; no interaction with the bank clerk or the grocier; people shop by phone or internet, everything is so superficial. People no longer connect with each other. So, the "stranger" is never noticed until something happens and then people say "Why?"

We have yet to adapt to the changes of the past century and the changes are now happening so fast we cannot hope to catch up with them. The simple fact that people from all over the world can communicate like we do here would have been unthinkable in 1950. Heck, maybe as recent as 1970. Ask you parents whether they thought they needed a portable phone permanently attached to their head? So many people talking, so few saying anything relevant. Blather fills our lives.

Personally, I like a quiet place and a good book. Books do not argue, ridicule. nor do they get upset or hurt if you put them aside for awhile. Not to mention they are the original random access information source....

I don't know. Have you read Roth's "The Plot Against America."? That book can hurt - on many levels.

Otherwise I agree. You know exactly what my point is.

Yup, I agree with your assessment. I can be a jackass when it comes to the unborn, treatment of kids, fleecing old people, charging people for enlightenment and defending the American way. All other things are ripe for civil dialogue.