Another Baby Is Left to Die in an Oven

Do you ever go out in the car with your baby or young child with the intention of getting all your errands done only to see the little munchkin sound asleep in the back before you are halfway through your chores? It’s frustrating to say the least. But, it’s not a reason to leave your child alone in the locked car while you go in and buy your groceries or even just to purchase that jug of milk. I’ve heard and read a lot of stories this summer of children dying in hot cars because their parents thought that it would be OK to run into the store for a few things – or worse, the child was FORGOTTEN in the hot car! How do you forget that you have a child locked in your car?

This has been the topic of some talk radio programming and I was astounded to hear the announcer say that the results of their unscientific poll indicated that the majority of respondents felt that it was an acceptable practice, as long as the window was cracked a bit! This is horrifying. With temperatures soaring well over 100 degrees on a daily basis this summer how could you do this to another being, let alone your own child!

This morning there was a story of a Toronto family visiting Texas whose toddler died in a sweltering car when the family forgot the child for two hours locked in a minivan in the parking lot of a mall. Does this mean that no one passing the vehicle saw or heard a child in distress in the car for the entire two hour timeline? Let’s all make a pact as citizens of the world. If you see a child has been left unattended in a vehicle – no matter what the weather – call 911. Obviously you will look around to see if the parent is nearby, but if not the please call the authorities for help. We need to stop worrying that we will be seen as busybodies who should mind our own business – this is someone’s life we are talking about. These children are strapped into their seats and cannot free themselves. These parents may as well be sticking their children into an oven. Enough is enough. Let’s take our iPods out of our ears and pay attention to the world around us. Let’s not let another child die from this torturous situation. Thank you for reading this and being a conscientious person.