Parents Gamble Kids' Safety, Leaving Them in Cars at Casinos

But thanks to this law, ALL parents, regardless of the situation, are going to be busted. Yet another case like the "Zero Tolerance" laws that came into vogue after Columbine. HUGE overreaction to an isolated problem.I am an Air Force and seek ing someone .I need a woman who can love me back ...I also uploaded my hot photos on uniformedmate.c omunder the name of IOIO555..It's the largest and best club for seek ing Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Police Force, and the admirers of those who wear the uniform.I just hope you don't mind me being a soldier ...Please Check it out!I'm serious

LS Words almost fail me after reading your post. What are you an idiot? I hope that you live in a dark cave and are not ever around children and that you are also sterile so you can't procreat. OVERREACTION to Columbine? I guess you had to be there as I was to question if you are even human. Please just go away and leave all civilized and right thinking persons alone.

Why is it such a problem? Because unbelievable "I never thought it would happen to me" events can take place in a very short amount of time, very quickly. Just think of all the stories when a parent or caregiver has said, "I just turned my back for a second..."

LS,, I HOPE THEY LOCK YOU UP WITH YOUR NEGLECTFUL ATTITUDE.....

JUSTICE_1965 AKA Benton: @ LS; I agree with you 1000%, but that how these criminals in HBG think and they are stealing everything they can get their hands on, that's why so many were arrested and going to court now. Get out of ppl lives and homes and do their job in HBG!

Typical politicians looking at the problem backwards. The money,lighting,noise,excitment mesmerizes people.They lose track of time. The reason gambling was illegal in less enlighened times was it primarly hurt children as their parents gambeled away the money needed to support them. Leaving them in the car to die is probably more merciful than impoverished neglect. I suspect the politicans are trying to feel less guilty about leaving this predator loose on the comunity or at least hide the victims better.

Well I was baby sitting my younger sisters at age 10 and was quit capable. Although I do agree that these parents, leaving their kids in the car for hours, was very wrong and they that they were idiots and should not be having kids. And they should be punished, but you all should be careful when you cry for more laws because someday you will find yourselves in jail and wondering, "what the heck did I do"? I do think some of you are being a little rough on LS for what he said. I do see his point, we are making way to many laws in this country. Laws for this Laws for that and if you don't like what someone is doing then make a law and throw them in jail. When does it all stop. Soon all of you will be criminals, and if you look at your lives and learn something about law, you might see that you already are.

LS better b careful what ya type what with the patriots act and all that they can single you out as a terrorist and start to watch your every move.

Perhaps, LS, because most of these dimwits who run into the store for just a minute leave the keys in the ignition--sometimes with the motor running. You are likely such a person. How sad for you. (I guess it would be no big deal to you, should a stranger drive off with a child in the car. If the child is harmed during a police chase, I guess that would be no big deal either.) Thank you, though, for being so proud of your stupidity.

13 is too young ... No one should be left in a car in a parking lot for hours.
There are all kinds of Nuts running around ! Waiting to snatch them up.
It is not safe for anyone. Nevermind when it gets very hot or very cold out.

Has everyone lost their minds ? The Mayor and the State Reps need to re-think this one.

In Arizona, where I live, both mother's and father's have "forgotten" their babies in the back seats of their cars when they go to work, go shopping and even when they get home from shopping. One woman went to a high end mall and took her DOG inside but legt her baby sleeping in the car, her rationalization was that there was a valet that parked the car. Every year we hear of children who either die or are severly brain damaged after left in a car by parents. In Arizona an average summer day is 105-115 degrees, depending on the color of the car it can get to be as hot as 180 degrees. Any parent who leaves their child in a car to BAKE to death should be convicted of MURDER.

Typical that a couple of NO party politicians will jump all over this when they have no clue and make no effort to actually do something that actually helps people. Arrest the morons in question when caught but typical Republican BS to want to slam everybody. They are nothing but reincarnated Nazis and cannot ever be allowed to control government again.

I had to read your entry twice to make sure you weren't spoofing us, but I don't think you are. It seems, however, that you're just wanting to vilify Republicans by calling them stupid and calling out their laws.

It is against the law where I live period to leave a child alone in your HOUSE under the age of 12 let alone unattended in a car where anything could happen.

Kids have died also at casinos where I live because of errant parents have been idiots and self-centered just as you appear to be and concerned with you "might get into trouble" for being lazy. REALLY? Tough laws have to be put in place for complacent and selfish idiots and tough cookies if you want to be a lazy ass...

I am so appalled that people bring in politics in things such as this just because you're ideologies come first and your willingness to castigate anyone who isn't "like you". PA is in sad shape because of your politicians (as are many, many places) I really wouldn't want to be casting aspersions were I you.

Once again America's solution to EVERY problem is jail time. How about making it legal to bring your children into the casino as long as they aren't gambling? That's how things were back when I was young in the US. Some casinos even had a children's area, and I remember toy slot machines that cost nothing to play that children could play with (they didn't pay off anything, either - just so that children could see what it was like and get bored of it, instead of making it a forbidden fruit).

This is not an over reaction. Tonight on my local news there was a report of a parent who left their child, a baby in a car seat, alone for "just a couple of minutes" while they ran into a gas station to pay for their gas. And low and behold a man stole the car with the baby still in it. A CHILD SHOULD NEVER EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES FOR ANY REASON BE LEFT ALONE, PERIOD. WHETHER IN A CAR OR AT HOME, WHETHER AT A CASINO OR A GAS STATION. NO MATTER WHAT , EVER. AND ANY PARENT THAT WOULD DO SUCH A THING SHOULD BE PUNISHED TO THE FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW FOR NEGLECT.

Your comments show your lack of common sense and your self indulgent personality. You would rather think about your convenience then your children's safety.

I think LS makes some legitmate points.

First, what makes age 13 so magic?

When I was 12 yo (many years ago) I was babysitting the younger children of my parents' friends.
We lived in the country, so crime was not a big issue, but I had the phone numbers for the police, fire department, and hospital.
911 and EMs did not exist at that time.
I knew the location of every gun and required ammo in the house where I was sitting, and was a proficient shot.
I had access to the keys for any vehicle at the house and could drive every one of them. Yes, even the "standards".
How many of you "self-righteous" posters can say that?

Another poster posed a good question.
Depending on how the proposed law is written, will it include a parent who has to step to the back door of an auto to remove a child from a safety seat?
What will be the allowed duration of "leaving a child alone"?

And, how many of the "do-gooder" posters actually have experience with children?
How many of them actually have children, or have had them in the past?
Do they currently, or in the past, leave/have left a child alone in an auto for more than 30 seconds?

I hate to see a child, pet, or "grandmother" undergo stress in a hot vehicle, but where does the regulation end.
Will these law proponents want Gestapo "house patrols" to check on the status of a child or pet at home?
When was the diaper last chnged?
Is the child hungry?
Does the dog have sufficient food and a cold bowl of water?
Is grandma warn enough?
Does she need another blanket?
Is her favorite show on the TV?

Where will this legislative bullshit end?

Leave the laws alone and let the gene pool clean itself!

A CLASSIC CASE OF "BIG-BROTHER" GOVERNMENT VIA THE SOCIALIST
B. HUSSEIN OBAMANATION ! WHAT
I WOULD PROPOSE IS A CHARGE OF ASSAULT, AND NEGLIGENCE OF A
MINOR CHILD WHICH IS A FELONY,
AND THEN GIVE THEM THE MAXIMUM SENTENCE ALLOWED WITHOUT POSSIBILITY OF EARLY RELEASE !
I TOTALLY DESPISE CHILD ABUSE !

THOMAS JEFFERSON STATED:
"...GOVERNMENT LARGE ENOUGH TO GIVE YOU EVERYTHING IS A GOVERNMENT LARGE ENOUGH TO ALSO TAKE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE..."

TAKE CARE FOLKS, WE ARE POSITIVELY HEADED FOR BANKRUPTCY WITH A SOCIALIST RECOVERY ! DON'T BELIEVE IT? CHECK YOUR HISTORY -- EVERY SOCIALIST, MARXIST OR COMMUNIST NATION BEGAN WITH A DEPRESSION OR BANKRUPTCY FOLLOWED BY RECOVERY INTO ONE OF THE TOTALITARIAN SYSTEMS MENTIONED ABOVE !

To all of those calling for my sterilization or imprisonment for expressing an opinion (interesting attitude from people who, presumably, embrace "tolerance")...

There is a difference between a "common sense" reaction to a problem, and a "knee-jerk, painting with too wide a brush" reaction. First, to Columbine.

Zero Tolerance laws came from Columbine. Zero Tolerance laws that send third graders into suspension for weeks because there was a plastic butter knife enclosed with a birthday cake; suspend - and possibly ruin chances of acceptance into West Point - a high school senior and honor student for having a hunting rifle securely locked in his truck, which is parked a block off campus.

Columbine gave us cameras, looking into every nook and cranny of schools - cameras that were present during the shooting, but did nothing to stop them. Columbine - and September 11, frankly - have helped to turn us into a society of fearful, trembling mice, looking at every other human being around us, suspecting them of being terrorists, killers or child molesters, instead of realizing that, tragic as those events were, stupid laws won't prevent them. Closer communities will prevent them. Strong ties between us will prevent them. Common Sense dealings with bullies -both on the playground, and around the world - can help prevent them.

As for this "leaving kids in the car" law... Age 13? Really? At age 13, I was riding my bike ten miles round trip through forest preserves and on busy roads to my volunteer job at a local nature center. At 13, I was walking to school, stores, and friend's houses. At 13, I was babysitting. At 13, I was driving my parent's car down country roads, under their watchful eye.

Of COURSE I don't advocate leaving any child - or any animal - in a sealed up car on a hot summer day. Use some brains, people, instead of just reacting. The people who are leaving their children in the cars while they go in gambling are a far different breed of people than those who consciously leave their 7, 9, or 13 year old (notice I didn't say "infant" or "toddler") in the car for ten minutes to run into a grocery store for a gallon of milk, or to pay for a tank of gas. Contrary to Law & Order, CSI, and John Walsh, Chester the Molester is NOT sitting outside every place of business, waiting to snatch every single child the second the parent blinks.

This is about common-sense laws, and exercising common sense as parents. It's about teaching our children how to be responsible in situations - don't want the car to "pop out of gear"? It doesn't do it on it's own - little Johnny needs to learn that he shouldn't crawl around the car. How do you teach that? You put him in the situation for five minutes. Then ten. He'll learn. Kids are teachable.

We can't prevent every tragedy. But we CAN prevent our kids from being walking tragedies. TEACH them to be adults. TEACH them to be observant, to exercise common sense. Give them a little freedom and responsibility, and watch them blossom.

And make real laws that prosecute REAL criminals - don't make every parent who is just trying to raise a responsible kid into a criminal.

P.S... Thank you, Tom, for your voice of reason. It is appreciated.