Parents – PLEASE – Be Parents

Every year at this time, we hear about a horrible tragedy of a child drowning in a recently opened unattended pool.

Just yesterday, a four-year-old Toronto-area girl was plucked from the clutches of death, after she fell into just such a pool. The child is currently in critical condition in hospital, but is expected to recover.

A few weeks ago, a child was run over dead in her driveway, by her own mom, who claimed she didn’t see her baby girl playing behind her mini-van. Another child suffered the same fate less than a week later in a different Toronto neighborhood, also by the parent.

Kids will always be kids. They tumble, and fall, scrape their knees, and suffer all sorts of little cuts and scrapes as they run and play.

That’s okay – that’s what childhood is meant to be – far too many children these days spend too much time in front of computers, than playing in the fresh outdoors.

But what isn’t okay are the tragedies befalling kids of late, because of parents that just aren’t very good parents.

Not that parenting is an easy thing to do, and no one has written a complete and comprehensive manual on how to be the perfect parent.

Deaths from unattended drowning, and driving over your own child are completely avoidable, and are the results of exceptionally poor parenting skills.

Even those of use without kids know better than to drive anywhere – in any direction – without first looking. So those with children should be ever more diligent, knowing that their kids – like all kids – will always be kids.

Any parent that backs over their child not only should have their driver’s license taken away forever, but should be charged with murder – not manslaughter, not accidental death – murder.

By failing to do what everyone knows is the right thing to do – look before you leap – they killed their own child, and should suffer the consequences.

Parents that don’t watch their kids around pools should be prohibited by law from being parents. Common sense – yes I know isn’t all that common – says that water and children spell disaster.

Kids, will always be kids. SO how come parents don’t always be parents?

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Where Did We Drop the Ball?

Today another major automaker announced an extremely large recall, begging the question – where did we drop the ball?

Toyota has been riddled with massive recalls worldwide for most of their vehicles, some manufactured over a decade ago, and affecting almost 200 million vehicles.
Not to be out done, the other automakers have also had large recalls, the latest happening today, as Mazda announced the recall of 90,000 vehicles with faulty parts.

Where did we drop the ball?

Yes, I mean WE.

We are the consumers that pay our hard earned coin to purchase these defective, hastily made shoddy products which could – and in the case of Toyota’s recalls HAVE allegedly – killed. We are the ones STILL purchasing these defective, hastily made shoddy products. We keep coming back for more, despite being given the rumps ass of quality.

Where did we drop the ball?

If we didn’t continue to purchase products from companies which obviously don’t make quality products, the wheels of the economy would rightly roll on over these companies, clearing a path for companies which do make products worthy of our hard earned coin.

Problem is, when it comes to the big ticket items like houses, cars, even fridges, stoves and cell phones, there are only a handful of companies which produce these products.

Where did we drop the ball?

We let things slide to the point where competition really doesn’t exist, so the few companies involved in these fields are free to do whatever they want. Call ‘em free range evil corporations – there is no competition, so they are free to run around and do as they please. Unlike free range livestock, they never are slaughtered – but the evil twist – they do the slaughtering instead.

Where did we drop the ball?

We, the consumers get slaughtered by free range evil corporations. Their God-complex-driven leaders probably gather in luxury exclusive resorts, to discuss how to maintain control over us simple folks.

Where did we drop the ball?

People get into their cars, not knowing if the brake pedal will work when they really need it. We are constantly bombarded with recalls of products which have high lead levels, and could prove toxic to our young. Family pets have died worldwide because of dangerous ingredients put into pet food. The food supply for us humans isn’t any safer, with constant e coli, salmonella and other bacterial hazards forcing the recall of foodstuffs the world over. There are concerns about most major products, yet nothing really is ever done, and we continue to purchase these things freely, openly, and without really thinking about it.

Where did we drop the ball?

Maybe it is time to start thinking – really thinking – about the products and services we pay for with our hard earned coin?

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