Link (http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=8700340&nav=5D7v)

A push for change after a local toddler dies inside a hot car. Police in Livingston county are still trying to figure out why a 17 month old girl was left alone in a vehicle to die. The child was found dead inside her father's pickup truck at the family's Green Oak Township home on Wednesday.

On a warm summer day, it's enough to make your blood run cold. An innocent child left to die inside a hot car. It happened this week in Livingston county. Now there's talk at the capitol that the state should do more to prevent it from happening again.

Rep. Rick Jones, (R) Grand Ledge: "We've heard cases across the nation of people leaving the child in the car and going to the beauty parlor for an hour, going to a bar for a couple of hours, shocking things."

Right now, it's not a crime in Michigan to leave a child alone in a car, unless that child gets hurt. But some lawmakers are hoping to change that. Under a bill co-sponsored by Representative Rick Jones, if a child is found alone in a car, but unharmed, the person responsible could face up to 93 days in jail, and a $500 fine. And if the child is harmed, the punishment would jump to 10 years in jail and $5,000.

Rep. Rick Jones, (R) Grand Ledge: "It would alert people to the fact that if you do this you could serve some serious time, so maybe people would think twice."

The bill is still working it's way through the legislature. But Governor Granholm says if it reaches her desk, she's open to the idea.

Governor Granholm: "Leaving anything in a car, a child, a dog, anybody, a vulnerable adult is very poor judgement."

And in Michigan it may become a crime. The bill has passed the house and now moves to the senate. Meanwhile, Green Oak Township Police are still questioning the toddler's parents and have not yet sent the case to the prosecutor for possible charges.

I think it should be a crime everywhere!!!!!!

I think it should be a crime everywhere!!!!!!

Amen to that. :mad:

^^^ that and it should've been done along time ago!

I agree with all of you. What took so long???

Are you kidding me? It is not a crime everywhere? WTF??? Isn't that why CHILD ENDANGERMENT is a crime? :rolleyes:


I can't help but remember last week's episode of America's Most Wanted where a mother was killed while she was trying to keep a man from stealing her car. I kept thinking, why was she trying so hard to save her stupid car? Well it seems she was too lazy to take her 3 month old daughter out of the car while she was walking inside a cell phone store. So, that woman ended up dying for something that could have been avoided. Had she had her child in her arms instead of alone in a car, she could have said, "Here, take my damn keys." :rolleyes:

It seems like everytime this happens it's called an accident. Spilling your drink on the carpet is an accident, This is neglect pure and simple and why is it that probably 99.99% of these so called accidents happen during the hottest time of the year? We very rarely hear of anyone leaving a child alone in a car during the winter months.

^ You raise an interesting question, Charles. I never thought of it that way.

It seems like everytime this happens it's called an accident. Spilling your drink on the carpet is an accident, This is neglect pure and simple and why is it that probably 99.99% of these so called accidents happen during the hottest time of the year? We very rarely hear of anyone leaving a child alone in a car during the winter months.
Because it is cold and these stupid people are too lazy to dress up their kids in warm clothing and they don't want to be bothered with having to lug their children in the cold. Nor do they want to leave the comforts of their warm home. I mean, how bothersome is that? :crazy: :rolleyes:

i could've sworn i responded to this thread, but i guess not.
anyway, it's taken them far too long to get here. who in their right mind leaves a child, alone for starters, in a car on a hot day? geez. some people just don't deserve to be parents.

it'd surprise you how many people don't have common sense or are just too self absorbed, which is the cause of the majority of these "accidents".

it'd surprise you how many people don't have common sense or are just too self absorbed, which is the cause of the majority of these "accidents".

Yeah, Like that woman who made sure her damn donuts were gotten out of the car but left her child inside. :rolleyes:

It is mind boggling this has not been specified or legislated as a crime until now. Bravo to Michigan. Other states and cities are you listening? And yes, where are these people's brains???????? To me it is basic common sense to never leave a child in a car alone.

in addition to jail time and a fine, perhaps it would also be good if those kids were taken away from their parents, who do such a thing as this. they don't deserve children whatsoever

This should be a law in all 50 states! There is NO EXCUSE for leaving a child alone in the car!!!!:mad: And don't tell me the parents "forgot". You don't forget your baby!!!

Yeah, Like that woman who made sure her damn donuts were gotten out of the car but left her child inside. :rolleyes:
I can't forget that beeyotch!:mad: Sure, leave your child to die in a car, but don't forget those damn donuts for your stupid self and your friends at work.

If my boyfriend were to leave our son in our car and he died of exposure, HE'D WISH HE WAS DEAD TOO BECAUSE WHEN I GET DONE WITH HIM, HE WILL BE! I don't get how the spouses of these stupid people don't get so upset and don't go off on them. :rolleyes:

This should be a law in all 50 states! There is NO EXCUSE for leaving a child alone in the car!!!!:mad: And don't tell me the parents "forgot". You don't forget your baby!!!

Exactly. How someone could forget their child and leave them in a car has me dumbfounded!

damn, what kind of n00b wrote that article? bad punctuation, bad spelling, sentence fragments, awkward wording that sounds like a babelfish translation, probable comma splices that i didn't bother researching.

good call though, it should be a law everywhere.

damn, what kind of n00b wrote that article? bad punctuation, bad spelling, sentence fragments, awkward wording that sounds like a babelfish translation, probable comma splices that i didn't bother researching.

Care to point out the bad spelling? I read that article 3 times and noticed only one word spelled incorrectly which was judgement. It should be judgment.

Care to point out the bad spelling? I read that article 3 times and noticed only one word spelled incorrectly which was judgement. It should be judgment.

I copied & pasted into WORD & ran spell-check & that's all I saw too.

Care to point out the bad spelling? I read that article 3 times and noticed only one word spelled incorrectly which was judgement. It should be judgment.
that's what i was referring to.

that's what i was referring to.

Ok.

Im all for the fine, less sure about the jail time (if the children arent harmed), if only because, taking a parent away for what might only have been a temporary brain f*rt on the parent's part, would likely cause the child (who would now miss Mommy whos in jail), even more distress.....on the other hand, if the child suffers heat stroke, brain damage, or death, then jail time should be served , the lenght to vary on how much the child was harmed

Maybe an appropriate punishment for a non-lethal incedent would be to have the parent fined, put under "house arrest" and have them wear a sign on their chest saying: "I'M A POOR EXCUSE FOR A PARENT WHO LEFT HER SON IN A HOT CAR, IN 90 DEGREE WEATHER!" ....you can almost bet theyd NEVER do it again!

There was a case that occurred nearby where the woman left TWO OF HER KIDS IN HER VAN while she went inside, drank some wine and fell asleep. Hours later her children were dead. NO JAIL TIME!!!!!! Because the mother had "suffered enough". :rolleyes:

There was a case that occurred nearby where the woman left TWO OF HER KIDS IN HER VAN while she went inside, drank some wine and fell asleep. Hours later her children were dead. NO JAIL TIME!!!!!! Because the mother had "suffered enough".

I remember that case, Irene; that judge needs to do a little suffering himself!

Incidentally, I seriously doubt the other spouses in these cases don't get upset, i would think that the marriages likely end soon afterwards. (I remember a show [I think it was on "Maury"] about parents who accidentally killed their own children...in one case with a riding mower, another the child was hitby the family minivan :( ; and in all cases, the marriages had ended over the anger and guilt.)

I hear what you are saying Mikado. I am sure if the spouse did "go off" on the parent, it was obviously done privately.

damn, what kind of n00b wrote that article? bad punctuation, bad spelling, sentence fragments, awkward wording that sounds like a babelfish translation, probable comma splices that i didn't bother researching.

good call though, it should be a law everywhere.
It is a good call, and long overdue. You're right about the article, Sarah. It goes beyond spelling. The article is a grammatical disaster. I got a headache reading it, or trying to read it. Babelfish translation, lol, good one.

The article is a grammatical disaster. I got a headache reading it, or trying to read it. Babelfish translation, lol, good one.

Usually stories like that, if they're not from the AP feed, are ultimately transcripts of what the newsreaders for that stations newscasts read on-air. Picture an anchorperson reading that story/copy in your head and it explains a little more why the article is the way it is - it was written for the air, not for reading.

...Someone who would leave their child in a car like that are some of THE most self-absorbed and idiotic people walking the face of the earth. Take away the kids and throw the parent/parents responsible into house arrest for awhile, and see if they start to think things differently.

Little innocent children have died just because someone was so selfish that they couldn't devote their attention to THEIR OWN CHILD for the minute it takes to get them in/out of the car.

Usually stories like that, if they're not from the AP feed, are ultimately transcripts of what the newsreaders for that stations newscasts read on-air. Picture an anchorperson reading that story/copy in your head and it explains a little more why the article is the way it is - it was written for the air, not for reading.
That's right, and why transcripts are rarely posted. Staff members from the news station's (or newspaper) website will make the story more readable for its viewers.

Sorry for causing headaches, I had no trouble reading it at all. :(

Why are you apologizing Charles? The message/story was clear.

Why are you apologizing Charles? The message/story was clear.
The story was a mess. I worked in Communications, Advertising and PR for years. One of my major duties was proofreading. This wasn't against anyone, including Zoneboy. It was simply a few comments on a story that reads like a 10-year old wrote it.

It was explained by Seth why it was that way. Still, the message was clear and I feel that Charles thinks he did something wrong, when he didn't. Only trying to let him know he did nothing wrong.

It was explained by Seth why it was that way. Still, the message was clear and I feel that Charles thinks he did something wrong, when he didn't. Only trying to let him know he did nothing wrong.
Who said or even implied that Zoneboy did anything wrong? The discussion was about the story, not him. That message was clear.

Who said or even implied that Zoneboy did anything wrong? The discussion was about the story, not him. That message was clear.
I said I feel Charles THINKS he did something wrong. I never said it was said he did, which is why I asked him why he is apologizing. A person apologizes if they got the feeling they did something wrong. Geez.

I know I did nothing wrong but I do regret that the article wasn't written properly.

Anyone who thinks that a couple of innocent comments on the structure of an article, made by me and Sarah, is too easily offended. Geez is right.

For anyone who's hurt, let's hope this helps soothes their feelings.


:bighug: :bighug: :bighug:

The story was a mess. I worked in Communications, Advertising and PR for years. One of my major duties was proofreading. This wasn't against anyone, including Zoneboy. It was simply a few comments on a story that reads like a 10-year old wrote it.

Since you have experience in that line of work, I can understand why you saw the article as a mess. The only thing I noticed was the incorrect spelling of one word. I didn't pay that much attention to the punctuation or other possible errors. I also realize that you nor Sarah were speaking against me but rather the article itself.

Sorry for causing headaches, I had no trouble reading it at all. :(


Oh please get over yourself, what do you want, another 10 page sympathy thread? This isn't about you, I agree with Janice. I work in a newsroom and can attest to what a sloppy article that was.

Oh please get over yourself, what do you want, another 10 page sympathy thread? This isn't about you, I agree with Janice. I work in a newsroom and can attest to what a sloppy article that was.

What's your problem? I know they weren't referring to me. Also, What's with this 10 page sympathy thread?

What's your problem? I know they weren't referring to me. Also, What's with this 10 page sympathy thread?


Don't play stupid Chuck...

Do I really need to remind you?

Don't play stupid Chuck...

Do I really need to remind you?

Who's Chuck? and if by chance you're referring to the thread I started about leaving then that was done in haste. I was upset and had every right to be but I got over it. And while I'm thinking about it, I hope and pray that all goes well with your daughter. You and I might not get along right now but I do wish you the very best where she's concerned.

The story was a mess. I worked in Communications, Advertising and PR for years. One of my major duties was proofreading. This wasn't against anyone, including Zoneboy. It was simply a few comments on a story that reads like a 10-year old wrote it.
yeah, i'm extremely observant of written english as i was an avid spelling bee queen in middle school. i was only commenting what i noticed in the article, not saying it was causing me any trouble.

yeah, i'm extremely observant of written english as i was an avid spelling bee queen in middle school. i was only commenting what i noticed in the article, not saying it was causing me any trouble.
I don't know about you Sarah, but since I started using the computer, my spelling just ain't what it used to be, lol. I have to use spellcheck. It may be different with you, since you literally grew up with the computer, whereas I didn't start using it until I was in my 30s. Even my penmanship has become worse. It was never great to begin with, but since I don't write much anymore, it's real bad. When I sign cards, write a thank-you note, etc., I find that printing is better for me.

When I write a personal letter, I use the computer, and sign my name. I guess the computer has its advantages and disadvantages. Oh well. Sorry to all for straying so far off topic.

I can't believe that Dear Abby devoted an entire column yesterday to pets being left in cars, but made absolutely no mention of children being left in cars :rolleyes: It sickens me when people care more about the well-being of an animal than a person.

Don't get me wrong. Animal cruely disgusts me. But if I had to choose between saving a dog or saving a child, I wouldn't think twice about saving the child.

^ nothing wrong with that. just because someone addresses an issue doesn't mean they don't care about anything else or think any other issues are worse. criticism of that is a logical fallacy called red herring...takes focus off the subject at hand with something irrelevant to it.