This week a four year old was pulled from his grandmother's arms by an ex-boyfriend of his mother. An AMBER alert went out immediately which meant all TV coverage, and perhaps all broadcasting in the Bay area was interrupted to give news and the licence plate number of the car. In the morning, the signs over the freeway informed and warned of the event. They still do. The child is not found and the mother says she is sure her ex-boyfriend would not hurt him. For that last part, we are all obviously grateful.
I bring this up because today when my teeth were cleaned, my dental hygienist brought it up. She spoke of how she and daughters were watching TV together when the frightening emergency alert broke into their TV show. Though it eventually led to a good talk between her daughters and her about abduction, she and her daughters are still afraid.
We survive and thrive as a community. We have developed tools to function effectively as one. In this case, we have utilized all our resources and, in the moment, have come up against a wall. This child is missing, and many other children and their parents are afraid.
For me it is another example of how complex our world is today. We are bombarded, and we want the best for our children. How do we ensure their safety, as much as is humanly possible, without frightening them day to day?
