Questioner

I was walking in the park today and was NOT wearing my Howard Dean sweatshirt, (I chose my Stanford sweatshirt, instead). Yet, I still found myself in a strange situation. There is a small monument to William Shakespeare in one section of the park, built in an art-deco style during the twenties. I was sitting on one of the benches connected to it when a young boy of about eight or nine walked past and stopped. He looked at the wrought iron sillouhettes of the characters from A Midsummer’s Night Dream and asked me who they were. I explained and then told him the story of the play. He was quite interested and I think we both enjoyed the discussion. That is until his mother came along. She gave what can only be described as a hateful, withering look, and took her son by the arm. Roughly dragging him away, I heard her say as she glanced back at me, “How many times have I told you not to talk to strange men!”

I understand the need to teach children vigilence and care in a world as dangerous as ours, but have we gone too far? Have we reached a point where children don’t trust anyone? And, if so, whose fault is it? Are there proportionally a greater number of sexual predators roaming around today than in the past, or does it just seem to be that way because local television news finds it easier to look up names on a sex offender registry and create a story than to actually make the effort to report real news? Is it because every cable news channel now devotes their prime time programming to the latest “missing pretty white woman.” or the latest abducted nine year-old?

Am I to feel suspect just by going outside? Should I feel guilty if I walk in a park alone? I’m not a sexual predator and I have no desire to attack every child I see. Should I be made to feel like one simply because I choose to take a walk by myself? Should any man walking alone automatically be considered a sex offender or predator?

Let’s be careful and let’s teach our children common sense, and before we do that, let’s try exercising some ourselves.