Child left in vehicle

[Copperhead]

Strong opinions abound.

[daworm]

Assuming for a moment that I believed in all this religion stuff...

Satan cannot control your actions. All he can do is tempt you to sin. If Satan was arranging for this guy to, however inadvertently, kill his kid, then it is the father's fault for yielding to the temptations of Satan. Whether you believe in God, Satan, or the giant spaghetti monster, it was this man's actions (or inactions) that led to this child's death. It is his fault that his distractions, whether they be Satan, business, family strife, whatever, occupied his mind more so than the welfare of his youngest son. No one else was responsible for this child's well being other than him, and he failed to live up to his responsibilities, period. So you can blame it on Satan all you want, those of us who live in the real world know exactly who is at fault.

[Laura Rice]

Assuming for a moment that I believed in all this religion stuff...

Satan cannot control your actions. All he can do is tempt you to sin. If Satan was arranging for this guy to, however inadvertently, kill his kid, then it is the father's fault for yielding to the temptations of Satan. Whether you believe in God, Satan, or the giant spaghetti monster, it was this man's actions (or inactions) that led to this child's death. It is his fault that his distractions, whether they be Satan, business, family strife, whatever, occupied his mind more so than the welfare of his youngest son. No one else was responsible for this child's well being other than him, and he failed to live up to his responsibilities, period. So you can blame it on Satan all you want, those of us who live in the real world know exactly who is at fault.

_______________________________

Bingo, Worm... You hit the nail square with this post!

[Zaray]

obviously someone has never heard of free will. let's not blame robert - the devil made him do it!! please....

[usrkep]

I know this man and I know his family. It's very obvious that those of you posting idiotic self-righteous judgmental comments about him do not. He is in my prayers every minute of the day, because he is going through hell right now...he lost a son he loved. Yes, he made a big mistake. I am a mother with two children who are now 16 and 20. Looking back, I see how distracted I was at times and how this could happen. I thank the Lord that it didn't happen to my children. My heart is broken for this family because I know they love each of their children so much. The justice system, many peoples' cruel and sanctimonious comments, the court of public opinion...no one can hurt him more than the pain he is going through right now knowing he will live the rest of his life without the little boy who brought so much joy into their lives. The son is wrapped in the loving arms of the Lord right now...the father is going through the hell that any parent who loses a child regardless of how is going through. He needs our prayers, not the jokes, the ignorant comments, and the judgmental nonsense I've read on this site.

[daworm]

Many of us have been angry, so angry we could reach out and strangle someone. But we haven't. That's the difference between us and a murderer. Many of us have been negligent, too, but... I'm sure you see where that's going.

I actually do feel sorry for the guy. I don't for a moment think he's remorseless or a cold hearted evil killer. I don't doubt he's going through a very painful grieving process. That doesn't change the fact that he made a fatal mistake, and a punishable one.

[frayne56]

usrkep said:

I know this man and I know his family. It's very obvious that those of you posting idiotic self-righteous judgmental comments about him do not. He is in my prayers every minute of the day, because he is going through hell right now...he lost a son he loved. Yes, he made a big mistake. I am a mother with two children who are now 16 and 20. Looking back, I see how distracted I was at times and how this could happen. I thank the Lord that it didn't happen to my children. My heart is broken for this family because I know they love each of their children so much. The justice system, many peoples' cruel and sanctimonious comments, the court of public opinion...no one can hurt him more than the pain he is going through right now knowing he will live the rest of his life without the little boy who brought so much joy into their lives. The son is wrapped in the loving arms of the Lord right now...the father is going through the hell that any parent who loses a child regardless of how is going through. He needs our prayers, not the jokes, the ignorant comments, and the judgmental nonsense I've read on this site.

I am not judging this man and I pray he will someday find peace. That said, I can not for the life of me understand how a parent can forget he had a child in his car.

This is very, very sad for all involved.

[Jay]

romans1215 said:

After what Christ did for all of us..how can we not forgive each other. have a nice night.

It is not up to me to forgive him....it is up to God..

As far as Satan goes, I think daworm said it perfectly. While he might have been tempted to focus on his work more so than his kid... it was his decision to let the work consume him...

[usrkep]

jay said:

romans1215 said:

After what Christ did for all of us..how can we not forgive each other. have a nice night.

It is not up to me to forgive him....it is up to God..

As far as Satan goes, I think daworm said it perfectly. While he might have been tempted to focus on his work more so than his kid... it was his decision to let the work consume him...

It's not up to you to forgive him, but it is up to you to judge him. I'm not understanding that...

[stray]

I personally can't believe all of the folks coming to this tard's defense saying how they 'know him' and how he's a 'great dad.'

He's an AWESOME DAD...aside from that whole inconvenient 'forgetting about your infant child and causing its death' kinda thing.

Jesus Fucking God Hell Jumping Christ Almight Damn you fucking bunch of useless retards.....I don't give a SHIT if this guy took the kids to the goddamn Discovery Museum every weekend and bought them puppies and ponies... His child is kinda dead because he had his mind on 'other shit.'

Wow.

Forgetting you left your grande buttfuck latte on the roof of your beamer and driving off is an unfortunate thing that happens sometimes when we get preoccupied. KILLING YOUR FUCKING CHILD isn't an 'oops' kinda thing.

ANYONE and I mean fucking ANYONE that defends this fucktard or sympathizes with his poor feelings is either childless (and doesn't understand at all about being a parent), or IS A FUCKING MORON AND IS WRONG.

To most issues, there are different sides to debate and discuss...to this one...there isn't. The kid wasn't even old enough to be 'more annoying than it's worth' yet.... If any of you disagree with me, you are wrong. Period.

(and should die from anemia due to ant bites.)

[tcrashfx]

Who is judging him?

I am judging his stupid ass negligence.

It is no wonder we have so many children die due to parental negligence every day.

We have parents, evidenced by some on here, who excuse another parent for being negligent to the point of the death of a child.

I am gonna projectile vomit the very next time I hear some idiot say, "He is such a great dad!".

HE KILLED HIS OWN CHILD IN A PAINFUL MANNER.

Good thing he is not a bad parent.

Damn.

[bignana]

Stray I exalt you.

[Zaray]

bignana said:

Stray I exalt you.

I think Stray is trying to get the other kind of karma. You're gonna make him go in the wrong direction.

[Zaray]

I don't care how great of a dad or how wonderful a christian this guy supposedly is. There has been plenty of abuse done by men of god, and plenty of children abused by great parents. Neither is an excuse for neglecting to give that poor baby a safe standard of care that he deserved.

This isn't exactly like saying 'honey, I'm sorry I broke your grandmother's china.', and hoping your wife forgives you. I just don't think I could forgive my husband if he did this. I couldn't imagine making love to him if he killed one of our children - whether intentionally, or negligently.

[Copperhead]

usrkep said:

I know this man and I know his family. It's very obvious that those of you posting idiotic self-righteous judgmental comments about him do not. He is in my prayers every minute of the day, because he is going through hell right now...he lost a son he loved. Yes, he made a big mistake. I am a mother with two children who are now 16 and 20. Looking back, I see how distracted I was at times and how this could happen. I thank the Lord that it didn't happen to my children. My heart is broken for this family because I know they love each of their children so much. The justice system, many peoples' cruel and sanctimonious comments, the court of public opinion...no one can hurt him more than the pain he is going through right now knowing he will live the rest of his life without the little boy who brought so much joy into their lives. The son is wrapped in the loving arms of the Lord right now...the father is going through the hell that any parent who loses a child regardless of how is going through. He needs our prayers, not the jokes, the ignorant comments, and the judgmental nonsense I've read on this site.

Don't try to defend him to us. You are wasting your energy on a pointless effort. Who he was prior to this tragedy is irrelevant. It is this tragedy and his response to it that will matter.

[traveler]

This was posted at Chattanoogan.com
It says a lot. Yes, a life was lost and it is a terrible tragedy on several levels....but it was a mistake....an accident...and pure bad luck.

People get on autopilot and think they have done things they did not do. Mr. Reid thought sure his son was at daycare. He'd probably dropped him off so many times that it never occurred to him he'd failed to do so.

We do things so repetitively that we often think we've done something when we haven't. In fact, every single thing we do over and over we are prone to think we've done it, because we always do it, and then on some occasion we find to our horror we thought we'd done it, but we hadn't.

Ever forget to feed the dog? To brush your teeth? To take out the garbage? To turn off the stove? Sure you have, and probably more than once.

Usually, when we forget things, they don't have dire consequences. I read that about 35 children a year are killed in hot cars in the U.S. But how many do you think were left in cars but didn't die because it wasn't hot outside? Many, many more than 35, you can be sure. Probably hundreds, if not thousands.

People are all negligent, but they're usually lucky enough to avert disaster some way. I would venture that every person who's ever raised a child has had a close call where if it weren't for a little luck they'd been up before the judge for negligence.

Mr. Reid hit the inverse lotto. The chances of him forgetting to drop off his son, not being prompted on the way to the office by a noise from his son in the backseat, it being a hot day, not being able to see his son inside the car from the office window, thinking his car alarm was malfunctioning, not having to go out to his car because he forgot something, daycare didn't call to ask where his son was, nothing prompted him to think and retrace his morning, no one else happened to look into the car, etc., must be in the millions.

There are so many little things that could have happened to preclude the horror that occurred, but none did. A whole lot of things aligned in the most unfortunate way possible.

We've heard from others that Mr. Reid is a good, responsible man. He will never forgive himself and never forget the tragedy that has befallen him, his son, and his family. That awful day he needed what all of us need from time to time to avert disaster, a little teeny bit of luck. He didn't get any.

People want to say, "Well, you can forget other things, but you can't forget a child." Yeah, you can, too, because you can assume you've done something you didn't do, and when you do, when you forget your child is in the car, or you forget to put a sharp object out of a child's reach, or forget to put a poison, or gun, where a child can't get to it, you need some luck to avert disaster. Then, you can take a deep breath, shudder, wipe your brow and say, "Whew, that was close. Thank God."

If you don't get that luck it's hell to pay. My deepest sympathy to the unlucky Mr. Reid and family.

David Saluk

[alphacelt]

Plain and simple - if this were another story of some drug addict or drunk who "forgot" their child in a car on a hot day, no one would even attempt to say they were unlucky or just made a mistake.

To even begin to suggest that this man should be treated any differently simply because he is a Christian and a "good man" is blatant hypocrisy.

AC

[traveler]

No, it is not. A drug addict with a history of crime and irresponsibility should absolutely be judged differently.

[usrkep]

alphacelt said:

Plain and simple - if this were another story of some drug addict or drunk who "forgot" their child in a car on a hot day, no one would even attempt to say they were unlucky or just made a mistake.

To even begin to suggest that this man should be treated any differently simply because he is a Christian and a "good man" is blatant hypocrisy.

AC

I don't suggest that he be treated differently than a drug addict or a drunk, I expect it! Those people do things that by their choices alone put their children, and everyone else in jeopardy. When a drunk gets in a car, he makes the decision that he doesn't give a shit about the rest of the world and what he might do to them.

Bob did NOT make that choice. Yes, he's a Christian. That will get him through this. That is not why he should be spared time in prison and spared all of your brainless drivel.

This was an ACCIDENT! He did not choose to leave his baby in the car...it wasn't on purpose like some drunk or drug addict. The fact that you compare the two situations and come up with anything close to analogy shows that you are writing here just to see your words in print, rather than to make any intelligent argument.

No, I won't convince any of you that Bob is a good man and loves his children. I won't convince you that Bob would rather have had his own life taken than that of Timmy's. But for the family, who may read your nasty words, they will see that there are also people out here who love them, care about them, pray for them and have compassion.

[alphacelt]

I don't suggest that he be treated differently than a drug addict or a drunk, I expect it!

And that is precisely my point. It is a tragedy and this man and his family deserve all of the support, love, and prayers that they can get. However, as a society, we can not and IMO should not apply the law any differently because the person is a "good man". The fact that you expect it clearly indicates that you believe the same laws should be applied differently to different groups of people based on your judgement of the persons character.

By your reasoning then Hitler was correct in his determination to rid the world of Jews because, based on his judgemnt, they were not "good people" . It is this kind of "thinking" that taints Christianity in this world today.

AC

[snarkalicious]

This family has already suffered the worst punishment possible-the loss of their child. Whatever else happens to Mr. Reid pales in comparison.

This tragedy just highlights how Americans are focused on working, making money, and having material possessions instead of what is truly important-their children.

[alphacelt]

This family has already suffered the worst punishment possible-the loss of their child. Whatever else happens to Mr. Reid pales in comparison.

Agreed.

[stray]

I mean....seriously. People...listen...

You misplace your goddamned car keys. You misplace your cell phone. You DON'T MISPLACE YOUR GODDAMN KID.

Since the fucking moronic 'Jesus Brigade' has weighed in on justifying his actions like they do whenever one of their exalted leaders are caught fucking gay prostitutes or eating meth, I'll comment from the side of the Agnostics that fight for Hell's Army:

We do NOT approve. We do NOT justify this action. We demand punishment.

Shit, people... Can't you dumbasses that are justifying this guy's action realize that GODDAMN HUMAN FUCKING CHILDREN are on a tier (a little goddamn more than) slightly above pets, car keys, a box of Girl Scout cookies*, or your goddamned golf clubs?

FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!! Whenever I read this insane shit, my jaw is constantly agape at the level of retardation among you dysfunctional morons. I am -rarely- at a loss for any situation, and 'surprise' is an even rarer thing still....but this does honestly blow my goddamn mind.

This guy deserves to be worked over with a goddamn cheese grater for -hours-. As a matter of fact, I'd be happy to make this my new career... And everyone that hears of this story should line up behind me waiting for their turn.

If you disagree, YOU ARE WRONG and you deserve to be anally raped repeatedly.

[Gary]

Let's chill out a bit here, folks. Try not to make things into personal attacks.

[Homebrew Dave]

The family's pain is not over yet. I predict Reid gets killed in prison.

Dave

[usrkep]

homebrewdave said:

The family's pain is not over yet. I predict Reid gets killed in prison.

Dave

How can you even say that? What kind of person are you? Do you realize family members are reading these sites? Do you WANT to cause them additional pain?

[stray]

homebrewdave said:

The family's pain is not over yet. I predict Reid gets killed in prison.

Dave

I predict he gets raped a lot first.

[Homebrew Dave]

What kind of person am I? I'm a very logical, practical, and well-informed person who doesn't hide my head in the sand. The simple fact of the matter is that most convicts in prison take a very dim view of child abuse and child neglect. Especially in case where the abused/neglected child dies. A very high percentage of prisoners who are murdered in prison by other prisoners are people who have been convicted and sentenced in the death and/or rape of a child or children. Those are facts.

You can whine and cry all you want about having mercy for the family. I can guarantee you that Mr. Reid's fellow prisoners will have no such mercy for him. At the very least, he will be repeatedly beaten and raped by his fellow inmates.

Reid did something that was cosmically stupid. The universe punishes stupidity. It will not spare his family any further pain. The universe doesn't work that way. And if you think it does, you need to get your head out of the sand and face reality before you end up doing something as totally idiotic as Reid did.

Dave

[traveler]

I predict he will not go to prison. Other punishment will be arranged under a plea agreement.

It would serve no useful end to send him to prison. None.

[stray]

He should spend the rest of his days exiled and alone. His wife should divorce him and he should be banished to a remote, solitary location without the Intarweb.

If his wife does not divorce him, their remaining children should be taken and placed into foster care, and then both of them should be exiled into the desert. Forever.

(Because if this isn't a wakeup call to her that this guy is a fucking retard that needs to be cut loose, she's just as criminally stupid as he is.)