Mom Sues MySpace
The American practice of trying to profit from one’s own lack responsibility is alive and well. A mother is suing MySpace because her 14-year old daughter was sexually assaulted by a predator she met through the site. It’s a pity that the girl had to experience that, but the fact that the mother is attempting to profit from her daughter’s misfortune is despicable. MySpace isn’t anymore responsible than the manager of the apartment complex where the assault took place.
Obviously the creep who assaulted the girl is the responsible party. But face it - the girl should not have been meeting the guy in the first place. Adults are responsible for their own safety, but parents are responsible for the safety of minors. And don’t give me crap about how you can’t be with your kids all of the time. My parents drilled it into my head not to go with strangers, not to do drugs, and a lot of other things that I shouldn’t do that I remembered in times when I was presented with potential danger. I wasn’t just wary of strangers during the Atlanta Child Murders scare, but before and after. As a teenager, when I was presented with a chance to snort cocaine at a party, I walked out. I wasn’t a perfect, for sure. I pulled my share of stupid stunts, but the things my parents drilled in my head from a young age really stuck. In today’s world, it is no secret that meeting in real life strangers you met online can be dangerous. Especially for a 14-year old kid.
When Americans start taking responsibility for their own failures as parents, then maybe we can start making the country a safer place. Bad things are going to happen and that will likely never change. But suing people who aren’t responsible, pointing fingers because you’re too ashamed to look at yourself, isn’t going to help make things better. Teaching your kids, drilling into them the notion of danger, is something that should begin at a young age. Teenagers will frequently put themselves at risk because they fail to consider the consquences. They don’t listen to their parents most of the time, so by then it’s too late. Start when they are old enough to understand what you are saying. Make it stick. Then, when they do hit those troubled teen years, they are more likely to not get in that car with a stranger. MySpace isn’t can only do so much to protect your kid. The real responsibility lies with you.
Technorati Tags: MySpace, lawsuit, sexual assault, parenting