Parent Alert: Raising the Standard for Parents of Missing Children

It's time for the parents of missing children to be held accountable. Raising a child comes with myriad responsibilities. One of the biggest roles of a parent is to protect their child from the very apparent dangers of the modern world. Therefore, in this age of the Amber Alert, we must ask the question: what happened to proactive parenting?

We hear it almost every week. Someone's child is gone and they don't know where he/she is. When I was growing up, these children usually ended up on the backs of milk cartons-indefinitely. As I aged, mailings arrived with these children on postcards accompanied by a free carpet cleaning session. Now we have the Amber Alert. This system, developed in memory of Amber Hagerman who was kidnapped and murdered in Texas, plays on television, radio, and even freeway marquis. These notices generally give a description of the child, what they were wearing, who they were last seen with (if anyone), etc...

Initially, I was moved with empathy and a sense of urgency no matter what city or state the alert originated from. But, recently, I have become very apathetic to the whole concept. In casual conversation, it has become clear that many people now view Amber Alerts as nuisances or interruptions. It's not that they don't care about the child. It usually has to do with the circumstances of the abduction. With that said...

I believe that the parents of abducted children should be charged with child neglect.

Before the activists prepare the gallows, let me be clear. I am in favor of protecting children. I actually believe the Amber Alert is a good idea. My stance has to do with calling parents back to their initial duty to their children. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding your child's conception and entrance into this world, the fact remains that he/she is still yours and that is not to be taken lightly.