Didn't Drink the Kool-Aid . . .

I have always thought of myself as a hard ass.  Someone who operates in black and white - there is no grey.  I am the enforcer . . .  the passer out of punishment . . . the 1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . kinda of girl!

Long before I had children matters were just that . . . black and white.  Either you are right or you are wrong - nothing in between.  So when my husband and I would hear of "other" children misbehaving . . . we had a plan on just how to deal with it!

Cheating on a paper . . . Make them come clear with the teacher!

Kid selling drugs . . . Your turn him in . . . and beat him!

Taking something that doesn't belong to you . . . Force the child to return it in person!

Committing a crime . . . Call the cops!

Child being rude . . . He writes an apology letter!

I am a big believer in them owning the responsibility for their actions!


Well . . . it seems I might have been full of hot air! . . . MIGHT!

A few years back I was at a Junior League family event.  I was the Chairman of the Annual Community Rummage Sale.  The sub-committee special events had firetrucks, Carter Blood Care,  Police Cars the kids could get in and out of, clowns, face papers, balloon people and McGruff the Dog.

McGruff had finger print kits.  The pitch was "protect your family" . . . "keep your kid's safe". . . "finger print your child and we can find them . . . should they become abducted."  What parent wouldn't jump ALL over this.  I really do want him back . . . I do . . .  should someone decide to take him.

But not so fast . . .

I refused.  My friends thought I was CRAZY!  Did I not love my children?  Would I not want to see their safe return?  Why would I not want to help the Police in locating my child?

I refused to drink the kool-aid!

It wasn't that I didn't love my children - I do in fact love them - more than anything or anyone in this world.  And . . . YES!!!!  I would want them returned . . . safely.  I do want them back . . . it doesn't matter that I have begged . . . pleaded . . . for them to stop fighting, telling on each other or whining . . . I would want them back.  I would move mountains to help the Police locate my child . . . I would do just about anything to help in locating them.

Anything . . . but . . . fingerprint them . . .

See . . . I grew up with some crazy boys.  These boys were out all hours of the night.  They would sleep on my trampoline, they would jump off the roof onto the trampoline, they watched my neighbor's peep show, they played around.  They drove my parent's cars LONG before I was able to drive them, LONG before 16.  They consumed alcohol LONG before the age of 21 . . . and these are the things I can list.  I cannot give away all their secrets - you guys owe me for not telling your children!

Kids do stupid stuff . . . especially boys!  They prank phone call people, the vandalise . . . under the heading of just having fun, they TP a friend's house, egg someone's car, write in shoe polish on cars, windows and concrete.  They sneak alcohol, they try drugs, they steal from mom, they stay out late, they sneak out, they speed in their new cars at 16 without a care in the world or the realization of consequence.  They are kids!!!!

McGruff seems innocent enough until you realize WHO is inputting your child's finger prints into THEIR database. WHO manages the database . . . WHO runs partial prints from crime scenes against THEIR database.

There are simply .  . wrong time . . . wrong place . . .  stuff that happens all over the city at any given time.  WHY would I want to enable to police to "locate" a criminal AKA a finger printed child . . . MY FINGER PRINTED any faster . . . especially considering the "stupid stuff factor" of kids.

SERIOUSLY . . . your child . . . my child  . . . is FAR more likely to do something stupid than be abducted.

This isn't some crazy conspiracy theory thing . . . a good friend who is a Family Court/Criminal Court Judge agrees with me . . . and he see the other side of this . . .everyday.  While his wife was a good friend and thought I was crazy for not doing it . . . he agreed and . . . they didn't do it either.

Kids should be able to be kids . . . and that means learning by doing dumb things . . . .stupid things.  As parents we should be the enforcer for those stupid things they do . . . and not the police.  Trust me . . . I will deal with them in a swift and certainly hard manner.

As my girlfriend who is a Prosecutor in Collin County told me . . . " you can't un-ring that bell."  Once they have your kid's prints . . . yes it might help in returning your child . . . should they be taken . . . but it certainly will expedite the search for a kid . . . your kid just being a kid!