Six-year-old in North Carolina arrested for picking flower from lawn

[Jokodo]

But apparently the problem was the mom who didn't show up for her child.

The real problem is that a parent had to show up in the first place because the complaint had been allowed to progress to that level.

You think that the problem is expecting parents to take responsibility for their kids?

What does one thing have to do with the other? Yes, it's a parent's duty to take responsibility for their kids. What chain of logic leads you to conclude from that that, when a parent skips their responsibility, instead of having the parents sort out stuff, dragging a six-year-old to court as a defendant is an appropriate plan B? Sending a swat team, or for that matter a killer drone, after the parents who skipped their responsibility makes more fucking sense than this. A six-year-old is incapable of taking responsibility, and pretending otherwise is neither going to change that, nor to teach them, or the parents, a useful lesson.

 

[Gun Nut]

So you are basically saying there is nothing to be done about kids destroying your yard.

Yeah, it's called talking to their parents. Like what happened in TomC's story accept it would be the victim (if he/she acted like an adult) choosing to do so. Then if no remedy is found you file a complaint on the parents not a fucking 6-year-old.

Do you have reason to believe this did not occur? What if the parents were completely defensive of their precious, perfect child and all but guaranteed continued destruction of their property because "fuck you" and "what are you going to do about it"?... and that's what they were then forced to do.

 

[Gun Nut]

You think that the problem is expecting parents to take responsibility for their kids?

What does one thing have to do with the other?

Are you really asking what the degree of a parent taking responsibility for their child has to do with the appropriateness of the child's behavior?

 

[Toni]

So you are basically saying there is nothing to be done about kids destroying your yard.

Yeah, it's called talking to their parents. Like what happened in TomC's story accept it would be the victim (if he/she acted like an adult) choosing to do so. Then if no remedy is found you file a complaint on the parents not a fucking 6-year-old.

Do you have reason to believe this did not occur? What if the parents were completely defensive of their precious, perfect child and all but guaranteed continued destruction of their property because "fuck you" and "what are you going to do about it"?... and that's what they were then forced to do.

Again, even if the parents were complete assholes, we’re talking a tulip. Not ripping up an entire flower bed. Not setting fire to the cat (definitely go straight to the police for that! Or any malicious behavior towards any animal or other child!!!). Not throwing a rock or a baseball through a window. Not really any damage—tulips grow back.

First step is to talk to the child, politely but firmly. Followed up by a gentle chat with parents. Even if they are assholes or hard to reach because they are always at work.

 

[TomC]

If you do know that the parents tried to prevent that from happening, please share your information. Because I'm not seeing any such information.
Tom

There most likely will not be more information forthcoming. Juvenile court, other than outcomes, is generally kept private.

It's also a thirteen year old case. I mean, what new information is going to come to light? I suppose if he wanted, for some inexplicable reason, to invite a bunch of media madness and racist trash into his life, the man himself could call the cameras over and tell his story, but what would that tell us beyond what we already know?

"Ah yes, well I remember. I was there at the bus stop that day, scribbling with my crayons..."

You never actually supported the bolded part, and I did ask.
Are you sure of this? And why?
Tom

 

[TomC]

First step is to talk to the child, politely but firmly. Followed up by a gentle chat with parents. Even if they are assholes or hard to reach because they are always at work.

I tried that one time.
The little girl liked to climb and swing on a small ornamental tree I'd planted and tried to get established. The first time I saw her, I explained that the tree was just too little for such a big girl. I'd guess she was 9. The second time I yelled at her. "Get out of that tree!" I showed her where the trunk was starting to crack. The third time I went down to talk to her mom. It took a couple of tries before I got an answer at the door, but I really liked my tree. Mom's response was pretty much "FUCK yo tree!". Then I came home one day and found the tree split down the middle, almost to the ground.

I didn't call the police. Partly because I didn't actually see what happened. But mainly because I felt bad for everyone involved. The mom was pretty worthless, she was homeless and crashing her brother's place. The little girl was stuck with that hot mess as her parents. The brother was already stressed with these family miscreants flopping on his couch.
Doug and I were already considering moving, and didn't want to be trying to sell a house with FAGGOT spray painted across the front.

I just cut the tree down and moved on. To a place with a serious HOA.
Tom

ETA ~I wonder, occasionally, what ever happened to the little girl. She was a cute little thing, lithe with long curly red hair. I kinda liked her.~

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

#AllLawnsMatter

 

[Jarhyn]

First step is to talk to the child, politely but firmly. Followed up by a gentle chat with parents. Even if they are assholes or hard to reach because they are always at work.

I tried that one time.
The little girl liked to climb and swing on a small ornamental tree I'd planted and tried to get established. The first time I saw her, I explained that the tree was just too little for such a big girl. I'd guess she was 9. The second time I yelled at her. "Get out of that tree!" I showed her where the trunk was starting to crack. The third time I went down to talk to her mom. It took a couple of tries before I got an answer at the door, but I really liked my tree. Mom's response was pretty much "FUCK yo tree!". Then I came home one day and found the tree split down the middle, almost to the ground.

I didn't call the police. Partly because I didn't actually see what happened. But mainly because I felt bad for everyone involved. The mom was pretty worthless, she was homeless and crashing her brother's place. The little girl was stuck with that hot mess as her parents. The brother was already stressed with these family miscreants flopping on his couch.
Doug and I were already considering moving, and didn't want to be trying to sell a house with FAGGOT spray painted across the front.

I just cut the tree down and moved on. To a place with a serious HOA.
Tom

ETA ~I wonder, occasionally, what ever happened to the little girl. She was a cute little thing, lithe with long curly red hair. I kinda liked her.~

I can't help but imagine that any normal human being capable of empathy would recognize that putting her through juvenile court because her parents are shit is only going to make things worse, not better. The better outcome I see here is one where the police are called on the parents specifically for neglect. But those kinds of calls don't end in juvenile court.

 

[TomC]

First step is to talk to the child, politely but firmly. Followed up by a gentle chat with parents. Even if they are assholes or hard to reach because they are always at work.

I tried that one time.
The little girl liked to climb and swing on a small ornamental tree I'd planted and tried to get established. The first time I saw her, I explained that the tree was just too little for such a big girl. I'd guess she was 9. The second time I yelled at her. "Get out of that tree!" I showed her where the trunk was starting to crack. The third time I went down to talk to her mom. It took a couple of tries before I got an answer at the door, but I really liked my tree. Mom's response was pretty much "FUCK yo tree!". Then I came home one day and found the tree split down the middle, almost to the ground.

I didn't call the police. Partly because I didn't actually see what happened. But mainly because I felt bad for everyone involved. The mom was pretty worthless, she was homeless and crashing her brother's place. The little girl was stuck with that hot mess as her parents. The brother was already stressed with these family miscreants flopping on his couch.
Doug and I were already considering moving, and didn't want to be trying to sell a house with FAGGOT spray painted across the front.

I just cut the tree down and moved on. To a place with a serious HOA.
Tom

ETA ~I wonder, occasionally, what ever happened to the little girl. She was a cute little thing, lithe with long curly red hair. I kinda liked her.~

I can't help but imagine that any normal human being capable of empathy would recognize that putting her through juvenile court because her parents are shit is only going to make things worse, not better. The better outcome I see here is one where the police are called on the parents specifically for neglect. But those kinds of calls don't end in juvenile court.

Maybe I should have called Child Protection Service. I dunno.
I'm just not the kind of person who calls the gubbamint. I don't really trust them all that much. I just butted out.
Tom

 

[Jarhyn]

I can't help but imagine that any normal human being capable of empathy would recognize that putting her through juvenile court because her parents are shit is only going to make things worse, not better. The better outcome I see here is one where the police are called on the parents specifically for neglect. But those kinds of calls don't end in juvenile court.

Maybe I should have called Child Protection Service. I dunno.
I'm just not the kind of person who calls the gubbamint. I don't really trust them all that much. I just butted out.
Tom

It becomes a question of whether CPS and that experience would be more or less impactful than shitty, neglectful parents. It's a craps shoot on the best of days specifically because of a lack of high quality state-run adoption services due to a lack of funding.

I know exactly who to blame for that, though.

 

[TomC]

I can't help but imagine that any normal human being capable of empathy would recognize that putting her through juvenile court because her parents are shit is only going to make things worse, not better. The better outcome I see here is one where the police are called on the parents specifically for neglect. But those kinds of calls don't end in juvenile court.

Maybe I should have called Child Protection Service. I dunno.
I'm just not the kind of person who calls the gubbamint. I don't really trust them all that much. I just butted out.
Tom

It becomes a question of whether CPS and that experience would be more or less impactful than shitty, neglectful parents.

That's not a question I feel qualified to answer.
Generally, I'd say yes. But when it comes to specific events, I'm not so sure. I'm a "live and let live" sort of guy.

It's a craps shoot on the best of days specifically because of a lack of high quality state-run adoption services due to a lack of funding.

I know exactly who to blame for that, though.

Who is that?
Is that a veiled partisan dig?
Tom

 

[Swammerdami]

I Googled and learned that the kid may have been lucky to get the judge he did:

The Judge who dropped charges against the six year-old is a prize-winning judge, for example:

Judge Corpening is the architect of an innovative Intensive Reunification Program. When faced with deciding what was best for an infant affected by parental opioid use, Judge Corpening created an innovative plan of action. He ordered the mother to visit with her baby every day for up to six hours at the hospital, holding and bonding with her child, followed by an infusion of services with close court oversight. This ruling was a major departure from social service practices and based, in part, on the latest research by experts who work with babies and mothers during detox.

 

[Gospel]

This is NOT a 13 year old case but one that happened in March of this year.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1410711/6-year-old-boy-arrested-for-picking-flower-at-bus-stop



Please note that the 7300 complaints against young children were filed in North Carolina, only one state.

Don't shoot the messenger... but 11 years old is like 10000 times older than a 6 year old. Kids that are 11 definitely a lot more mature. Definitely not MATURE, but a zillion times more than say a six year old. I'd be interested in the number of 6 and 7 year olds. Granted, black children usually get their age over-estimated by a dozen years.

Complainer: Yeah, there was a seven year old black kid on drugs, cause he was babbling incoherently, He had something in his hand. I thought he was going to kill me.
Police: Umm... that was a baby with a rattle.

My son who was 15 at the time went skateboarding to our neighborhood park (that I pay taxes for mind you) with two of his friends. All three sat under a bridge leading into the park (which everyone that goes there does because the sound of the water flowing over the river rocks echoing under the bridge is awesome). Anyhow needless to say my son is not white like most the other kids are so a neighbor who living adjacent to the park with a view of the bridge decided to call the police saying he believes some teens are doing drugs under the bridge. The police show up like they are supposed to and questioned my boy and his friends. NO drugs were discovered, no signs of smoking and all three boys were asked to leave the park and were given a police escort home. By police escort home I mean when my son came back so soon after leaving I asked "why back so soon yall just left" he explained what happened and I looked outside and saw the police car in front of my neighbor's house. I walked my black ass outside and asked the officer why my son and his friends couldn't stay at the park? He gave me some bullshit that amounted to appeasing the asshole who made the call and he followed them to make sure they were ok because they seemed a bit young to be by themselves. lol 15-year-olds can't be by themselves at the neighborhood park... yeah right. I was so pissed I didn't get the officer's name and walked off because I was afraid if I showed how pissed I really was I'd be going to jail or be dead. After I calmed down I called the non-emergency number and was sent to dispatch to get the officers name and badge before being forwarded to what I think they called his reporting officer or some shit where I left a complaint, not about the officer doing his job but my son being asked to leave and then escorted home after nothing was found which is not his fucking job). I got a follow-up call very shortly after which turned out to be a waste of time because I doubt the officer learned anything. My son hasn't been back to that park since (his choice & I don't blame him because I try to avoid places full of drama too).


Sorry for the rant your comment triggered a memory. All though I've had about 3 police encounters all of last year I still feel like that is 3 too many for a person who only goes too and from work and spends most of his time playing video games in the mancave, performing home improvement projects, and yard work. I just don't care to be out and about because the less interaction I have with the general public the safer I feel.

Edit: BTW that was not the first incident at that park involving the same issue (and most likely the same caller). Pardon the spam

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Not court, but topical. It seems that dealing with children isn't the same as dealing with adults. This is apparently something new to police officers.

A Maryland police department is under a spotlight after body camera video was released showing officers locate a 5-year-old boy who fled school, return him to the building and scream in his face, berate him and encourage his mother to physically abuse him.

The officers are heard in the footage talking casually about crating the boy like a "beast," denying him a nap as punishment for bad behavior, calling him a "violent little thing," handcuffing him, and suggesting he should be hit with a keyboard hard enough for keys to lodge into his backside because the boy was alleged to have broken a computer at school.

The 51-minute video was released Friday by authorities in Montgomery County, Maryland, after the boy's mother filed a lawsuit in January against the officers and the board of education that oversees the district. The footage, which is on the Montgomery County Police Department's YouTube page, had been viewed more than 266,000 times as of Wednesday afternoon.

Jebus!

 

[Jokodo]

You think that the problem is expecting parents to take responsibility for their kids?

What does one thing have to do with the other?

Are you really asking what the degree of a parent taking responsibility for their child has to do with the appropriateness of the child's behavior?

No, I'm asking what the degree of a parent taking responsibility for their child has to do with the state subduing the child to a treatment no child should ever have to experience. That is, after all, what this thread is about.

 

[Elixir]

I didn't call the police. Partly because I didn't actually see what happened.

According to a poster here, you should have called the police - you "don't have to put up with other people's badly raised children".
Fuck that little felon and the horse-face mother she rode in on. It's not like everyone can afford to move into a gated community, you know.

 

[Jokodo]

So you are basically saying there is nothing to be done about kids destroying your yard.

Yeah, it's called talking to their parents. Like what happened in TomC's story accept it would be the victim (if he/she acted like an adult) choosing to do so. Then if no remedy is found you file a complaint on the parents not a fucking 6-year-old.

Do you have reason to believe this did not occur? What if the parents were completely defensive of their precious, perfect child and all but guaranteed continued destruction of their property because "fuck you" and "what are you going to do about it"?... and that's what they were then forced to do.

If the parents were "completely defensive (...) and all but guaranteed continued destruction of their property", that doesn't change the fact that the parents are morally and legally responsible for their child of six years, while the child is physically, mentally, and legally incapable of being responsible. If you want to get your problem sorted over the parents' irresponsibility, you send CPS, or the cops, or a swat team, or when it comes down to it a drone, after the parents. You don't send the cops after a six-year-old to drag him to court as a defendant, and if any neighbour tries to do so, the State should laugh them out of the room rather than follow their bidding.

 

[TomC]

I didn't call the police. Partly because I didn't actually see what happened.

According to a poster here, you should have called the police - you "don't have to put up with other people's badly raised children".
Fuck that little felon and the horse-face mother she rode in on. It's not like everyone can afford to move into a gated community, you know.

According to a poster here, "Fuck yo Flowers", imma buy the kid ice cream.
Tom

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I'm sorry that tree incident scarred you for life.

It reminds me of a story of a girl in my neighborhood who suffers from serious mental health problems. Problems so bad, I feared for my daughter's and other children's safety around her. She had on multiple occasions intentionally created a situation to lure a smaller child into a potentially dangerous situation...

You know what, on second thought, your tree story sounds kind of trite. A nuisance yes, but trite.

 

[Gospel]

I didn't call the police. Partly because I didn't actually see what happened.

According to a poster here, you should have called the police - you "don't have to put up with other people's badly raised children".
Fuck that little felon and the horse-face mother she rode in on. It's not like everyone can afford to move into a gated community, you know.

According to a poster here, "Fuck yo Flowers", imma buy the kid ice cream.
Tom

Yeah, for filing a complaint on a six-year-old and not the adult, the kid deserves ice cream while the complainer deserves the "fuck yo flowers".