Bristol County Daily News

I'm not sure where to start today. Sometimes I think I should just never read the paper. It just all seems so disturbing. I try so hard to make sure that the people in my community are safe. By my community I mean everyone I know. We talk to each other and to our children about safe touch, unsafe touch, we talk about guns and violence and we talk about getting involved to make a change. So looking at the city & region in the Boston globe, sex charges, activist gone awry and the Mayor is trying to save the very company that caused the city so much pain and is about to cause us more pain. Where do I start. I will admit I never just drop my children off for a lesson of any sort. I stay and watch. And never do I allow any of my children one on one with anyone unless I an in the room. When my oldest started school they need to do hearing and eye exams when the nurse came to get him I started to go with them she asked me to wait outside because my other children would make it hard to do the exam. When I said No she gave me that look. I told her I would wait directly outside the open door. Sorry lady you are a stranger and the rule we have is that NO ONE CHILD IS TO BE IN A CLOSED ROOM WITH ANYONE PERIOD THE END. Well I do have to let him go to school and I must trust that I have taught him well. We talk at the end of everyday and I have to rely on the fact that he trusts me and will feel confident that I will be on his side no matter what he tells me. Go here to check out some tips on talking to your children. http://www.missingkids.com. Its not just about missing children the site gives tips on talking to your children about keeping them safe. Believe it or not its the people we know that tend to hurt our children. Lets move to the Guardian Angels They want to come help the City of Boston. I don't know I remember when they started in the early 80's people didn't really take to them then and I am not sure I would except them now. See why would I trust my safety to a stranger that is not a trained professional. Yes if I was drowning and someone jumped in to save me yes I would have to trust them. And if there is a neighborhood watch group we all know each other working together to keep our immediate surroundings safe. If a bunch of Guardian Angels, military, national guard, showed up in my neighborhood a started patrolling I would be uncomfortable. Maybe its that the devil you are use to is better then the devil you don't know. There was this one time I was in Brockton, not knocking Brockton, but it was late and I ran into one of those large chain stores to get somethings I needed for the next day and when I went to leave the security guard came over and suggested he walk me to my car. I looked at him and said Why would I let some strange guy with a gun bring me to my car I don't know you and maybe you are who I should be afraid of. Thanks but I'll take my chances. I walked to my car and thought gee I didn't know going to the store could be so dangerous. When I told the guys at work the next day they all looked horrified. They said Brockton could be a rough city. But was I wrong ? I'll never know. I was fine went to my car got in drove home no big deal. We should be able to walk to our car, play on our porch, throw a ball for the dog. How can we change this without becoming a military state. Moving to the mayor of New Bedford could we, should we save the leather goods factory? I understand that there are 600 jobs at stake here. People and there families but what are we saying to the people who broke the law. How can the city take over the company? The city has a hard enough time running it self. This is a very sensitive matter. Emotions are high. I'm not sure what the right answer is but I hope we look at more than one solution.