I have been fixated on the news all day. It isn't very often that you hear *good news* about a child abduction case but today is a new day. They found two children, alive and well in Missouri. Praise God.
Shawn's step-father is speaking at a news conference as I write this. Something he said struck a nerve with me. He looks like he is in his forties. He talked about how our society has changed. How, when he was a child, he could play outside all day and come in again in the evening without worrying about strangers, kidnappings or sex offenders lurking in our neighborhoods.
I am in my early thirties and it has changed for me as well. I remember long bike rides to the beach where my older sister and I would spend the day getting sunburned with our friends. I remember taking my allowance to a small-town grocery store where we would buy too much candy and sit at the local park and eat it until our bellies were sore. We would stay ourside until it was time to race the sunset on our banana-seat bikes.
I have a three year old son, and two year old daughter. It saddens me that they will not have memories like mine.
This is a miracle. This is a tremendous news story. I pray that it will reawaken us to the dangers our children face in our own backyards. I want my kids to have fun, to play and not to worry about strangers when they get off the school bus. At the same time, I am realistic.
One of the reports I read indicated that the man who took the boys was an unregistered sex-offender. Sadly, I am not surprised. When are we going to start taking these people seriously? When are we going to start "tagging" them like the animals that they are? GPS tagging technology works. We just need the manpower to monitor the monsters. Imprisonment works better. Don't let your lawmakers get away with minimum sentences. You can get involved. You MUST get involved.
Let's use this miracle as an opportunity to make some changes. Here are some related links that will help you get involved.
Online Amber Alert Systerm
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Place a banner or a link to www.missingkids.com on your web site.
Wireless AMBER Alerts
Receive AMBER Alerts as text messages on your wireless device.ID Events
Organize an ID event in your community.Internship Opportunities
Become an intern at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.Missing Kids Online Alerts
Download this free program to be instantly notified of missing-children alerts issued by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.Pictures Work!
Join a campaign to raise awareness about the importance of pictures in recovering missing children.Poster-Partner Program
Volunteer Opportunities
Receive E-mail alerts about children who become missing in your area.
Become a volunteer for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
STOP Sex Offenders: Your Source for Child & Family Safety ...
National Sex Offender Registry
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