Children die in Hot car, while mother works a double-shift
HANAHAN, South Carolina (AP) -- Sametta Heyward was in a bind. The single mother was scheduled to start a double shift at 3 p.m., and her baby sitter had just canceled.
"She was either told to come to work or be fired, or she was afraid to call in sick -- one of those things," said police Lt. Michael Fowler.
She made it to her job at a county-run group home July 29, a typically warm summer day. After eight hours, she called a supervisor and said she had to leave because of child-care issues.
According to her employer, she didn't tell the supervisor or a co-worker that for all that time, she had left her 1-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son in her Chevy Cavalier hatchback, parked on a residential street.
She had left Triniti and Shawn with battery-powered fans, food and drinks, but it was not nearly enough to combat the sweltering conditions inside. She later told relatives that when she got to the car at 11:30 p.m., the children were unconscious and had weak pulse
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/04/tod....ap/index.html
This is a good example of why we should have universal, affordable subsidized day care for infants and children. So parents don't have to choose between being fired, or taking care of their children. In countries like Sweden, Norway, France and Denmark they don't even bother to debate whether they should have universal, subsidized day care for everyone - rich and poor. Its not even an issue. Its just an integral part of their nation's child policies. The only debate they have, is how to make it better.
This shouldn't even be debatable. Tossing out cries and protestations of "socialism" doesn't even cut it here. Making sure children - all children - have universal access to affordable, quality, subsidized or free day care, should be a no-brainer.
"Do not think that I came to bring peace... I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." - Matthew 10:34
How does she feed the kids if she is fired ? Yeah she made a stupid decision, but most of us do not understand what is is like to live poor. Truely poor with no mommy and daddy to go live with or anyone to help....
Bush doubled the debt from 5 trillion to 10 trillion.
Proving tax cuts work!
Bush asked for and signed for the TARP money.
The Republican senate leader backed Bush on this.
One of my concepts has been to have govt funded day cares for the working poor and hire some of the qualifed poor to work there.
Bush doubled the debt from 5 trillion to 10 trillion.
Proving tax cuts work!
Bush asked for and signed for the TARP money.
The Republican senate leader backed Bush on this.
Thank you. Obviously, it was a stupid decision. Desparate people do stupid things sometimes. She was threatened with being fired if she didn't come to work.
I think you've got a brilliant idea on how to both give employment to the poor, and take care of american children.
I emailed all my federal representatives on this a few years ago, but they are almost all Republicans....
Bush doubled the debt from 5 trillion to 10 trillion.
Proving tax cuts work!
Bush asked for and signed for the TARP money.
The Republican senate leader backed Bush on this.
I'd prefer state sponsored child-care.
I hope this woman goes to jail for life.
* Annoy a Republican, think for yourself.
* Annoy a Democrat, support yourself.
yeah. I actually feel very bad for her. normally I have very little tolerance for people like this, but it seems like she really was trying to do right for her kids. She just made a very very stupid decision. I think employers should really be encouraged to have on the job the daycare. The bottom line is it wouldn't have happened if she had some place to take her kids while she was at work.
Sorry I got no sympathy for some dummy leaving her kids in the car all day long. Everyone knows they will die.
* Annoy a Republican, think for yourself.
* Annoy a Democrat, support yourself.
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