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by prepend 1295 days ago
> One was a new mom who was alone all day and was unsettled with folks hiking past her backyard.

This seems unreasonable to think hikers are a threat to her. It’s nice of you to work to make her feel better but it seems silly for her to think that people are going to break into her house in the middle of their hike. There are many more opportunities for violence and if she wants to worry about things, there’s others.
2 comments
HarryHirsch 1295 days ago
More to the point: it's bad policy to normalize her concerns. For the sake of her child we hope that New Mom stops at one and is single. The biggest reason for child abductions is custody disputes and the biggest perpetrators of child sex abuse are older siblings.
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WarOnPrivacy 1295 days ago
> it's bad policy to normalize her concerns. For the sake of her child we hope that New Mom stops at one and is single.

This feels like a pointlessly bitter analysis, one that has drawn unnecessarily harsh conclusions.

At the time, I started weighing her danger assessment but I stopped. New parents tend to suck at risk analysis. I did. Over time I sorted it out. She would too but not that day.

> The biggest reason for child abductions is custody disputes and the biggest perpetrators of child sex abuse are older siblings.

This false danger narrative you're referencing, you're right that it's crap and harmful. However it is mostly driven by LEO & news orgs - both of whom are in the exact position to know better. It isn't reasonable to blame new mothers for the ongoing ineptitude of professionals.

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HarryHirsch 1295 days ago
LEO & news orgs - both of whom are in the exact position to know better

They are not going to stop producing more of the "stranger danger" nonsense, no matter how politely they are asked. You have to start with the consumers if things are ever going to improve.

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WarOnPrivacy 1295 days ago
Regarding LEO, I'm inclined to agree. FBI stats are 2 clicks away so LEO's relentless tendency to portray custodial kidnappings as stranger abductions is at best disingenuous.

The press' issue is one of competency tho. Reporters parrot LEO (gov, corp) PR verbatim, without the least bit of verification, because they are inept. Once reporters get their dopamine hit from public freakout, they are fulfilled. Public freakout leads to ad dollars and that satisfies management.

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WarOnPrivacy 1293 days ago
In case anyone ever reads this: My above response became unhelpfully harsh toward the end. I could have framed that argument in a less hostile light.

It fairly contrasts with me earlier calling out a post for being bitter.

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googlryas 1295 days ago
You don't know what she thought. And maybe she's worried about other forms of violence too. You also don't know the type of people who walk by.
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