Story

There're just so many things wrong in this story...

But neighbors said there were clues even before a parole agent on Wednesday noticed Dugard, now 29, who accompanied Garrido, his wife and the children to a parole office. - the parole agent NEVER thought to look around the whole backyard of a sex offender? A sex offender with abductions on his record!?

Neighbor Diane Doty said she could see the tents and often heard children playing in the backyard, the corner of which abuts her own backyard. She said she even suspected the children lived in the tents, but her husband said she should leave the family alone.

"I asked my husband, 'Why is he living in tents?'" she said. "And he said, 'Maybe that is how they like to live.'"
So exactly what would it take for Mr. Doty to be suspicious of a neighbor?

When do we call a spade a spade?

How much respect do you give to a person's freedom when they act peculiar?

In my mind there's a connection between this story/person and the people seen in recent weeks "protesting" the US health care debate. Showing up with guns. Yelling the most nonsensical charges.

When do we, the average people, start holding people accountable for their behavior/choices of words?

I mean, this guy had people (kids) living in tents in his back yard and Mr. Doty didn't feel any compulsion to find out what was going on? Would it have been different if it was a Muslim family?

I don't know it just seems like the American, for the record I am an American - born/grown, antipathy for socialism/communism (small "s" and "c" was done on purpose) in favor of individualism is selective in its application.

That this could happen possibly shows that there's a breakdown in this specific society/community and possibly a breakdown in the country as a whole.

I don't think I'm being as clear as I'd like...

If we, as a country, are going to respect individual freedoms to the point that we allow our neighbors to hold an 11 yo girl hostage for 18 (bleep)ing years and rationalize an absolutely suspicious act like children living in tents in a backyard with "Maybe that's how they like to live." Something is seriously wrong.