[StilltheSame]

Originally Posted by Guitar Gyro

Sadly, a body has been found, possibly the little girl from FL.

Body found feared to be missing Florida girl Somer Thompson -- OrlandoSentinel.com

I dont know why this one hits so hard, but I am so sad about this. Perhaps its because of the pure, raw grief of her mother this morning on the morning shows. This one cuts hard. My thoughts and prayers are with her family.

[ChrisA70]

I walked home by myself as a kid in the late 70's and early 80's... My daugher WILL NOT walk home by herself. No way, NO HOW. Of course I lived in a small town in western Massachusetts.

[ChrisA70]

I hate to watch the news here, it's full of sick people, stupid people, whacko's, just plain depressing crap... therefore i will tune into Anything but. Even Forensic Files is happier....

[markhunt]

Originally Posted by compelled to reply

Actually, it's applicable because

1. Connecticut has 1/5th the population (although no doubt a lower rate of incidents)

Sorry, I don't see the correlation with this statistic and me not not having to decide if I would let my children play in the front yard of a home in an inner city that I would never live in.

Originally Posted by compelled to reply

2. Don't you live in Conway or somewhere around there? That's equivalent to living in a "nice part" of Hartford or a nice part of any other bad area.

Point being, it's not a fair comparison.

I live in Belle Isle Florida, 15 minutes from the city of Orlando and I am moving to Avon, CT, 15 minutes from the city of Hartford. Why is it not fair for me to compare every aspect of the two towns when deciding what will be a better quality of life for my family?

[OrlandoRE_Miracle]

Originally Posted by ChrisA70

I walked home by myself as a kid in the late 70's and early 80's... My daugher WILL NOT walk home by herself. No way, NO HOW. Of course I lived in a small town in western Massachusetts.

Actually, it's never been safe (anywhere) to let children walk to school alone. Do a google search on the Etan Patz case. Never let young children out of your sight.

[doggiebus]

Sadly my family was friends with a family whos child got off the bus, then started to walk home and was abducted and killed. Its really sad, but now a days kids can't be kids like many of us were years ago. Today most of the people I know with children usually walk their kids into the school building which I found shocking. Friends of mine live in the nicest area in Miami and will not even let their kids play in the backyard without and adult out with them.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by markhunt

Sorry, I don't see the correlation with this statistic and me not not having to decide if I would let my children play in the front yard of a home in an inner city that I would never live in.

The thing is, as a resident of Weston, Florida (look it up), my perception is that you actually DO live in a nice "pocket" of one of those inner city areas. I don't mean that offensively, and yes I know there are million dollar homes there, but it's still IMO a nice exception to what's generally a shady part of Orlando.

I live in Belle Isle Florida, 15 minutes from the city of Orlando and I am moving to Avon, CT, 15 minutes from the city of Hartford. Why is it not fair for me to compare every aspect of the two towns when deciding what will be a better quality of life for my family?

Of course you are moving to a better place, but what isn't fair is saying that the entire state is unsafe for children. Try comparing Belle Isle to Oviedo and it's surrounding areas, and the latter is an overall more wholesome environment as well.

Regardless, safe travels to CT.

[OrlandoRE_Miracle]

Why move all the way back to CT. Try NC instead.

[Guitar Gyro]

And I don't wanna speak for markhunt, but I believe he's from (or previously lived) in CT. Probably still has family there. If not, I too would suggest NC.

[crisp444]

I don't buy the whole idea that the world has gotten worse and that it's now more unsafe than ever for children to play outside. My parents played outside and walked home from school when they were children, I played outside when I was a child (didn't walk home from school because I took the bus), and I plan to allow my children to do the same. Life is too short to live with unreasonable paranoia. I believe I once read that a child is far more likely to die in a car crash on the way to soccer practice than to be abducted while playing outside or walking to school.