With the hysteria surrounding child abductors and pedophiles it was only a matter of time until a father walking down the street with his daughter was accused of being a predator:
We were walking to the library together, and she was holding my hand and trying to pull me into telephone poles and whatnot as we walked, which is a silly game that she enjoys. Suddenly a police car pulled up beside us, lights on and everything. The cop gets out of his car, says “Sir, please step away from the child,” then proceeds to crouch down and ask her if “everything is okay.”
After re-asking a few times, getting a more and more nervous “yes” each time, he stands up and informs me that someone had called 911 reporting what looked like a young girl being abducted. My daughter and I both explained what was really happening, and not only did he not even apologize, he chastised ME for not being, and I quote verbatim here, “More thankful someone was watching out for my daughter.”
I’m actually surprised the officer didn’t begin the engagement by tackling the father to the ground, hand cuffing him, and tossing him into the back of the police car until Child Protective Services to arrive. The state has drummed up so much fear of child predators that one can’t even be seen in public with a child unless the other parent is present.
A tip of the hat to Reason for this demonstration of public hysteria.