What is your opinion?

As I was perusing the daily headlines online today, I saw one that caught my eye. I clicked on it and began to read the article. Anyone alive for more than 25 years is familiar with the name John Walsh. Who doesn't know the host of America's Most Wanted. But how many actually remember how he got that program started and why? Today, it was announced that after 27 years, the murder of his 6 year old son, Adam has finally been solved. There was a lot that went wrong when little Adam Walsh disappeared from a Sears in Hollywood, Florida in 1981. The police department messed up big time and John and his wife were there holding them accountable. Two weeks after his disappearance, fishermen found Adam's decapitated head in an area where they were fishing. The rest of the body was never recovered. The police had a suspect but due to their mistakes they were never able to fully charge him with the crime. The suspect, Otis Toole, confessed and later recanted his confession. Carpet samples from his home with blood stains were lost along with some other key evidence that linked him. Toole confessed to over 100 murders and was eventually sent to prison where he would die. On his deathbed he confessed he had in fact kidnapped and murdered Adam to his niece who recently gave this information to the police. Does this help the Walsh's? Who is to say. It most likely brings closure for them but the fact remains that their little boy is gone. He never had a chance to grow up. I guess I had never really thought about it but had Adam been found and lived, he would be my age today. But in my opinion, out of tragedy has sprung good. We now have the missing children's database for every local police department to access. We are fingerprinting our children. Violent criminals are being apprehended daily due to John Walsh's TV program. At the end of the article a professor of Sociology and Criminology from Mount Holyoke was quoted at saying he felt that because of the Walsh's persistence we have created a society that is afraid. I don't think that is true. I think we have brought this issue to light and parents are more vigilant when it comes to their children's safety. He stated that we have raised children to be frightened of strangers. With the type of deplorable characters wandering the streets these days you can not be too careful. We can not live a blind existence anymore and think our children are safe. There are monsters out there that prey on children. We need to face that. If the programs John and his wife started can find and bring just one child home safely then that is a good thing. Let me know what you think. To say the least, this professor has gotten my panties in a bunch. I must go fix them now.

This blog entry is written in honor of Adam Walsh.