Dear Parents of America,

It gets super-hot inside of your cars and it is not safe to leave your children or your pets in the car on hot days. This sounds like a no brainer, but every other day it seems as though some may need a reminder. Also, forgetting that there is a child in the car is not really a valid excuse when the end result is a dead child. Just a couple of weeks ago, I read about an unemployed father who took two of his three children to daycare and went home to take a nap. That would have been fine except for the fact that he left his six month old in the car. Upon realizing what he had done, he placed the baby into the refrigerator to rectify the situation. That did not work. Michael Thedford, age 33, was charged with manslaughter as he should have been. There are a couple of things to point out here. First, why is an unemployed man taking any of his children to daycare? Second, how do you forget either to drop off the six month old with the other two children, ages three and five, or to bring her inside the home when you get back. Granted, this occurred in Texas and I believe daycare is provided for unemployed parents so they can look for a job. Michael Thedford took a nap. Seriously, I worry about a bottle of water if I leave it in the car on a hot day.

In the news today, I read about a man in Mississippi indicted for manslaughter after his eight month old daughter died in a hot car while he worked. At least this guy had a job, but he also somehow forgot the child was in the car. The most surprising part of this case is that his attorney is “shocked.” To be fair, his shock is a result of a similar case that took place in Mississippi in which there was no indictment. I do not have details of that case, but no other case should have any bearing on another case. To me, it is pretty cut and dry. You left the child in a hot car and the child died. I do not think there should be any shock when it comes to the charges. It is a crime to be negligent when it comes to a child. It is manslaughter when the result of that negligence is death. When you commit a crime, you deserve to be charged and sentenced.

It is summer and the temperatures will get warm enough to kill living beings trapped inside of a car. It takes about three seconds to look back inside of the car to make sure you are not forgetting anything. Take the extra three seconds!

Respectfully,

Jordan Segal