Deborah Bradley: Nothing to Hide?

I usually don’t write about a topic twice, but I can’t stop thinking about the Lisa Irwin case.  The fact that it involves a 10-month-old child has much to do with it.  When the story first broke, there was a possibility that a stranger might have taken this baby.  I didn’t fully understand how it could have happened, but my hope was Lisa would be found safe and alive.  The past few days has  created more doubt as the story is changing.  Unfortunately we have seen this pattern before and the outcome is never a good one.

The mother, Deborah Bradley, now admits to being drunk the night of the disappearance.  She reports last seeing Lisa at approximately 6:30.  Why did she leave out this “detail”?  Is she more worried about how she looks at this point?  Why would a mother who is alone in the house at night with 3 children, drink to the point of getting drunk?  Does she have a problem with alcohol?  If it was a lapse in judgment, why did she pick that night?  Did she really get drunk alone?

The parents have spent a great deal of time talking to the media.  This behavior has been observed before with the likes of Susan Smith and Scott Peterson.  I remember the Peterson interview with Diane Sawyer.  He didn’t miss a beat answering her questions and had a response for all of them.  That interview played a big role in his trial.  One could argue that the couple is trying to keep their case public in an effort to find their daughter.  Her new legal team has put a stop to these interviews as they recognize the damage that could come from them.

These new lawyers and investigators have also stated that mother has “nothing to hide”.   That doesn’t match with the new information about what happened that night.  I would think that upon discovering that your child is missing, you would tell the whole truth right at the start.  It only adds suspicion to a case that is becoming increasing incredulous,  and has added a significant amount doubt.  Once again, a child is the victim of something inconceivable to most.  My heart still has the hope of a miracle, but my head fears that it will not happen.

A Baby Goes Missing

A 10-month-old baby girl was reported missing on Tuesday morning.  The parents of Lisa Irwin have stated that someone must have abducted their daughter.  The father, Jeremy Irwin worked the previous night.  Upon return, he noticed that the child was not in her crib.   Both he and the mother, Deborah Bradley, say that the front door was unlocked, lights were on, and that 3 cell phones were taken.  On Thursday it was reported that they have stopped cooperating with the police, and that the mother had failed a lie detector test.  When I saw Deborah Bradley crying on Good Morning America, I felt the pain of a mother who is feeling a sense of loss.  On the other hand, unless she is a very sound sleeper, I don’t know how she didn’t hear anything with a baby is in the house.

I remember when my children were under the age of 2.  We had a baby monitor  next to the bed.  It was a basic model and probably ancient compared to what is out there today.  You could hear every sound in the room.  The monitor was so sensitive that you could hear the child breathing.  Also, as a mother, your subconscious seems to take over and any noise out of the ordinary is  reason to get up and investigate.  My children are now elementary school age, and I still hear them when they get up at night.

Why would someone who is snatching a baby take the time to collect 3 cell phones?  If anything it would  aid in tracking the movement of the perpetrator.  Why would they turn on all the lights if they want to go unnoticed?  In this day and age, doors and windows have to be locked and secured.  How so many are broken into is a mystery.  For the day-to-day safety of children this young, it is important to prevent access to the outside.

I truly hope that the parents are telling the truth and by some miracle this child is found.  The numbers of tragedies involving the young seems to be growing.  Maybe the stresses of everyday life are taking a toll on too many adults which leads to negligent and irrational behavior.  As a society we need to find better ways of coping.  Our children cannot be the ones who bear the brunt of hard times, frustration, and depression.  They need to be guided and protected to ensure a safe and happy life.  They are the innocent.

Adults Teach Bullying

There are members of the Republican Party pressuring Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey to run for President.   I am an unaffiliated voter.  I usually decide who to vote for based on who I believe will be the best leader for our country.  I give all candidates a fair chance after I have listened to their platform of thoughts and ideas.  So far I know nothing about Chris Christie except that he has a weight problem.  That is putting it nicely compared to some of the words used by comedians and political pundits.  As I listen and read these comments, I can’t help but think that these adults are engaging in a blatant form of bullying. 

There is much in the news lately of young people being bullied in school, the playground, and the internet.  We are appalled that such behavior takes place and call on legislators to produce acts that involve consequences for those who engage in and create  these painful situations.  I am surprised that in this climate,  adults have resorted to same tactics as children who need to be taught better.  If this was the workforce, charges of discrimination or harassment would be filed.  Audiences laugh when words like “fat” are used.   Is this what we are teaching our kids?

Politicians are now using the “weight” card to discredit a potential candidate.  This is a new low in the seemingly endless ways that parties try to sway voters.  It is disgraceful and does nothing but continue to turn off voters such as myself.  I wonder how many people of intelligence, common sense, and ingenuity; decide not to enter the arena in order to avoid such scrutiny for themselves and their families.

We cannot expect children to grow up to be tolerant, accepting, and empathetic if we do not model these traits ourselves.  We need to stop hurtful words and acts from a very early age and act as a moral compass when it comes to teaching kindness towards others.  I hope the focus on Chris Christie’s weight gives way to his record and ideas on how to run the country.  That is all that I want and need to hear.