[8/15/2002 9:35:02 AM | Andy Kovacs]
"I know what men want. Men want to be really, really close to someone who will leave them alone."
-Elayne Boosler


[8/15/2002 4:32:17 PM | Andy Kovacs]
Top 5 Steve Martin Movies
1) Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
2) My Blue Heaven (1990)
3) Parenthood (1989)
4) L.A. Story (1991)
5) Father of the Bride (1991)
tied with The Jerk (1979)


[8/15/2002 11:11:24 AM | Andy Kovacs]
I got into an argument yesterday over the news story of the 2 year-old girl who died after being left in a car for almost 8 hours. Here is the article that was in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The argument consisted of my being asked the question How can anyone forget their grandchild in a car for 8 hours? and me saying, It was an accident. At least, that's what we know right now.

I don't know which viewpoint you'll side with, but I say that accidents happen. Who knows why this guy forgot his granddaughter. Why do you sometimes forget to take your lunch to work? Why do you forget to send out your car payment? The simple fact is that it is possible forget. We, as humans, are far from being perfect.

I was then asked, But how is it possible to forget a child? So I asked, Who knows what was going through this guy's head that morning? Maybe he was in trouble at work and that was on his mind. I then countered with: Do you think it was done on purpose? to which no reply came.

See, folks, that is the obvious key. Was it intentional? If it was, let him fry. If not, leave it up to the family. The guilt that this guy is going to have to live with for the rest of his life is almost punishment enough. So far we have not seen or heard anything to even suggest that the grandfather intended for this to happen. According to the news reports, all of them have said that this were a very loving family and that he was a doting grandfather. None of the news reports I have read have even suggested that he may have planned this.

I was then accused of taking the grandfather's side. Let it be known that I was not taking sides, I was playing the devil's advocate. I understand that forgetting a child is far, far different from forgetting a lunch, but the basic principle is that the poor guy forgot. Plain and simple. Why does anyone forget anything? We just do, no matter how simple or common-sense.

That being said, it raises the following question: Do I think that the grandfather should go unpunished?

No. I think the man should be punished.

Do I think the man deserves to spend up to 20 years in jail for this?

No. "Up to 20 years" seems very drastic under these circumstances. Remember Karen Howard? She is the woman who hit a man who was changing his tire on I-95 and fled. She then tried hiding the car and then tried trading it in. She was caught and was only given 1 year in jail plus probation. Of course, she is also the wife of an Eagles executive, so their high powered lawyers had an influence, no doubt. But if she only got 1 year after a hit and run, this guy should get next to nothing.

Go ahead and say it. Say I've taken sides if it makes you feel better. Tell your friends that you can't believe that I said this gentleman should not be punished to the fullest extent of the law because a child is dead as a result of his action (or inaction, as it were). But the next time you forget to feed your pet, the next time you forget to go to the store to pick up an item, the next time you forget to buy gas for your car, ask yourself, How did I forget to do that? It was such a simple thing to remember! Ask yourself, that is...unless you forget. Till next time,

-andy