2010-03-17

Today's WTF!

Link

 

I was reading my google reader this morning and a frequently read blog Nashvillest I came across a seriously F’d up story, and I am wondering WTF is going on. Firstly, the article is written very poorly leaving out many details. Let me dissect this one quickly.

 

Baby OK After Being Left In Oven

Man Charged With Wanton Endangerment

 

POSTED: 2:53 pm CDT March 16, 2010

UPDATED: 7:57 pm CDT March 16, 2010

 

PADUCAH, Ky. -- Authorities in western Kentucky say a man left his infant son in a cold oven, probably for a matter of hours.

 

The Paducah Sun reported 33-year-old Larry C. Long told police he had smoked marijuana at a Paducah restaurant where he works and then came home and drank alcohol.

 

Ok stop right there. This kind of information needs to be shown in the latter part of the article – and I suspect it’s a hit-piece on marijuana The more likely culprit for such stupidity is alcohol, he probably got mad at the baby crying and placed him in the oven, alcohol makes you do stupid things. Alcohol makes certain people aggressive. Pot doesn’t make people aggressive. I am speculating here but I don’t have much to go on based on the small amount of details in the story.  Why is this even relevant? Why not report on the conditions of the home, living standards, past criminal record? Anything?

 

McCracken County Sheriff Jon Hayden said the mother of the 5-week-old boy was awakened by his cries Monday morning and found him the oven. Hayden said the baby was taken to a hospital where doctors found no injuries.

 

Information gap #2. WTF! The mother was awakened by his cries. WTF! Where was she all night? Was she working the night shift? No, it says she was “awakened”. This leads me to believe she was in the house when the baby was placed in the oven. Was she incapacitated? Who knows?

 

Long shares the home with the child's mother, 33-year-old Brandy S. Hatton.

 

The newspaper reported child welfare officials placed the infant and his 10- and 14-year-old siblings in the care of one of Hatton's relatives.

 

Long is charged with wanton endangerment.  

 

So this leads me to believe the mother should also be charged with wanton endangerment. But of course we don’t hear a single word about her except she was awakened by the cries.

 

Awful writing and an awful story.