A Jersey City mother was arrested this past Friday afternoon outside of a T J Maxx store in Secaucus. I know I'm one of the few people today, sadly enough, that thinks this is an outrage. The woman returned to her car just as the police were about to break the window of the car. She claimed she just ran in to use the bathroom. The child was sleeping and was fine when the she opened the car, but that didn't stop police from arresting her on the spot and taking the 22 month old child with strangers to a strange place for her "safety".

What would have been the harm in giving the woman a warning about leaving a child for too long or even a citation for the incident? Nothing. And that's what used to happen a generation ago. Not now. Now everyone from the mayor to the chief of police to the nosey shoppers passing by treat it like attempted murder. And please spare me, the "what if that were your child?" nonsense. I was a doting father and I'm sure I'll be an even more doting grandparent, and of course no one wants to see a tragedy occur to any child. But there was no harm done here and no need to handcuff and perp walk a mom who had to use the bathroom.

I realize that coming out against this over-reactionary nonsense is difficult. Who wants to come down on the side of endangering children? Certainly no politician in this state. That's why these laws will not change back to more common sense and common courtesy by law enforcement. It's only going to get worse. The "nanny state" genie has been let out of the bottle and she ain't going back in.

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