Dennis: Arresting woman for leaving baby in her hot car is wrong

Warning! If you're not capable of critical thinking, DO NOT READ THIS!

We talked on the air about yet another case of a parent leaving a baby in a car on a hot summer day, then getting arrested.

Do I condone such an act? Of course not. Do I think it's a responsible thing to do? Of course not. But what good does it do society or that baby and the entire family to cuff and stuff mom in a police car, possibly break up the family and lead this woman down a road with far more troubles than she may have already have? The answer ... none.

But it makes some of us in society feel that at least justice was done for that child. It reassures us how much better we are as parents, that we would never have done any such horrible thing to our children. In today's society, for every bad act — intentional or by mistake — there must be a villain who must be punished.

But what if it was your wife, sister, best friend or daughter? "I'd feel the same way," some people said. Bulls**t!

Only when it would directly affect you, would you have the empathy to see that this wasn't a deliberate attempt to harm the child. A bad choice? Poor judgement? For sure, but haven't we all made errors in judgement raising our kids? I know I have, and thankfully they all turned out to be decent, loving, productive members of society, hopefully with empathy and the ability to think critically.

This poor woman's life will be negatively impacted enough with the guilt of having her child in danger, the shame of public scrutiny and the thought of knowing her other children were traumatized by the event. Now what the "well-intentioned" system will do to her could be even worse and prolonged.

We keep turning to law enforcement and government to control our personal lives in a way never intended in our free society with far reaching consequences that I can guarantee will eventually affect, yes even the most perfect parent or citizen.

We'd better wise up before it's too late. I fear it is already!

More from New Jersey 101.5: