You’re more likely to be struck by a meteor than to have your kid abducted by a stranger
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) gets about $40 million a year in federal funding. It spends at least a few of those bucks crafting unnecessary emails like the one I got last week with the subject line: “Are your kids safely back-to-schooling?”
Not only is “back-to-schooling” not a verb, but also the question seems geared less toward making kids safe and more toward making parents terrified to ever let their kids leave the house.
Dear Lenore, the letter begins:
Routine bus stops, children biking or walking to school, and after-school pick-ups by parents are back all over America as we embark on another year of learning.
“While we are all excited for the year ahead, it is important to keep in mind one of the most important statistics we at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) know all too well—that attempted abductions occur more often when a child is going to or from school or school-related activities.”
But why are we talking about attempted abductions at all? I get that kidnapping is NCMEC’s calling card, but if we’re really concerned about keeping kids safe on the way to school, why focus on the least likely of all dangers? Why not talk about pedestrian safety? Or the danger of driving the kids to school? After all, about 1,000 kids under age 14 die as car passengers each year.
The reason is FEAR. The more fear you instill and the more you repeat that “fearful notion” the more society feels trapped and dependent on the government to save them from sofs. And yet, y’all have proven time and again that these crimes are perpertrated by those who aren’t even on the registry! So, claiming we’re the culprit of continued kidnapping and assaults is truly a lie and part of their FEAR Mongering. Keep up the great work FAC … keep telling the truth even when blue in the face and thanks for keep everyone informed.
Also, notice how the constant threat of school shootings was conveniently omitted from their mailer?
They need to be pressed AND taken to task on how children are more likely to be injured, maimed and killed by a random assailant with a gun on school grounds than by some statistically insignificant “abduction” scenario.
The NCMEC is basically a dead weight and a burden on the taxpayers. They exist to keep the dust from settling on the sex offender hysteria.
“Every second counts?” I guess that rings true when you intentionally spread fear and hate for profit.
Heck your child is much more likely to be sexually abused by their teacher than abducted.
Interestingly – you are more likely to be struck by lightening while being attached by a great white shark than you are of getting off of the Florida SO registry.
The greatest government sanctioned grift of all time.
I’ll need to add Reason Magazine and NAMEC to Phase IV of the media project.
I’m glad that Lenore pointed it out.
Agreed, NCMEC thrives on fear. Imagine the outrage at an organization that receives taxpayer dollars preaching about the impending doom of stray meteors. And yet, their fears are more likely than NCMEC’s nonsense.