Dear Journal...

All Tied Up

So today I saw a child who was being walked on a leash. This isn’t a topic I have ranted about on my blog, and think it’s an interesting topic to discuss. I absolutely loath these child leashes. I never had to be leashed, nor did generations before me. I find it rather revolting to put a leash on a human being, child or not. I hardly even leash my dog. I’ve argued about this topic with people who insist that they would rather have their child on a leash than stolen by some creep. In my opinion, tying ropes to children is an easy way to keep track of them when a mother wants to focus on shopping. My mother never paraded around with me on a leash, even in heavily crowded areas. She always kept a watchful eye on me, and held my hand if there was ever a chance of me being lost amidst a crowd. I just find it funny how you can’t punish your children in public for fear of portraying child abuse or neglect, yet you can walk your children around like dogs and it’s perfectly normal. Might as well strap a collar around their necks!

No, they would rather disguise it as an animal backpack, with a tail as the leash. Cute and harmless, right? If not the backpack, they have harnesses for children. I understand the “potential” benefits these tools may possess, but I don’t see anything right with kids on leashes. It’s disrespectful, and undignified. I know I sure as hell would not want to be walked on a leash. Parents need to be responsible for keeping an eye on their children, and stop letting other tools do the job for them; television, child leashes, etc. I don’t care how challenging it may be to hold a whining child’s sweaty palm, or keep track of a rambunctious child who is consistently running off behind your back. If you’re going to leash them like a dog, why not train them like one? Train them right, and they won’t be so difficult to manage out in public.

You may try to justify these child leashes by blaming pedophiles and creeps who snatch children, but these people have been around forever. They didn’t just start appearing. A leash sure as hell isn’t going to protect our children from these criminals. A piece of fabric or nylon. Seriously? Who better a protector than a responsible parent who is very aware of the dangers of society? This is the 21st century. We are more advanced and more knowledgeable than ever before (or at least have access to such knowledge). Everyone is aware of the dangers that threaten our children’s lives’. Growing up, I may not have understood my mother, but I was well aware of potential risky situations. My mom was always cautious and overprotective of me. I was a very sheltered kid. But I grew up with a sense of understanding the dangers of society; the infinite variety of crimes and criminals. I may not have fully understood, but I subconsciously knew they existed. Maybe that’s why I never strayed too far in public. I knew I was safe with my mother. Nowadays I see too many children defying their parents, or running rampant in stores and restaurants like they have no upbringing at all. Sometimes I think those kids do need to be chained up on a leash, but if their parents would be more responsible for them, there would be no need for these damn child leashes.