This is a comment in regard to the picture of the little four-year-old girl sitting atop a police car while her mother is being arrested that ran in The Post on Thursday. In my opinion (and others'), it was very distasteful and not at all considerate of this child, who will soon grow older and develop an understanding of what took place.
In one way, taking a picture of a young child like that could even be considered child endangerment. We have no idea who or what is involved here until it is revealed through the courts, but she should never have been in a photograph or exposed publicly as she was. Granted, this was very newsworthy as it all unfolded in our county, but hopefully one would be more considerate and think first before publishing such a sensitive picture.
I have worked with children for a numbers of years, and the last thing they need is to have themselves exposed to the public. They are innocent for such a short time, and this will be a sensitive issue for her in later years. In the future, she may even have to explain or defend this photo. When it comes to children victimized by an adult's decision, they carry a stigma through no fault of their own. They will defend it or become calloused and withdrawn, just to name a few outcomes. Along with this, they carry the burden of so many issues that they are not designed to handle. So, in defense of this little girl and many others out there live in conditions that are not ideal, I ask that the media and those involved would have the eyes to see.
Diane Smart is co-owner of The Smart Barber Shop.
4 Opinion
