GUILTY GA - Lauren Giddings, 27, Macon, 26 June 2011 # 8

[Knox]

Their daughter, whom Glenda McDaniel says battled a crack-cocaine problem -- which led to a number of arrests -- couldn’t take care of her children, and that’s why she and her husband took them in. Now the family faces the accusations against Stephen. It has weighed on the children.

Read more: http://www.macon.com/2011/08/07/1657322_p2/man-on-the-street-how-fledgling.html#ixzz1VE2H8iJw

I think it is wonderful that they adopted those children. It is pretty sad, yet interesting that they have a crack addict daughter who has been in and out of jail and a son in jail charged with Murder.

I wouldn't say the Aunt's word is realy reliable.

My post was meant to address the serious nature of crack cocaine addiction. The fact is, it can be as debilitating as having MS or being a double amputee (your choice of examples), in terms of caring for children. Addiction is a disease in itself.

If you meant that the daughter was/is an addict because she made the choice to be addicted to crack cocaine, as opposed to someone who is stricken with a disease or accidental misfortune; I think it's rare that someone makes a conscious, rational decision to ruin their life by becoming a drug addict.

I'm not entirely comfortable with the situation the kids are in, MOO. As you pointed out, both McD and his sister who were raised in the same home, by the same parents, are troubled (to put it mildly). There is a root issue that lies with the parents, also MOO.

 

[Nancysleuth]

Hi all. I've been reading along but haven't had the time to post! Everyone's thoughts and knowledge have been really impressive and interesting though, just wanted to say I've enjoyed reading.

One thing that struck me as odd when I was reading Macon.com the other day was that LG had a door brace in her apartment. I know I have lived on my own in NYC for 10 years, occasionally in some pretty rough neighborhoods and have never owned, or known anyone to own, a door brace. Of course this could be normal for LG but it struck me as a bit hypervigilant and made me wonder if perhaps she thought someone was entering her apt without her knowledge, making her feel unsafe at night. Also made me wonder if when she thought someone tried to break in Thursday night that had been McD, who himself haas been surprised there was a door brace as it was something she had recently purchased. Lastly(!) I wonder if he had both a copy of the master key and her own key because she had recently changed her locks.

I know this is much speculation from just a door brace, but it struck me as a very odd thing for someone in their 20s to have and I know the quote regarding it was from McD himself, stating he saw it by her front door and it just seemed very detailed for him to mention something like that.

 

[Hyrax]

Hi all. I've been reading along but haven't had the time to post! Everyone's thoughts and knowledge have been really impressive and interesting though, just wanted to say I've enjoyed reading.

One thing that struck me as odd when I was reading Macon.com the other day was that LG had a door brace in her apartment. I know I have lived on my own in NYC for 10 years, occasionally in some pretty rough neighborhoods and have never owned, or known anyone to own, a door brace. Of course this could be normal for LG but it struck me as a bit hypervigilant and made me wonder if perhaps she thought someone was entering her apt without her knowledge, making her feel unsafe at night. Also made me wonder if when she thought someone tried to break in Thursday night that had been McD, who himself haas been surprised there was a door brace as it was something she had recently purchased. Lastly(!) I wonder if he had both a copy of the master key and her own key because she had recently changed her locks.

I know this is much speculation from just a door brace, but it struck me as a very odd thing for someone in their 20s to have and I know the quote regarding it was from McD himself, stating he saw it by her front door and it just seemed very detailed for him to mention something like that.

It's possible McD did try to break in that Thursday night (or even just tried to do a test run). He may have realized he would not easily be getting in her apartment in the middle of the night, due to the door brace, so found a more inconspicuous time. If she went for a run that Sunday morning, I doubt she would have placed the door brace back when she returned home; that would have made it easy for McD to follow her in.

 

[PlainJaneDoe]

I'm curious about this statement, Angel. I think McD suffers from intensely inferior feelings and any exaggerated displays of superiority are a defensive technique to hide them. So, if you mean McD learned from his father to compensate for his anxiety through expressions of self-importance, then I'm inclined to agree with you. If you're saying that one or both hold a genuine superiority complex, one that isn't borne from an underlying inferiority complex, then I'm inclined to respectfully disagree.
The Science of Living
Alfred Adler, p. 83

This reminded me of something I read in Karen Horney's book Our Inner Conflicts. (You may recall Horney from psych 101 as the psychoanalyst who described 3 types of personality - moving toward people, moving against people, and moving away from people.)

She wrote, "...no matter what the structure of the neurosis there is always vulnerability and a readiness to feel looked down on and humiliated" (p. 101). I think that this is an interesting idea to keep in mind as we think about various violent criminals.

On another note, thanks for the input about the ScribD app. Knox helped me sort it out. I am now able to open it in my regular PDF reader, iAnnotate. I use this app for reading and marking up PDFs for work and for WS-related stuff, and it is great. I don't like to give plugs, and just FYI I have no financial interest in giving this one, lol...but I would definitely recommend it to any iPad users who are interested in a reader that also allows you to easily annotate PDFs.

 

[tomkat]

about what I bolded in your post above:

Glad you posted this. This is the way I have also tended to view SM. And could very well be the same with his father, though I hesitate to try to read too much into statements posted once on one web page.

I do think, though, that whatever (maybe shaky) self-esteem Stephen has had may have been very much bound up with his intellect/educational achievements, since those are areas he seems to have done rather well in. Which brings me to something I've been wondering about: How much do we know about what Stephen's plans for the immediate future were? Of course there was the upcoming bar exam, and then, in this article...

link: http://www.macon.com/2011/07/15/1632018/mom-asked-mcdaniel-if-relationship.html#ixzz1S90zzBIe

...I found this: (quote) "He hoped to get a job as a prosecutor, and he was pursuing job opportunities, his mother said in a phone interview Thursday."

Do we know anything beyond this? Was he planning to leave Macon or stay ... perhaps even at Barristers Hall? (Was his lease also about to end -- seems like I had gathered so, but can't find the statements to back this.)

I think part of what may have led to any decompensation --and it could have been toward uninhibiting him toward already-present murderous impulses or could be psychotic or disassociative, IMO -- may have been not just the prospect of "losing" Lauren, but also or instead the prospect of the time of academia ending and the "real world" looming. Seems like there have been some comments here and there (don't have the examples right at hand) that Stephen seemed to some to have "changed" somewhat recently.

I've been sick for a couple of days and haven't felt up to posting, but I have tried a couple of times to read through the accumulating posts so that I wouldn't be totally behind the times here. There have been some interesting topics and insightful comments. (Also, I see, a spate of new verifications! Whew, talk about blows to the self-esteem!! lol I better get expertly proficient at something really fast...!!)

I believe a professor of SMcD said that SMcD had changed since he'd come to Mercer. How ...I dont' know or what that meant. If he is found guilty.............speculating that maybe he didnt' have his mother's thumb and watchful eye on him keeping his extra curricular activities focused on something more positive than video "war games" or whatever fantasies he may have been having. Might have been born with these tendencies (obviously) but were snuffed by his mother's strong presence and guidance, keeping his mind focused. NOt to mention he may have focused more presently on the rejection of his peers than when younger (as he had no time to focus on it and also had more family support with him, seems no one was there for him?) becuase of his eccentric ways/behavior. I believe that his uniqueness and the rejection combined would make him act superior and maybe inside, quite angry and to act on it if left to fester unlike when he was at home playing violin, in the choir and whatever other clubs he was involved in. He didnt' have time so much to focus on rejection or fantasies and even though busy with Law School, he has extra curricular activies (video war games). Everything adds up in time. Just speculating.

 

[tomkat]

Calling Pyschomom...I want your thoughts if you will give them. :seeya:

He's acting as if he doesn't know......Is that "splitting"?? I was thinking schizoid personality disorder, but do they split? And is splitting considered disassociative (sp?) or like schyzophrenia where your personality actually splits, Iif that's right) as in, the left hand doesn't know what the right does STS. Just curious and trying to get a grasp on the personality types

 

[tomkat]

about what I bolded in your post above:

Glad you posted this. This is the way I have also tended to view SM. And could very well be the same with his father, though I hesitate to try to read too much into statements posted once on one web page.

I do think, though, that whatever (maybe shaky) self-esteem Stephen has had may have been very much bound up with his intellect/educational achievements, since those are areas he seems to have done rather well in. Which brings me to something I've been wondering about: How much do we know about what Stephen's plans for the immediate future were? Of course there was the upcoming bar exam, and then, in this article...

link: http://www.macon.com/2011/07/15/1632018/mom-asked-mcdaniel-if-relationship.html#ixzz1S90zzBIe

...I found this: (quote) "He hoped to get a job as a prosecutor, and he was pursuing job opportunities, his mother said in a phone interview Thursday."

Do we know anything beyond this? Was he planning to leave Macon or stay ... perhaps even at Barristers Hall? (Was his lease also about to end -- seems like I had gathered so, but can't find the statements to back this.)

I think part of what may have led to any decompensation --and it could have been toward uninhibiting him toward already-present murderous impulses or could be psychotic or disassociative, IMO -- may have been not just the prospect of "losing" Lauren, but also or instead the prospect of the time of academia ending and the "real world" looming. Seems like there have been some comments here and there (don't have the examples right at hand) that Stephen seemed to some to have "changed" somewhat recently.

I've been sick for a couple of days and haven't felt up to posting, but I have tried a couple of times to read through the accumulating posts so that I wouldn't be totally behind the times here. There have been some interesting topics and insightful comments. (Also, I see, a spate of new verifications! Whew, talk about blows to the self-esteem!! lol I better get expertly proficient at something really fast...!!)

His parents moved him out but I was under the impression from that article about it, that he was scheduled to move too.

 

[PlainJaneDoe]

To go along with TomKat's.

Based on my personal experience - similarity to McD's situation is debatable of course - there is a big difference between feeling like a reject in high school and feeling like a reject in college/grad school. I had few to no close friends in h.s. The only way I survived was by constantly looking forward to escaping all of the people whom I saw as my critics, even my persecutors, and going to college and grad school where I could be with other people who actually cared about the world beyond their hateful little cliques and narrow-minded religion. Fortunately, when I got to college and later to grad school, it really happened. I really found friends that I could have intelligent conversations with, but still joke around with and talk about personal stuff. Suddenly it seemed like my peers agreed with what my therapist had been telling me for years - I was smart, funny, attractive, and worth people's time! :great: I do not know how to explain how great that is! I don't know what I would've done if I'd gone to the university and become isolated all over again. I really don't know if I could've handled it. In fact I spent some time in an institution not long before I left for college because I was so terrified that this would happen! When you're so far along in your education, you can't ignore the isolation any longer. Your classmates, professors, and mentors are not just people you can abandon. They are your network, your key to the life you've been slaving for. They are the people who supposedly share your passion, the thing you want to make your life's work. If you can't feel "in" with them, then with whom?!

 

[angelanalyzes]

I'm curious about this statement, Angel. I think McD suffers from intensely inferior feelings and any exaggerated displays of superiority are a defensive technique to hide them. So, if you mean McD learned from his father to compensate for his anxiety through expressions of self-importance, then I'm inclined to agree with you. If you're saying that one or both hold a genuine superiority complex, one that isn't borne from an underlying inferiority complex, then I'm inclined to respectfully disagree.
The Science of Living
Alfred Adler, p. 83

I definitely feel that it is a defense mechanism, the superiority complex. Narcissism itself stems from feelings of intense inadequacy.

 

[Givsmetheshivers]

My post was meant to address the serious nature of crack cocaine addiction. The fact is, it can be as debilitating as having MS or being a double amputee (your choice of examples), in terms of caring for children. Addiction is a disease in itself.

If you meant that the daughter was/is an addict because she made the choice to be addicted to crack cocaine, as opposed to someone who is stricken with a disease or accidental misfortune; I think it's rare that someone makes a conscious, rational decision to ruin their life by becoming a drug addict.

I'm not entirely comfortable with the situation the kids are in, MOO. As you pointed out, both McD and his sister who were raised in the same home, by the same parents, are troubled (to put it mildly). There is a root issue that lies with the parents, also MOO.

I am so confused. :waitasec:

I have reread my posts and I am not sure how anyone could have read them and thought that I was coming down on the adoption of the children or saying that drug addicts "have a choice." I feel like you are locked and loaded, looking for an argument.


When I read the Macon.com comments section, people were saying that McD's parents must have had to adopt those children because their daughter was an unfit mother.
In response the Aunt was saying "you don't know what you are talking about." I had heard rumors that McD's sister was in and out of prison. After reading the Aunt's comments, I was starting to think that the sister might have been a good parent, but developed MS or was in a car accident. When it came out that she WAS a crack addict, the Aunt lost credibility with me. Bottom line, McD's parents adopted the children because she was an unfit mother.

However, equating crack-cocaine addiction to MS strikes a nerve with me.

PM me and I will give you the number of my co-worker who had to let his parents take his son when his wife was on a trache and vent and dying of MS in her early 40's. I am just warning you, he may not be real receptive to the idea that McD's sister's situation is EXACTLY the same.

After you finish up with him, I will give you my mother's phone number and let you explain to her how the Parkinson's Disease that she suffers from, as well as her mother and her grandmother suffered from is EXACTLY the same as a crack addiction.

BTW, my mom just retired from her FULL TIME JOB with Parkinson's at AGE 72. She literally had 3 YEARS of sick leave because she did not miss work due to her illness.
She hasn't been in and out of prison due to her Parkinson's and there is no 12 Step Progam or rehab to help her.

 

[GypsiesTramps&Thieves]

about what I bolded in your post above:

Glad you posted this. This is the way I have also tended to view SM. And could very well be the same with his father, though I hesitate to try to read too much into statements posted once on one web page.

I do think, though, that whatever (maybe shaky) self-esteem Stephen has had may have been very much bound up with his intellect/educational achievements, since those are areas he seems to have done rather well in. Which brings me to something I've been wondering about: How much do we know about what Stephen's plans for the immediate future were? Of course there was the upcoming bar exam, and then, in this article...

link: http://www.macon.com/2011/07/15/1632018/mom-asked-mcdaniel-if-relationship.html#ixzz1S90zzBIe

...I found this: (quote) "He hoped to get a job as a prosecutor, and he was pursuing job opportunities, his mother said in a phone interview Thursday."

Do we know anything beyond this? Was he planning to leave Macon or stay ... perhaps even at Barristers Hall? (Was his lease also about to end -- seems like I had gathered so, but can't find the statements to back this.)

I think part of what may have led to any decompensation --and it could have been toward uninhibiting him toward already-present murderous impulses or could be psychotic or disassociative, IMO -- may have been not just the prospect of "losing" Lauren, but also or instead the prospect of the time of academia ending and the "real world" looming. Seems like there have been some comments here and there (don't have the examples right at hand) that Stephen seemed to some to have "changed" somewhat recently.

I've been sick for a couple of days and haven't felt up to posting, but I have tried a couple of times to read through the accumulating posts so that I wouldn't be totally behind the times here. There have been some interesting topics and insightful comments. (Also, I see, a spate of new verifications! Whew, talk about blows to the self-esteem!! lol I better get expertly proficient at something really fast...!!)

If he did commit this murder, I find it incredibly intriguing that he'd wanted to be a prosecutor! Lawyers who are passionate about making sure violent offenders pay for their crime.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that he had probably NOT been interviewing, at least with any DA's offices. I think his career service advisors at the law school would have INSISTED he cut his hair if he had been interviewing over the summer. I don't judge anyone on appearance and don't get me wrong, I kind of dig dudes with long hair but in the law profession, I think it's sort of understood that you must look as neat and professional as possible while pursuing your first job. "Long-haired, freaky people need not apply." But once you have the job and the clout, that's a different story.

 

[tomkat]

To go along with TomKat's.

Based on my personal experience - similarity to McD's situation is debatable of course - there is a big difference between feeling like a reject in high school and feeling like a reject in college/grad school. I had few to no close friends in h.s. The only way I survived was by constantly looking forward to escaping all of the people whom I saw as my critics, even my persecutors, and going to college and grad school where I could be with other people who actually cared about the world beyond their hateful little cliques and narrow-minded religion. Fortunately, when I got to college and later to grad school, it really happened. I really found friends that I could have intelligent conversations with, but still joke around with and talk about personal stuff. Suddenly it seemed like my peers agreed with what my therapist had been telling me for years - I was smart, funny, attractive, and worth people's time! :great: I do not know how to explain how great that is! I don't know what I would've done if I'd gone to the university and become isolated all over again. I really don't know if I could've handled it. In fact I spent some time in an institution not long before I left for college because I was so terrified that this would happen! When you're so far along in your education, you can't ignore the isolation any longer. Your classmates, professors, and mentors are not just people you can abandon. They are your network, your key to the life you've been slaving for. They are the people who supposedly share your passion, the thing you want to make your life's work. If you can't feel "in" with them, then with whom?!

Addressing the bold; exactly how I wonder he might have felt. I dont' know what/how those with personality disorders act out. But H.S is sometimes a cruel joke, and......they say you find your closest friends in college or atleast once we move past high school. We find those we relate to and most are mature about things by this age. (not all!) I can't IMAGINE as you said, being rejected/isolated all over again AND not have your family support there for you. Which brings all the separation he may have felt and fondness of the victim into play here I suppose! Glad you realized you're a great person!:great: I guess we need to remember; we're all innocent until proven guilty however.

 

[tomkat]

Hi all. I've been reading along but haven't had the time to post! Everyone's thoughts and knowledge have been really impressive and interesting though, just wanted to say I've enjoyed reading.

One thing that struck me as odd when I was reading Macon.com the other day was that LG had a door brace in her apartment. I know I have lived on my own in NYC for 10 years, occasionally in some pretty rough neighborhoods and have never owned, or known anyone to own, a door brace. Of course this could be normal for LG but it struck me as a bit hypervigilant and made me wonder if perhaps she thought someone was entering her apt without her knowledge, making her feel unsafe at night. Also made me wonder if when she thought someone tried to break in Thursday night that had been McD, who himself haas been surprised there was a door brace as it was something she had recently purchased. Lastly(!) I wonder if he had both a copy of the master key and her own key because she had recently changed her locks.

I know this is much speculation from just a door brace, but it struck me as a very odd thing for someone in their 20s to have and I know the quote regarding it was from McD himself, stating he saw it by her front door and it just seemed very detailed for him to mention something like that.

That's interesting. However, it IS MACON. But I had read something in the article with her parents interview and they just seemed to all LOVE Macon! Like it was the greatest place. I'm not fond of it at all except for the historical aspect, but I would have braces on windows, doors ANYTHING if I lived there. But for them to be so in love with it, seems there was no fear when I read that COUPLED with the fact that LG seemed so naive and trusting from what others and articles seem to imply, yes, then why the brace?

But I did think that whomever tried to enter/break in, if they did and that email was truely from LG, then they probably couldnt' get in becuase of it at the time. ANd if it was SMcD who tried to break in on that Thurs prior and coudlnt' because the door was barred, he'd have realized it then, he would notice that bar later and comment, someone else may just notice the bar but not mention it. But the fact that it wasn't barring the door, could mean she let someone in that night. (of course she may not have set it yet either)

 

[GypsiesTramps&Thieves]

It's possible McD did try to break in that Thursday night (or even just tried to do a test run). He may have realized he would not easily be getting in her apartment in the middle of the night, due to the door brace, so found a more inconspicuous time. If she went for a run that Sunday morning, I doubt she would have placed the door brace back when she returned home; that would have made it easy for McD to follow her in.

I think he probably did try to break in Thursday night; perhaps that's even the night he'd planned to do it all along. What are the odds that someone (a Macon hoodlum, if you will) would try to break in three nights before someone else actually does and murder her?

Maybe he tried to unlock the door and discovered he couldn't because of the jam, then he locks the door back but the jam was moved slightly leading her to think someone tried to break in? But I guess I would think that she would have called the police to report it. We know she had called them twice before while living there for other instances.

I had a thought this morning when I heard my neighbor's shower come on through the wall. I've been in one apt. at BH that was on the right side if looking at the doors (like SM's). I remember that the bathroom was on the left of the unit, most likely sharing the wall with the neighbor's bathroom if the layouts are flipped. What if he could hear her shower come on? Maybe she only used the door jam when she started to go to bed. He knew he could try the door and if it unlocked, he could slip in without her hearing him and she'd be backed into a corner so to speak if she were in the shower. Also, if the attack got messy, the bathroom is easier to clean and blood would go down the drain. Just a thought, of course....

 

[tomkat]

I am so confused. :waitasec:

I have reread my posts and I am not sure how anyone could have read them and thought that I was coming down on the adoption of the children or saying that drug addicts "have a choice." I feel like you are locked and loaded, looking for an argument.


When I read the Macon.com comments section, people were saying that McD's parents must have had to adopt those children because their daughter was an unfit mother.
In response the Aunt was saying "you don't know what you are talking about." I had heard rumors that McD's sister was in and out of prison. After reading the Aunt's comments, I was starting to think that the sister might have been a good parent, but developed MS or was in a car accident. When it came out that she WAS a crack addict, the Aunt lost credibility with me. Bottom line, McD's parents adopted the children because she was an unfit mother.

However, equating crack-cocaine addiction to MS strikes a nerve with me.

PM me and I will give you the number of my co-worker who had to let his parents take his son when his wife was on a trache and vent and dying of MS in her early 40's. I am just warning you, he may not be real receptive to the idea that McD's sister's situation is EXACTLY the same.

After you finish up with him, I will give you my mother's phone number and let you explain to her how the Parkinson's Disease that she suffers from, as well as her mother and her grandmother suffered from is EXACTLY the same as a crack addiction.

BTW, my mom just retired from her FULL TIME JOB with Parkinson's at AGE 72. She literally had 3 YEARS of sick leave because she did not miss work due to her illness.
She hasn't been in and out of prison due to her Parkinson's and there is no 12 Step Progam or rehab to help her.

Knox wrote : I think it's rare that someone makes a conscious, rational decision to ruin their life by becoming a drug addict.

I didnt' get that from you Shivers.

Also, Yes, addressing the bold........ I think they do, but then it's no longer their choice after that, it owns you, But they do make that choice initially, you dont' all come back from it, ........but this is getting off forum topic possibly.

 

[Givsmetheshivers]

Hi all. I've been reading along but haven't had the time to post! Everyone's thoughts and knowledge have been really impressive and interesting though, just wanted to say I've enjoyed reading.

One thing that struck me as odd when I was reading Macon.com the other day was that LG had a door brace in her apartment. I know I have lived on my own in NYC for 10 years, occasionally in some pretty rough neighborhoods and have never owned, or known anyone to own, a door brace. Of course this could be normal for LG but it struck me as a bit hypervigilant and made me wonder if perhaps she thought someone was entering her apt without her knowledge, making her feel unsafe at night. Also made me wonder if when she thought someone tried to break in Thursday night that had been McD, who himself haas been surprised there was a door brace as it was something she had recently purchased. Lastly(!) I wonder if he had both a copy of the master key and her own key because she had recently changed her locks.

I know this is much speculation from just a door brace, but it struck me as a very odd thing for someone in their 20s to have and I know the quote regarding it was from McD himself, stating he saw it by her front door and it just seemed very detailed for him to mention something like that.

GREAT POST :rocker: I guess I never considered how serious it was that she had the door brace in the first place.

 

[PlainJaneDoe]

Addressing the bold; exactly how I wonder he might have felt. I dont' know what/how those with personality disorders act out. But H.S is sometimes a cruel joke, and......they say you find your closest friends in college or atleast once we move past high school. We find those we relate to and most are mature about things by this age. (not all!) I can't IMAGINE as you said, being rejected/isolated all over again AND not have your family support there for you. Which brings all the separation he may have felt and fondness of the victim into play here I suppose! Glad you realized you're a great person!:great: I guess we need to remember; we're all innocent until proven guilty however.

Yes, I didn't really think about this as I was writing, but the family thing is so important for a lot of people. Some people are very close to their family, even to the point that it seems like it is their tight-knit family standing together against the big world. Not saying that McD's family necessarily was like that, but it does seem like he was close with them. Some posters have alluded to his mom as a strong influence or a strong personality, and it made me wonder how comfortable he was keeping a child's role with her as opposed to being his own boss or anchor. I wondered about this too in connection with his apparent preference for being a "worker bee" instead of a leader in school activities. Did he take on this role because he was truly comfortable and felt safe in it? Or was it a matter of necessity (the only role that felt safe but not enjoyable) that he resented?

 

[MaconMom]

That's interesting. However, it IS MACON. But I had read something in the article with her parents interview and they just seemed to all LOVE Macon! Like it was the greatest place. I'm not fond of it at all except for the historical aspect, but I would have braces on windows, doors ANYTHING if I lived there. But for them to be so in love with it, seems there was no fear when I read that COUPLED with the fact that LG seemed so naive and trusting from what others and articles seem to imply, yes, then why the brace?

Agree.. NancySleuth I dont know if you're a local, but I wonder if most people who don't live in or near Macon realize how bad the area is. Sure, there are nice parts of the city, just like anywhere else, but in general it's not the safest place in the world. Within the past year it's been in the list of the most dangerous cities in the US, and I'm sure it's been in other lists before that. I don't remember the exact ranking (and it probably varies depending on how they determine "most violent") but I did a quick Google search and found this:

http://www.morganquitno.com/cit07pop.htm
Macon ranks 8th on the most dangerous cities of 75,000-99,999 people
New York, NY ranks 4th on the safest 10 cities of 500,000 people or more

Just because a city is small doesn't mean it's safe.

But, like TomKat said, if her parents liked the area and Lauren felt safe here, I don't know why she had a door brace. The only thing I can think is maybe her parents got it for her so they would feel better about her living on her own.

 

[GypsiesTramps&Thieves]

Agree.. NancySleuth I dont know if you're a local, but I wonder if most people who don't live in or near Macon realize how bad the area is. Sure, there are nice parts of the city, just like anywhere else, but in general it's not the safest place in the world. Within the past year it's been in the list of the most dangerous cities in the US, and I'm sure it's been in other lists before that. I don't remember the exact ranking (and it probably varies depending on how they determine "most violent") but I did a quick Google search and found this:

http://www.morganquitno.com/cit07pop.htm
Macon ranks 8th on the most dangerous cities of 75,000-99,999 people
New York, NY ranks 4th on the safest 10 cities of 500,000 people or more

Just because a city is small doesn't mean it's safe.

But, like TomKat said, if her parents liked the area and Lauren felt safe here, I don't know why she had a door brace. The only thing I can think is maybe her parents got it for her so they would feel better about her living on her own.

I've never felt unsafe in Macon but you guys are all right, it can be a dangerous city. Even in the area around the law school, bordering downtown, for every three nice houses you see, there's one that is run down and abandoned and you wonder if someone could be squatting. It's not uncommon to see a homeless person or "unsavory" walking down the street. I've even heard that homeless people frequent the park area in front of the law school at night.

Also, I know that a car was stolen from BH back in the spring. Pretty brazen criminals. Perhaps that's when Lauren decided to get a door jam.

 

[noZme]

I am so confused. :waitasec:

I have reread my posts and I am not sure how anyone could have read them and thought that I was coming down on the adoption of the children or saying that drug addicts "have a choice." I feel like you are locked and loaded, looking for an argument.


When I read the Macon.com comments section, people were saying that McD's parents must have had to adopt those children because their daughter was an unfit mother.
In response the Aunt was saying "you don't know what you are talking about." I had heard rumors that McD's sister was in and out of prison. After reading the Aunt's comments, I was starting to think that the sister might have been a good parent, but developed MS or was in a car accident. When it came out that she WAS a crack addict, the Aunt lost credibility with me. Bottom line, McD's parents adopted the children because she was an unfit mother.

However, equating crack-cocaine addiction to MS strikes a nerve with me.

PM me and I will give you the number of my co-worker who had to let his parents take his son when his wife was on a trache and vent and dying of MS in her early 40's. I am just warning you, he may not be real receptive to the idea that McD's sister's situation is EXACTLY the same.

After you finish up with him, I will give you my mother's phone number and let you explain to her how the Parkinson's Disease that she suffers from, as well as her mother and her grandmother suffered from is EXACTLY the same as a crack addiction.

BTW, my mom just retired from her FULL TIME JOB with Parkinson's at AGE 72. She literally had 3 YEARS of sick leave because she did not miss work due to her illness.
She hasn't been in and out of prison due to her Parkinson's and there is no 12 Step Progam or rehab to help her.

I totally get what you are saying. Alcoholism & addictions to illegal drugs are termed "disease" but one who suffers these maladies has at some time chosen to drink or drug. One who has no prior knowledge their body's reaction will result in addiction does not equate to another who develops an organic disease..... This is a very simplified statement on a topic that would be hotly debated in it's own WS thread & I suppose that is where it should be taken.

Your mother must be an amazing woman... I admire her spunk & hope she enjoys retirement! My best to both of you.