NY - Christian Nunez, 8 wks, suffocates in rat-infested Bronx apt, 29 Jan 2007

[Boyzmomee]

jbean, i knew you knew that, that was just my sarcastic voice tongue-in-cheek voice there .. (sarcasm directed at the slumlords, because i hate them so much.)


i don't believe you need a degree to have a worthy (or lucrative) life-- but it sure helps, and my primary reason for refusing to have a kid without a degree is because if i got left high & dry by the man in my life, i would not end up like my mom, stuck with an abisive guy she despised because she had no real skills & no way to really support herself. no way would i put a kid through that. if only all women would wait until they could support themselves before giving birth it would definitely be a better world.

Wow! I did the same thing. I wanted to be able to support my kids and walk out of a marriage if need be. My mother was in an unhappy marriage and I believe she stayed due to economic reasons.

 

[JBean]

jbean, i knew you knew that, that was just my sarcastic voice tongue-in-cheek voice there .. (sarcasm directed at the slumlords, because i hate them so much.)

boyz,, glad to hear you are pro-choice... that makes sense with what you said. i for one would have never brought a kid into the world when i lived in a horrible & dangerous neighborhood (with lots of rats!), and was in a very bad place in my life... and yes, with no degree. when i was younger i was trying to be responsbile and do the right thing... but of course, some would condemn me for that!
i don't believe you need a degree to have a worthy (or lucrative) life-- but it sure helps, and my primary reason for refusing to have a kid without a degree is because if i got left high & dry by the man in my life, i would not end up like my mom, stuck with an abisive guy she despised because she had no real skills & no way to really support herself. no way would i put a kid through that. if only all women would wait until they could support themselves before giving birth it would definitely be a better world.

still.. we have to remember that the woman could have been in a better place in her life when the kid was born... for all we know she could have left an abusive husband, or he could have abandoned her (as so many men do)... she could have been an immigrant who moved here in search of a better life for her kid.. we just don't know. but... if she HAD been in that apt. for a long time, knew about the rat problem, and knew the landlord wasn't doing anything about it, and she was not making any effort to get out or get help from social services.. and STILL got pregnant and chose to have the kid, with no plans to move.. then i agree, that was irreposnsible.

I think you said it Reb..we just don't know. But all our speculatin' makes for good conversation

 

[Boyzmomee]

but the US is quickly becoming third world, faster than we would like to admit it.

Yes, this woman's tragedy is an example.


See y'all later. I get to go to some training on autism tomorrow-sensory deficits and dysregulation.

 

[reb]

don't it though..?!

 

[JBean]

don't it though..?!

yep it do.

 

[LionRun]

Holy !!!! Reb & I are in agreement on something!!! Quick!! Open the champagne!!

ROFLMAO julianne!:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: . Not only did I laugh hysterically at you post; but, you put the breaks on the tension convention aura of this thread--if only for a little while. Thanks for the laughs.

Sorry, I didn't read through all of the posts to see that the tone of this thread is quieter than when I read and posted this.

Lion

 

[reb]

didn't she though?? and now, darnit, i'm drunk.

 

[Jessiebell]

Sometimes, being born into a disadvantage gives a person the character to become something amazing. College is not the only place to learn.


Sometimes, a tragedy gives a person the character to do something amazing.
My heart goes out to this grieving mother. I hope she goes on to do something amazing.

 

[MissieMt]

Sometimes, being born into a disadvantage gives a person the character to become something amazing. College is not the only place to learn.


Sometimes, a tragedy gives a person the character to do something amazing.
My heart goes out to this grieving mother. I hope she goes on to do something amazing.

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
Ah, you are SO right! I have seen some amazing people come from some really crappy situations. On the same token I've seen some really crappy people come from amazing situations. I personally think that alot of these kids who live below the poverty level grow up to be druggies and have too many kids simply because A.) that's the only example of real life they've been given and B.) because they have been told by everyone all their lives that that is what they will become. But I have no degrees so this is all just a snippet of my theories.

 

[Dalilah]

Sometimes, being born into a disadvantage gives a person the character to become something amazing. College is not the only place to learn.


Sometimes, a tragedy gives a person the character to do something amazing.
My heart goes out to this grieving mother. I hope she goes on to do something amazing.

Well said. Very well said.

 

[JBean]

Sometimes, being born into a disadvantage gives a person the character to become something amazing. College is not the only place to learn.


Sometimes, a tragedy gives a person the character to do something amazing.
My heart goes out to this grieving mother. I hope she goes on to do something amazing.

This is really true. I have seen it many times.

 

[Linda7NJ]

Sure I go there, but I'm going to make darn sure my kids aren't the ones working behind the counter. We're supposed to make sure our kids do BETTER than we did. If I can put myself through law school, I expect an awful lot from my kids. Part of that means I'm willing to pay for them to get into the best schools that they can get into. Also a part of that is that I left my job in order to stay home and ensure that they're getting all they can from school, the community, voluntering around the community and playing all the sports they want. But I'll tell you one thing, if I was living in a rat infested crap fest of an apartment, there's no damn way I'm bringing a helpless baby into that mix. I care about them that much.

BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:clap:

 

[Linda7NJ]

I just want to say that "success" is measured differently to everyone. I've known people who've come from "wonderful" families, went to the best colleges & received their degree, got fantastic, high-level jobs & ended up miserable, dissatisfied, unstable, despressed and lonely people who basically hated their lives. I've also known people who have come from hard-knocks and had struggles, graduated from high school only, worked in a grocery store or other "menial" job and are happy, fulfilled, satisfied and have created loving, happy families who wouldn't change their circumstances for nothing. While a college degree can make you more money, and thus "happier" for some, it's certainly no guarantee.

I know college graduates who work those so-called "menial" jobs, to which our infrastructure depends on. I also know high school graduates who have secured themselves some posh, high-ranking corporate positions.
We all measure success and the things we value differently. It is what it is. I don't hope for a fantastic title for my kids when they grow up---what I hope for them is that create healthy, happy & satisfied lives and loving families for themselves. That's all.

As long as my kids live a blissfully happy life, I don't care if a high school diploma or college degree is hanging on the wall.

One thing success is NOT...living in a rat infested apartment & smothering your baby to protect him from the real possibility the rats may EAT him.

 

[Linda7NJ]

obviously if there was a bad rat problem, this woman should have found a way to get her & her child the hell out of there. but like i said in big cities, rats are very common. we don't know what this woman's story was or how hard she was trying to get out of this situation (if she was). obviously she was making an effort to protect her child. we have to remember that kids often get suffocated while sleeping with a parent, no matter what the scenario.. it can happen just as easily in an upper-class home without rats.

geez, if people who lived around around rats, roaches, vermin, or in less-than ideal circumstances.. never had kids, then that would probably be about 80% of humanity! however i DO understand that women should be responsible and not bring a kid into a bad situation, if they can avoid it... but again.. that means the overwhelming majority of humanity should not be breeding, since there are billions living in poverty, war zones, and in situations most americans would think are unsafe or unsanitary.
maybe only nice, comfortable, upper-class people with a university degree & 2 SUV's, living in the nice, sterile, safe, clean, culturally-devoid suburbs; both making at least $75K a year should be allowed to have children. and everyone else should be sterilized..............??

Look, if a person hasn't the means to care for themselves, let alone a baby, I think they shouldn't be breeding like RATS.

 

[Linda7NJ]

I sent my kids to college and I also had a terrible rat infestation problem. Once they get in, they are very very difficult to get rid of. the bigger the home the more places they can get in. I was catching them 5 and 6 at a time. It tooks us months and months to finally get rid of them.
I HATE RATS. But they are defintiely here where I live. My gf just had to move out of her gorgeous seaside condo because the rats were destroying it. Rats don't discriminate, they are equal opportunity pests and they will live anywhere, even in really nice homes. Doesn't make the owners bad parents.

I used to have a horse ranch and yes we had rats in the barn that wasn't too far from the house. Yes, the barn had a few very fat rats, they were fat cause I'd always leave a bowl of horse sweet feed out for em & a bowl of fresh water. The cats found them easier to catch that way and thought they were rather tasty.

BTW My son now has pet rats...let me tell you something......... Rats are EXCELLENT mothers.

 

[Linda7NJ]

I hope the mother gets an attorney and sues the landlord for criminal negligence resulting in death. This is one of the (rare) cases where punitive damages are justified. He was cited 380 times... at that one building! I understand there are rats no matter where you go and that it's not the easiest thing in the world, but 380 times!!! The mind just boggles. I'm not familiar with NY civil litigation procedures and the mother is more than 50% at fault (which in PA, you can't sue under those circumstances) but still... the landlord should be paying somehow for this.

Sure she should sue him.:boohoo:
While we're at it, let's put all of those poor people up at the Hilton with our tax dollars!

 

[Linda7NJ]

a neighbor says:


"I've known Gladys for 10 years and she's one of the best moms around here," Robles' neighbor Susan Walker told WCBS. "She cares for her children so much. She does everything. They always have the best of everything, the best care."

Robles' neighbors came to her defense, saying leaving a baby alone in a crib was too risky.

“I can't blame her,” said Analys Cedeno. “She didn't want the boy to get bit.”

Children? So just how many did she have? I thinnk she should have found suitable housing before having yet another child.

 

[Linda7NJ]

Boyz, I understand that,but he wasn't bitten because she was protecting him. I am not debating consequences of being bitten? I am onyl sayng he wasn't bitten because she was protecting him.

She "protected" him to DEATH!:banghead:

 

[Masterj]

Children? So just how many did she have? I thinnk she should have found suitable housing before having yet another child.

You are being awfully presumptuous. We know NOTHING about her life outside of this horrible tragedy. We don't know what her circumstances are - maybe she was married and her husband left her alone the kids and no child support. Stop assuming she had the CHOICE to move. I think it is pathetic how people are jumping all over this mother for this ACCIDENT and no one is even discussing the father. Where is he in all of this?

 

[LionRun]

You are being awfully presumptuous. We know NOTHING about her life outside of this horrible tragedy. We don't know what her circumstances are - maybe she was married and her husband left her alone the kids and no child support. Stop assuming she had the CHOICE to move. I think it is pathetic how people are jumping all over this mother for this ACCIDENT and no one is even discussing the father. Where is he in all of this?

I have found so far in my short membership here that our posters usually show great compassion for victims. I've also seen that we tend to jump on anyone who we believed have done wrong and or who have hurt others. Maybe the story of this woman and her child induces conflict as a result. But, please posters, let's stop being negative towards each other; it defeats our purpose.

We are all individuals with varying opinions on how to raise children and what is most important. Perhaps because there are so many good and caring people with strong values on this forum, our feelings intensify when we hear of a tragic case of the death of an innocent little child. Please folks, let's come together more as a group and show respect for each other.

Lion