Interesting that in both cases, the link of the parent or grandparent to drugs/organized crime/political scoundrels has been reported. Parents need to be positive rolemodels. I am certainly going to do my part.

The problem is when the parent is an innocent witness. We don't know about Cole's mom but it is certainly a possibility that she did not know or she chose to ignore the crimes around her, thinking that would be the best way to protect her son.... until the criminals literally knocked on her door... dressed as cops, no less. The line between the good guys and the bad guys is blurring of late. Life is not black and white... night and day.... moon and sun. Identities merge into one. If you live a life of good or a life of bad long enough, does it take over?

Can I really trust someone who tried to commit a crime, but then "changed his mind" and wants to be our guardian angel? Can a criminal go good? Can I trust that? I want to believe that people are good. I need to believe that. But reality keeps knocking.... actually... I think it's knocking right now! Gotta go! Later!

Las Vegas Clark County is the largest meth/drug users in NV? I read something a few months back that drug arrests were down and that the meth trade was slowing in the Vegaas area? Does anyone know the real facts? That's one of the reasons I relocated here from "Meth Valley" in NY. I thought my cildren would be safe. Guess no one is safe. Guess we should look when we hear a
scream, or tires screeching, and if we do see something,we should call 911. I wonder - if police had more info from witnesses sooner, would the Amber Alert have gone out sooner? And would Cole have been found sooner? They say he is healthy and in good spirits, but what a life long memory for any child to bear! Poor boy - my thoughts and prayers are with you, Cole, and with you CC. Adults don't forget either.

We should be careful not to assume. Have you ever heard the saying, "if you assume you make an A** out of U and ME".... So I try to never ASS/U/ME. Please. I hate to think of any mother being involved or being the direct cause of something like this.

Have they had any luck tracking down the culprits? It certainly makes me nervous -

Kidnappings by drug cartels are not a political statement about our US leaders, guys. They are a statement about our society. Too often we look the other way when drug dealing enters our community. We don't want to get involved. We don't want to get hurt. Yet the ripple effect affects us all... and now our children have become the targets. First the dealers try to peddle drugs and poisons to them, then they try to use our children as collateral to send a message of fear and intimidation to the adults. They are not just dealers, they meet the definition of terrorists.

If enough citizens stand up and speak out, I think we can make a difference. If not - well, wasn't it the Isreali gov't that discovered an effective way to deal with terrorists after the incident at the Olympics? Hmmmm....

Thank you to everyone who helped pass the message and ultimately "spook" the kidnappers into releasing Cole safely. As the nearby mother of 2 little ones, it reminds me how precious our children are. It is terrifying to think of all the what if's that could cause them harm... now we have to add kidnappings by drug cartels to our nightmare scenarios. For those of us - like Cole's mom- in a wrong place family, or a wrong place moment (like just walking across a parking lot as a drug crime goes down) - we have to figure out how to keep the innocents safe. If everyone took a stand and got involved, like so many did this week, perhaps we could make a difference. Perhaps taking a stand -instead of hiding in the desert- is the only way to keep our children safe. I, for one, have chosen to take a stand against drugs. They hurt too many people. If any good can come of Cole's tragic experience, then maybe it's the "aha" moment in which I finally realized what my dear friends Brad and Kirsten and Kathy have been saying. It is time to stop hiding and start speaking out for what is right. If I can do it, so can you!