Home > Gwinnett > Rick Badie / My Opinion > Archives > 2008 > September > 13 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.US‘Safety zone’ doesn’t feel very safe
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The girls were playing on a hill. Their mother was near the batting cages, waiting for softball practice to start. Her two daughters were in plain sight, near the edge of a clump of trees.
Apparently, that’s where the stranger was hiding and waiting.
Robert Davis didn’t know what to think when his 10-year-old daughter approached him. Softball practice was about to begin at Collins Hill Park in Lawrenceville. Davis coaches the team that his daughters, ages 8 and 10, play on. Maybe she’d forgotten her glove, he reasoned.
No. She told him a man had jumped out from the stand of trees and tried to grab her. She’d screamed. Her 8-year-old sister had raced to her aid, and the man darted away.
Ask practically any father what he’d do if someone commits a horrific act against his child. The first thing many will say, often without hesitation, is that they’d flat-out kill the suspect. Davis has said as much. Yet when tragedy came close, he reacted differently.
“Your only reaction is, ‘My kid is safe. My kid is OK,’ ” he told me. “You don’t even think about chasing after the guy. When I talked to a police sergeant, he said everybody has that same reaction. He said he’s seen burly dads almost in tears because they didn’t even think about going after the suspect.”
The Davises reported the Aug. 19 incident to authorities. Gwinnett police recently released a sketch of the “person of interest.” No one has been apprehended in connection with the attempted kidnapping.
The family is trying to return to normal. Scars remain. Their 10-year-old daughter used to be the one willing to accompany younger kids to the restroom when they dined with friends in restaurants. No more.
“She’s getting better,” said her mom, Kimberly. “I hate this. It happened so fast, and they were within my sight.”
Call it a sign of times. A sad reality.
Davis almost sounds apologetic when he talks about what it was like in his own childhood, as if the words are cliche. But the fruit his tale bears needs savoring. It puts current society in context. It makes all of us, but most of all parents, wonder what kind of world their kids will inherit.
“On Saturday mornings, I got up, fixed a bowl of cereal and was gone — off in the woods; down in the creek at the blackberry patch; riding my bike; at this friend’s house or that friend’s house,” he said. “And I thought nothing of it. Now it’s completely different.”
So different that parents stand guard as best they can, even though they can’t offer 24-7 protection. A few minutes is opportunity aplenty for someone up to no good. Just look at what happened to this Lawrenceville family. On that day in the park, walkers and joggers were passing by on the trail. People were everywhere.
“She could have thrown a baseball and hit a dozen different parents,” Davis said. “We have always been careful, but there were certain places we thought were OK. We always thought of the park as a safety zone. There is no way I could let my kids live the childhood I lived. And that’s what’s sad.”
Innocence lost.
Never a jaded topic.
Comments
By LB
September 13, 2008 9:43 AM | Link to this
It is unfortunate that people can’t enjoy parks and public outings anymore because of the fear of people doing bad things to kids. It’s almost to the point of needing restroom attendants even at little league games. Even though there can be no cameras in restrooms, it would not hurt to have some directly outside of restrooms to catch people just hanging there waiting on a victim. Wooded areas outside of ball parks now need high fences between the ball fields and the woods. My question is, why are there so many people who do these bad things now? I’m sure this has been said many times, but if punishment fit the crime a lot of this misbehavior would stop. Guess this type thing is standard for a generation of people who think punishment is cruel and unsusal.
By Turtle
September 13, 2008 11:47 AM | Link to this
There is nothing new under the sun.
When I was growing up, I personally knew three girls that were abducted (all unrelated incidents). And more friends were molested by family members than I care to think about.
Still, we went off on our bikes for hours at a time. My children do as well. You can’t live in fear all the time.
By reader
September 13, 2008 11:58 AM | Link to this
Glad to know the girls are okay. The sad thing is that bad people are everywhere and you cannot tell them apart from the good. You just never know who is watching. That is why a strong sense of community is needed. Did the park post a bulletin about this incident? People need to be aware of what is transpiring in their neighborhoods and parks…not to discourage people from coming, but for them to be on the lookout. So, if they see a suspicious character, they’ll report it.
Maybe it’s b/c my dad was a policeman, but we never went off to the restroom, anywhere, alone. We used the buddy system all of the time. If there was not someone who could go in with us, then the parent stayed just outside the door. I don’t think it’s necessary to scare people into thinking we need high tech security. Knowledge is power and parents, as well as kids, need to know what to do under certain circumstances, and should know what is going on around them.
By LT5000
September 13, 2008 5:02 PM | Link to this
Blubbering Badie does it again. He overlooked a rather salient fact about the attempted kidnapper.
He was Hispanic.
Undoubtedly one of our illegal friends we’ve become so accustomed to here in Gwinnett.
The suspect is described as a Hispanic man in his mid-30s with “funky” medium-length dark hair and a tattoo on his right shoulder.
You never get the facts from Blubbering Badie, His penned musings are useless.
LT5000
By LT5000
September 13, 2008 5:13 PM | Link to this
Also, it doesn’t seem Badie’s story adds up.
Blubbering Badie said:
Ask practically any father what he’d do if someone commits a horrific act against his child. The first thing many will say, often without hesitation, is that they’d flat-out kill the suspect. Davis has said as much. Yet when tragedy came close, he reacted differently.
From the AJC article:
“I am very angry with this person,” Davis said. “He has disrupted my family, and he’s disrupted our way of life. He didn’t physically hurt my daughter, but emotionally this is going to be something she is going to have to get over.”
Read the AJC article yourselves people and then compare it to Badie’s moronic musings. Two completely different stories, but I’ll take the AJC article over Badie anyday when I’m looking for the truth.
http://www.ajc.com/business/content/metro/gwinnett/stories/2008/08/29/kidnappingsuspectlawrenceville.html
LT5000 with the facts
By PI$$ on a Dawg
September 14, 2008 2:43 PM | Link to this
BADIE how come whites have tried to self-segergate and get schools and homes that they feel safe in, but the Trailer Trash, Getto PIMPS, and ILLEGALS keep moving to the NICE Neighborhoods, Parks, and Schools we worked so hard to produce? Personally, I would have walked to my car retrieved my .357 and proceeded into the woods to go HUNT’N for a PERV, but that is just the POS HATING FATHER that I am.
By JAMES MCCOY
September 14, 2008 5:53 PM | Link to this
Glad I moved from Georgia,reading the comments here let’s me know they truly have open the doors to the alsylum.LT 5000 really needs a girlfriend to get some relief!Or maybe a boyfriend to manhandled him?
By LT5000
September 14, 2008 7:47 PM | Link to this
McCoy,
Trust me Georgia doesn’t miss you. However, KY sales have dropped dramatically.
How’s San Francisco this time of year. I’m sure you and your “life partner” are enjoying the abundance of PNP parties.
Please come back and take some illegals with you.
LT5000
By Stan
September 15, 2008 9:44 AM | Link to this
More slow wit from LT…
LT, STFU already. or at least grow a little, bring it past the middle school level.
By Airborne
September 15, 2008 10:56 AM | Link to this
LT5000,what seems to be your problem?it makes no differance what race commits these acts,the point is that we as people should stop turning our heads and putting the blame on what race did what.If you want to put race in the picture,check out the statistics and see who commits most of these types of crime.Do you remember,Gacy,and others of his race.What race of people in this country has ever commited a crime so ugly that it goes down in history? Leave race out of it,until you research the real answer for the truth.What’s wrong with you man?
By LT5000
September 15, 2008 12:35 PM | Link to this
Airborne and Stan are right.
This hispanic guy was only trying to kidnap an 8 year old girl that an American was too lazy to kidnap. Si se puede.
Gwinnett Daily Post 11 September 2008
Grand jury: Crime up by illegals Group suggests educating immigrants on laws, customs
LAWRENCEVILLE - A grand jury panel said illegal immigrants appear to be committing a “disproportionate number” of crimes in Gwinnett.
Nope. No Racial component here. Airborne and Stan are so “open minded” that their brains are about to fall out.
Stan FU
LT5000
By charliejoe
September 15, 2008 1:11 PM | Link to this
LT is right…Mexicans are so used to growing up having sex with kids age 10-12 back home that they don’t think anything of it. And if you have ever talked to women who have been accosted and sleazily yelled at by gold-tooth-sporting greasy illegals who are rubbing their fat bellies with their shirt pulled up, you wouldn’t be surprised at the description of the suspect. Alot of the illegals are here running from stuff they did in Mexico. It’s a lot easier to run away from Mexico to here than vice versa. Because for some reason, we act like we WANT them to sneak in here… Oh, and everyone of you who benefits from illegal labor is guilty of aiding and abetting. Quit having them clean your houses, mow your lawns, and put up your sheetrock. Not a bad idea to refuse to hire anyone who doesn’t have a DL and can speak passable English. Now go get your f%#%ing shinebox, LT.
By LT5000
September 15, 2008 2:12 PM | Link to this
Whoa there charliejoe.
You just described my Friday and Saturday nights at the local QT in Norcross.
Now, if only someone could do something about those homeless in Atlanta. Other than putting donation boxes on the street. Heckuva a job Shirley.
Watch yourself Spitshine Charlie. Midtown’s a dangerous place.
http://t-shirts.cafepress.com/item/get-your-shine-box-fitted-tshirt/186363589
LT5000
By charliejoe
September 15, 2008 2:43 PM | Link to this
LT,
Let’s do a scumbag exchange program. We’ll transfer a few dozen homeless scum to Norcross and we’ll take a few dozen illegals down here. I have a feeling the illegals would get plenty of work from some of my neighbors who wouldn’t be able to get enough of the fresh-across-the-border, greasy uncut papis. And perhaps some of your more redneck neighbors could have a little word with the homeless panhandlers. I have a feeling there are a few more guys with gunracks in Norcross than at 10th & Piedmont. And I’ve heard a few folks up there have CCWs. And that, as Martha Stewart says, is a good thing. Viva la Norcross!
By What're you an idiot
September 15, 2008 9:11 PM | Link to this
Hey LT,
When is your next seminar on the robust US economy? Fortunately, the Republicans have John McCain ready to swoop in and save the day. Oh yeah, he said he doesn’t really understand the economy. Oh well, it won’t be much of a change from the Moron-in-Chief.
By LT5000
September 15, 2008 9:59 PM | Link to this
Idiot.
Being the fool that you are, you undoubtedly think the stock market is the economy. However, if you had completed high school, I’m sure you would know that the measure of the US economy is the GDP.
Care to show me the Recession, Idiot?
No matter what happens in the economy, I’m sure you’ll be fine in your Mommy’s basement.
LT5000
By What're you an idiot
September 15, 2008 10:12 PM | Link to this
Remain calm….all is well.
Remain calm…all is well.
keep repeating……
By What're you an idiot
September 15, 2008 10:29 PM | Link to this
Since you are an idiot you don’t realize that the falling stock market, rising commodity prices, crumbling the housing market, rising unemployment, the bankruptcy of one of the pillars of Wall ST, weakness of the dollar, failure of multiple banks are all indicators of the general strength of the economy regardless as to what the GDP wants you to believe.
By JaisPunishjoonigar
September 16, 2008 10:50 AM | Link to this
what did I warn you would happen if you deleted my posts again, Ricky? Oh boy you done it now. This blog is closed until further notice. Let the cyber attacks begin.
By EvilJais
September 16, 2008 12:03 PM | Link to this
Ricky…Ricky, Ricky Ricky. When are we gonna learn you, boy?
Well folks, just to let you know Rick’s blog is down till further notice. It will continue to be torn down by cyber attacks every single time the dumb democrat-scocialist tries to cover-up or stifle any comments he can’t handle. This is scocialism and it will not be tolerated.
Rick- I challenge you to speak up, for all the actions you take none are american. Until you do I have the power to kill your blog in less than fifteen minutes just like today. For every comment of mine you delete, one of your blogs will come down. This is a promise.
Eye for an eye, negro. You silence me, I silence you. You hurl propoganda upon us, I hurl it back.
again- do not attempt to silence anything on a blog, period. (.) Starting to get the picture?
By Jais you're a dope
September 16, 2008 12:31 PM | Link to this
Jais, what happened? I thought you were going to bring this Blog to its knees?
By Cindy
September 16, 2008 1:02 PM | Link to this
Blogs have knees?
By Huh?
September 16, 2008 1:09 PM | Link to this
Jais is on his knees?
By Her Mommy
September 16, 2008 1:14 PM | Link to this
I am this little girls mother that this article is about, and I have to say that I am very disgusted at some of the comments I have read here. First of all, Badie is the first journalist to actually get the facts straight. There have been many articles written since the incident, and all of them were incorrect in one way or another. Secondly, we are not positive on the actual race of the perv that did this. We do know that he is tanned, either tanned caucasion, hispanic, or maybe even a mix of something. There is a sketch that my daughter has helped put together and I am hoping this man will be caught. Not only for my daughter’s sake, but for the sake of all the unsuspecting children out there. I DON’T think that’s going to happen by bashing each other over a newspaper article. Most of these people that have commented here don’t truly care about what the article was about. They think it’s about politics or race, but this article is about a little 10 year old girl who was almost taken from her family by a stranger in a place that she has always felt safe. This is about a little girl that is now scared to leave her mothers side just to go to the restroom or to play with her friends. I don’t let my children go off by themselves at the park. She was playing with her little sister only a few yards from me. They were within my sight, and this man jumped out of the woods and took away all security my little girl had. That’s what this is about.
Mr. Badie, I thank you for your article. It was the most well written and correct article so far in regards to the attempted kidnapping of my daughter and I appreciate all the hard work you put into it.
Thank you!
By Robert Davis
September 16, 2008 2:37 PM | Link to this
My name is Robert Davis and I am the father of the girls Enough is enough.
This is neither a political or a racial forum. The “hispanic” description was my daughter’s way of describing a skin color. To her she only knows four types of races: white, black, hispanic, and oriental. Her actual original description to the police was dark tanned or hispanic. As for the description of how you would react and a level of anger, I am very well trained in doing what needs to be done and did not need to go to my truck and retrieve a pistol to “go huntin’”. When it happened, my only care in the world was that my daughter was OK. After the fact I have become very angry at this coward and what he could have done and his greatest chance is for the police to catch him before I do. As with any news story, the version that was in the Gwinnett Daily, and both versions in the AJC all vary slightly and also vary from the versions that appeared on the news channels. I credit this to reporters sometimes mis-understanding what was said or mis-interpreting the facts. I try not to be racist nor do I raise my children to be. My daughter’s description of “hispanic” was more of a skin color description than a race description.
“FACTS” 1. There was an attempted abduction on my daughter. 2. She was not seriously harmed. 3. The coward is still at large. 4. If I catch him……..
By Robert Davis
September 16, 2008 2:49 PM | Link to this
My name is Robert Davis and I am the father of the girls Enough is enough.
This is neither a political or a racial forum. The “hispanic” description was my daughter’s way of describing a skin color. To her she only knows four types of races: white, black, hispanic, and oriental. Her actual original description to the police was dark tanned or hispanic. As for the description of how you would react and a level of anger, I am very well trained in doing what needs to be done and did not need to go to my truck and retrieve a pistol to “go huntin’”. When it happened, my only care in the world was that my daughter was OK. After the fact I have become very angry at this coward and what he could have done and his greatest chance is for the police to catch him before I do. As with any news story, the version that was in the Gwinnett Daily, and both versions in the AJC all vary slightly and also vary from the versions that appeared on the news channels. I credit this to reporters sometimes mis-understanding what was said or mis-interpreting the facts. I try not to be racist nor do I raise my children to be. My daughter’s description of “hispanic” was more of a skin color description than a race description.
“FACTS” 1. There was an attempted abduction on my daughter. 2. She was not seriously harmed. 3. The coward is still at large. 4. If I catch him……..
By JaisCANNOTBESTOPPED
September 16, 2008 2:58 PM | Link to this
FACT: He was a beaner HOOOOO how much money you wanna bet me he’s an illegal, too.
By Jais you're a dope
September 16, 2008 3:04 PM | Link to this
This Blog seems to be working fine Einstein.
You are not much of a jihadist, Jais. Just a garden variety loser.
By Cindy
September 16, 2008 3:13 PM | Link to this
Mr. and Mrs. Davis,
With all due respect, try to not downplay the description your daughter gave. If you try to negate what she described, just to be politically correct and not hurt anyone’s feelings, you’ll make it nearly impossible to correctly identify him if he is ever found and questioned.
Secondly, our sheriff is beating his head against the wall trying to protect us. He faces a huge problem; illegal immigrants and the crimes they commit. Unfortunately, it’s not limited to DUI’s and driving without a license. Remember the young teenager in Snellville who was raped at her own house a month or so back? Commend Badie for writing the article as you deem accurate, but I just wanted you to realize and understand why the people on this blog are cynical about illegal immigrants and the crimes in our county.
That being said, I am SOOO glad your daughters are safe.
By Regular Joe
September 16, 2008 6:28 PM | Link to this
“I just wanted you to realize and understand why the people on this blog are cynical about illegal immigrants and the crimes in our county.”
People may be be cynical about illegal immigrants and the crimes in our county, however it does not excuse some of the crap written on this blog. I would defer to the parents, they are the ones who are feeling the most pain.
If they say that Badie wrote a fair article, then he wrote a fair article.
By Cindy
September 16, 2008 8:21 PM | Link to this
Regular Joe, I only wanted to point out to the parents that those type of comments are not “this-blog” specific; they’re commonplace here. In other words, this blog was not the exception.
Since they probably came here to check up on the remarks made in reference to their situation, the regular feel of the blog wouldn’t be apparent to them.
Wherever/whenever you have a gathering of anonymous people, you have the potential for people to pop off their mouths.
By Jais
September 17, 2008 10:44 AM | Link to this
Yeah, there’s a lot of bad things going on with hispanics right now, our ecenomy hasn’t grown much because democrats let them stay in the country and feed on our blood.
By dog
September 17, 2008 1:35 PM | Link to this
jais,
you’re a friggin’ moron.
By LT5000
September 17, 2008 1:51 PM | Link to this
Mr. Davis et al
Today’s Illegal Immigrant News
Federal authorities today announced the widespread arrests of leaders of a highly potent and violent Mexican drug ring known as the “Gulf Cartel” which allegedly used the Atlanta area as an important base of its worldwide operations.
In the metro area, authorities arrested 43 alleged members of the cartel over the past two days and seized more than $400,000 in cash and large quantities of narcotics.
Yep. Just hard working “undocumented workers”, like the one that tried to kidnap Mr. Davis’s daughter.
Badie, go on a diet. Then you could squeeze into a squad car and do a Police Ride-along.
LT5000
By Cindy
September 17, 2008 2:17 PM | Link to this
Aww man…you beat me to it LT…I got on here to post a reference to that same story.
By jais you dope
September 17, 2008 2:51 PM | Link to this
bush and mccain were the ones who kept the illegals here.
By jais you dope
September 17, 2008 2:51 PM | Link to this
bush and mccain were the ones who kept the illegals here.
By vote Barr
September 17, 2008 2:58 PM | Link to this
The friggin Republicans are just as bad as the liberals. They sold out.
Vote 4 Barr!
By Barr '06
September 17, 2008 3:38 PM | Link to this
You damn right.
By CyberPower
September 18, 2008 11:22 AM | Link to this
Rick, don’t let Jais win. Delete his a$$ every time he posts.
By Airborne
September 23, 2008 8:31 AM | Link to this
Jais,read your history,remember the native americans were here first,and you just took there land and tried to change there way of life.Who do you and people like think you are telling someone that they are illegal immigrants.Where did you come from,and what crimes were commited in your homeland.You took Texas away from the Mexicans,you took all the land from the Native Americans who are true americans, you sold humans like they were cattle,you raped slaves,your crimes against other races are documented,so who are you to say that Mexicans,and other races that you think don’t fit in to the american way of life are perfect.crimes are commited by all races,it’s just that a certain race of people that commit the same types of crimes are not really reported,check your history and see how much you’ve gotten away with.Yes i have an open mind,and if you don’t like what’s happening go back to where your ancestors came from,see if you like it.Stop whinning like a lost,confused,unhappy,racist.Just pack up and find your own country to live in,then you won’t have to worry about what’s going on in this country or whose living next door to you.How many illegal immigrants came here from war torn countries in europe in the past ten years that have not been reported?