I am sure you have seen your fair share.

Yes- take a look at these and think! I would add the Enemy Alien Acts during WWII. Corkey has a good point about "knee-jerk" legislation. I know cases like this one (and how about Jaycee Dugard's- her abuser should never have neen out on parole in the first place) are just damn hard to deal with. We all want justice- or for kids to be safe in a world in which so many are not. it hurts- but the problems behind why these things go on need very different kinds of solutions- ones that the US has never actually fully funded in any of our institutions.

Me either! And I don't think many people realize just how many parents are wrongly accused due to exactly the variables you bring up. I want the truely guilty stand trial and found guilty and serve time. But I also want a fair and unbiased criminal justice system along with fully funded and effective social services and programs that could prevent so many of these crimes in the first place. With the sociopath or psychopath, there is a difference they need to be kept away from society, perod. And our parole systems fail us terribly with these criminals.

Thinking of how important things like schools for pregnant teens and mothers with parenting classes are so impportant. And day care at community colleges with parenting classes for credit. Just some things running through my head.

Exactly! Sometimes these laws that spring from these situations are idiotic. Well thought out is what I vote for, too!

Interesting... your reference to mothers... Although fathers and father-figures are ten times more likely to neglect, abuse, or kill a child in their care, all this national outrage and rush to pass bills comes on the heels of a mother's crime....

I think that this ( the red highlighted part) is precisely why there is such a sense of moral outrage when crimes are ( allegedly) perpetrated by mothers. It is such a shock that it quakes our very being. We ( as a global community) have gotten "used to" for lack of a better or more politically correct phrase, Men abusing, wounding, killing. We are still aghast when we hear of women serial killers or baby killers ( even in the light of postpartum depression findings).

I hate the thought of innocent people being charged for crimes that may have been beyond their control. I also hate the loopholes that allow the guilty to walk away from personal guilt on whatever level they created a scenario of endangerment to a child.

This case is but one. One that happened to get national attention. I have no doubt that on this planet full of people similar offenses happen daily.

The petition mentioned here, again, is but a stepping off point. I for one, have written my legislators to ask that more considerations be made before a law of this nature be passed, for the protection of innocent parents/ guardians. I do not disagree, however, with the notion of a reasonable amount of time for notification of a missing or possibly endangered child and a law being passed that addresses that. I do not disagree with a law that states a reasonable amount of time to notify authorities in the case of discovering a child has died or is in immediate physical distress.

I do not know what a reasonable amount of time is, so I leave that part of lawmaking to the experts. Experts like the one from the Huff Post article, who is writing a book about the Casey/ Caylee case, whom will profit from this case, and might be able to help determine exactly what a reasonable amount of time would be for a parent to notify authorities in the case of discovering a child dead or missing. I do find it interesting when the experts ( who are writing a book about the subject) put forth the notion that the science isn't that exact, yet do not give an estimate of what "might" be reasonable. Guess we have to buy the book to find out.

Meting out justice is as much an art as a science. Our laws will evolve as our ability to harm one another does. Our laws will continue to be written by the people we place in office. Their ability to write and enforce laws will always rely upon our compliance ( through approval or inaction) or will be influenced by our constant and consistent voice for justice.

I stand corrected for not using the words parent, guardian and/or custodian. Perhaps the present (Casey Anthony) situation remained in my mindset.

Diane Down, Andrea Yates, Susan Smith, China Arnold, Michelle Kehoe.
Men who murder their children or families, interestingly and sadly enough, are not that "infamous". Media does seem to highlight mothers guilty of this crime.

I caught the end of it on CNN news via the web.
Not knowing any of the facts but by the small bit I have seen I reckon she did it ..

It hasn't been reported in the uk at all .. But it does seem it has all been played out by the media.