3year old child missing / abducted in Portugal

[Keitht Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Keitht]

This link provides more detail.

I find it incomprehensible that parents would leave 3 children aged 3 and under to go out for a meal, particularly in an alien environment for the children. They may only have been a few hundred yards away and 'checked on them regularly', but the fact remains that for most of the time the children were unattended.
What possibly shocks me even more is that the parents are not what would probably be referred to in the USA as 'trailer trash' i.e. almost expected to be irresponsible. They are both doctors; he's a consultant cardiologist and she's a general practitioner. I suppose it does prove that good education and ability doesn't equate to common sense.

[Ireland's Call Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ireland's Call]

Have to agree ...all very sad.
G

[Carol C Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Carol C]

The way you write your posting makes it seem like it's American parents. Why didn't you say they are BRITS? Folks would have to click on that link to find out, and some will just glance at your posting without digging further for details.

IMO those parents have committed serious child neglect if not abuse, and they should be neutered to prohibit them from having more kids. They are clearly irresponsible and very bad parents indeed.

[BILL_B Member Find all posts View Profile Close BILL_B]

I didn't interpret Keiths use of the term 'trailer trash' as implying the people involved were Americans, but rather he used an American term for "low-lifes" rather than a British idiom so that those of us on this side of the pond would understand.

I agree that they should be neutered

I also felt that the sisters comment "We feel that what's been going on in Portugal has been ineffectual" was a bit out of line. Nothing like trying to pass the buck when your side has royally screwed up.

Bill

[joycapecod Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close joycapecod]

education does not equal intelligence nor does it equal responsibility and common sense

[Keitht Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Keitht]

The way you write your posting makes it seem like it's American parents. Why didn't you say they are BRITS?

It certainly wasn't my intention to give the impression that they were American parents. As this is a predominantly US site I didn't think the term 'sink estate', which would be an approximate UK equivalent for 'trailer trash' would be understood.
I don't actually see the nationality as being in the least relevant anyway. If they were Brits, Americans, Chinese or from Mars my views would be the same.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

The way you write your posting makes it seem like it's American parents. Why didn't you say they are BRITS? Folks would have to click on that link to find out, and some will just glance at your posting without digging further for details.

Carol - I don't read that into Keith's post at all. I think you're over-interpreting here.