Pulitzer Prize Winning News Feature

[bowl of soup]

This is the winning article from the Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/27/AR2009022701549.html?sid=ST2009030602446

It will wreck you.

[el_chode]

Not a crime. Never a crime when it's not the result of "eh, they'll be fine!"

I enjoyed the point about the law making it out of sight.

[AMightyCaporal]

god damn... how terrible

[TheBigChicken]

unforgivable....how in the F#@K do you forget your kid...how busy can you be.. >:(

[bowl of soup]

unforgivable....how in the F#@K do you forget your kid...how busy can you be.. >:(

My thought exactly, but then I read the article...  Seems that most of these folks will never forgive themselves and that's the prison that they'll live in forever.

[mjkoehler]

I kind of feel sorry for the guy, but really. How the fuck can you forget your kids. I get spacy sometimes, but NEVER TO NOT KNOW MY CHILDREN ARE IN THE SAME FUCKING CAR!!!! They are never quite and their presence is ALWAYS known.

[vespachick]

Oh my, lots of tears while I read that.  What a horrible, horrible thing.  I cannot imagine that level of grief.  Wow.

[AMightyCaporal]

I kind of feel sorry for the guy, but really. How the fuck can you forget your kids. I get spacy sometimes, but NEVER TO NOT KNOW MY CHILDREN ARE IN THE SAME FUCKING CAR!!!! They are never quite and their presence is ALWAYS known.

did you read the whole article? Because these people aren't bad parents, there is a scientific explanation...

[bowl of soup]

I kind of feel sorry for the guy, but really. How the fuck can you forget your kids. I get spacy sometimes, but NEVER TO NOT KNOW MY CHILDREN ARE IN THE SAME FUCKING CAR!!!! They are never quite and their presence is ALWAYS known.

It's funny, I completely agree with you and completely disagree with you at the same time.  Most of these kids are babies in car seats - my kids never leave my mind, but when they were that little, the car was one of the only places that they slept and were quiet.

I think the story points out that this is a more recent phenomenon (at least in terms of numbers) and that the real story might be about this society of complete distraction that we become more a part of every day.

[Jon T.]

It is horrifying.  I can't imagine this could ever happen to me, but I would bet many of these people felt the same way.  I will make a concious effort to always leave my windows cracked.  I will also make a concious effort to never click on one of Soup's links ever again.   :P

[mjkoehler]

Yeah, add "parental distraction" to the list along with ADD...which I do not believe in 90% of the time.

You never forget your kids in a car. Ever. There is nothing more important going on that you completly forget or are too distracted to notice your child is in the same vehicle as you. Maybe it's because I drive small cars and there is no way you cannot see them while you get out but I'm not buying "I was too distracted" as an excuse. We've had several cases here in the last few years and yeah I'm sorry this happened, but come on.

Hate to be an ass about it

[Penny Lane]

not excusable but i feel bad for these parents.


Most people shouldn't be allowed to reproduce....but then i read about people like this...and there are still some of you out there who want to tell me there is a God in Heaven? i don't buy it...sorry....i'll keep questioning..

[bowl of soup]

It is horrifying.  I can't imagine this could ever happen to me, but I would bet many of these people felt the same way.  I will make a concious effort to always leave my windows cracked.  I will also make a concious effort to never click on one of Soup's links ever again.   :P

Sorry brother.  Whatever your feelings are about the subject, the article itself is undeniable.  Never been much of a prize for art guy, but that is one hell of a piece of writing.