Rachel Gilchrist and Raymond Minchew
Walker County Messenger – June 12, 2007:
Investigators discovered a crying 6-year-old boy tied up in a sweltering car at a suburban restaurant after employees saw a man take the child outside and then return without him to finish eating.
An employee at the Cracker Barrel restaurant called Ringgold police after staff witnessed the incident Saturday, Sgt. John Gass said Tuesday Gass said investigators believe the child, whose name was not released, was likely tied up for about 30 minutes while outside temperatures were in the 80s in Ringgold, about 13 miles southeast of Chattanooga.
‘‘He was sitting up in between the two front seats and he was crying,’’ Gass said. ‘‘He had a rope tied to one of his ankles. The child was just sweating, just soaking.’’
Gass said he and a county investigator ‘‘untied him and took him inside where it was cool.’’
The boy’s mother, Rachel Gilchrist, 35, and her companion, Raymond Minchew, 61, both of Sandy Springs, Ga., were arrested Saturday and charged with cruelty to children and concealing a weapon. Police found a handgun in the car.
That poor dear child. Stories like these can make it so terribly difficult to oppose the death penalty.
What’s that story about low-intelligence males pairing up with low-intelligence females, creating more children than intelligent couples.
Multiply by X generations, you get
Ah, Wikipedia to the rescue.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marching_Morons
While I’m sure many parents have threatened their children with this punishment, it is not very wise to follow through. Especially when it is hot outside and others are watching.
#1, Todd,
You don’t have any kids, do you?
Oh, please.
First, “in the [low] 80s” is not sweltering, even in a relatively confined space. You know that it was in the low 80s, because if it had been a tick over 84, it would have be reported as “close to 90”.
Second, I have little doubt that this brat deserved to be tied up. The couple took him in the restaurant, he acted up and they took him outside and gave him what he deserved. Its not cruel to restrain someone…the police do it all the time.
Oh, and the police found a gun. That alone makes this a couple of criminals. Give me a break.
Kinda fun—if you think this couple should be punished, then you favor the government having great intrusive power/rights/duty into the very heart of what it means to be a family.
If you think the police should stay out of family relationships, would you take it beyond a mere “risk” of bodily harm and wait for actual bodily harm, or go Muslim all the way and let families be as whacko as they might be?
I favor family control until actual bodily harm, even though my parents never abused me and I would hope to be the same.
@ 5 and 4
You do realize that when the outdoor temperature is 80 degrees the inside of a car is much much higher.
If I had to make an estimate it would probably have been around 100 inside of the vehicle, as there probably wasn’t too much shade in the cracker barrel parking lot.
Secondly, the idea that the police would have to wait until the child was actually injured is insane. We should trust this couple who tied their child up in the car (which is something I would think most people wouldn’t even do to a dog) to make sure that they came out before the child had heat stoke? Maybe the cops should just wait outside the car til the kid actually passed out due to loss of fluids and overheating. Give me a break.
Since you all seem so ready to blame a six year old child for “deserving” this treatment. Lets just replace him with a baby for a moment and reasses the situation.
Is this six year old child somehow deserving of being locked in an oven? This is lazy parenting plain and simple. They were either too lazy or too stupid to disipline effectively so they risked their childs life in order to enjoy their meal.
Lock them up.
Betcha the parents are die-hard Christy-lovey “family values” Rethuglicans too.
(donning flame-retardant suit now…)
#6.
Right on.
Children need to be taught how to act when in a restaurant. I’ve been taking my child to restaurants since he was one month old. He never acts up; he may at home sometimes, but not in a restaurant. He acts this way not because of fear, but because he has learned how to act appropriately.
If a child acts inappropriately and verbal warnings go unanswered; you ask to have your food wrapped to go and leave the restaurant. It’s part of the responsibility being a parent; you have to give up some of your freedoms and enjoyments sometimes.
It is never OK to physically or mentally abuse a child for ANY reason. Anyone who does so is a coward and a poor excuse for a human being.
Stupid abusive parents and a gun, like chocolate and peanut butter!
Mark Derail references one of my favorite sci fi short stories but how many know there’s a movie? See Idiocracy, if you can, ‘they’ don’t want you to.
http://tinyurl.com/2leb3v
My tinyurl above created with TinyUrl Creator for Firefox. Available for nothing at the tinyurl below that I created with TinyUrl Creator for Firefox!
http://tinyurl.com/2pb7f8
#6
Thank you for taking the time to make up details that weren’t reported.
First, I’m pretty sure that if the temperature in the car had approached 100 degrees, the “reporter” who wrote this story would’ve jumped at the chance to include this fact as it would’ve made this story newsworthy. While I’m sure that you spend lots of time in cracker barrel parking lots and you know all of the ins and outs of interior car temperatures, your estimate is simply that: an estimate. I’m betting that it wasn’t nearly as hot as you assume. The “reporter” WANTS you to assume it was hotter…it sells better.
Second, maybe the police should arrest all parents for what they might do. All parents are capable of injuring their children. How are we to know who will and who won’t? I say we lock up all parents; then the children will be safe. Maybe you can take care of them.
Third, why stop at replacing the 6 year old with a baby? Why not also replace the rope with razor wire? And throw some snakes in the car while we’re at it. What’s your point? The fact is that the child was NOT a baby.
And finally, the parents probably WOULD have disciplined the child in the restaurant like we used to do it in the good old days, but then some sensationalist like you would’ve called the cops and had them arrested.
A horse whip is to good for them.
#11 – We get it. You support child abuse. Thanks for weighing in.
The acts of stupidity women do for a man.
#14 – you got your # wrong I’m sure, commenting about Scott— and not Milo.
Milo – big thanks, I have to look up that movie Idiocracy.
I like this comment in IMDB :
I’ve never seen a movie get a worse release then this. And that’s a shame, as this is the funniest film of the year! You would think an ad with the line “From the director of “Office Space”” would be enough to warrant a big release! But there are no ads, no posters, no website , I doubt the stars even knew it came out this weekend. What is 20th Century Fox thinking?
I guess 20th Century Fox figured is was too close to reality . . .
BTW, I only use TinyUrl for the really long links. Most of the time the link text helps clarify the subject matter, IMHO.
You’re welcome Mark. The reason I’ve whoring for that plug in is it does the job in 2 mouse clicks, much more convenient!
http://isohunt.com/torrents/?ihq=idiocracy
😉
#16 – Nope… I mean that rat bastard Milo… Okay… I’m kidding… You are right… Sorry Milo…
When you see Idiocracy (I bought a copy a few weeks ago) you see why 20th tried to hide it away… It is very very offensive… to major corporations, the TV and movie industry, the advertising industry, the media, the court system, government, Starbucks, everyone…
Major studios do not bite the hand that feeds them, unless its the consumer’s hand, because who actually gives a damn about consumers?
Bunch of weaklings here – this will give the kid some *character*
#6 – mebbe the kid was fat – sweating is good for fat people – even if it makes em smell bad
#10 – yeah idocrasy is hella funny
Heres the torrent – http://tinyurl.com/3ac3h5
10–Milo–Thanks for the link. I liked the movie. No reason I should, it is so stoopid, but I like the Three Stooges too, so I’m consistent. Great popcorn movie. I think Paris Hilton would have been excellent in this flick.
FWIW—evidently there is a genetic mechanism called “regression to the mean” where two dumb people can have a smart kid, and vice versa. Kinda sad to be a parent and recognize your kids just don’t have it?