Sometimes you have to wonder about the intelligence and the common sense of some people.
For instance, there are some who seem to think that their sleep is more important than finding a missing child.
The Amber Alert system is a valuable asset to law enforcement. If a child is kidnapped, the police can issue the Amber Alert to let people know as much information about the case as possible.
It’s a tool that is at the disposal of law enforcement to let the public know about a terrible situation that is taking place. And they only issue it as a last resort; they won’t send out an Amber Alert if a child is five minutes late for school.
Remember last year, when the Alert Ready system was launched, to be used in the event of emergencies or disasters? And how some people received that alert while others did not? There were jokes about how people didn’t get the alert, and they were concerned about what would happen if there was a real emergency.
An Amber Alert is included in the Alert Ready system. And judging by the number of people who have complained about Amber Alerts being issued in the middle of the night, the kinks associated with Alert Ready have been ironed out.
There were lots of complaints earlier this year when an Amber Alert was issued in Ontario in the middle of the night; that situation ended tragically when the missing child died.
And you heard more complaints last week when an alert went out in the middle of the night in Alberta, although there weren’t as many people griping. Fortunately, the missing child in the Alberta abduction was found alive.
You have to wonder what kind of self-absorbed person would complain about an alert going out for a missing child. Do they honestly believe their sleep is more important than the safety of a child? In the case of the missing child in Ontario, the arrogance of these people was even more galling when you consider the missing child died.
Nobody gives a damn if you’re upset about waking up at night.
It’s one thing if you quietly grumble to yourself about the overnight wake-up call. It shows misplaced priorities, but nobody knows about it. Don’t complain about it with friends and family, don’t complain about it on coffee row, don’t write an angry letter to the editor, and don’t whine about it on social media.
If you complain publicly about an Amber Alert being issued in the middle of the night, then you deserve to be ridiculed.
I like a good night’s sleep as much as anyone. But you know what I like more? Public safety. I like knowing that families are together. And if I get awakened at 4 a.m. because my phone is blaring due to an Amber Alert, then I’m going to do the right thing, and do my part to help the police find a missing child before I go back to sleep.
I might not be thrilled about the early wake up call, but at least I have my priorities right.
The people who are complaining about the Amber Alert should ask themselves what would they want to happen if it was their child who went missing? Would they want the public to be notified as early as possible, even if that notification came in the middle of the night? Or would they want those responsible for the notification system to wait for 7 a.m. or 8 a.m. local time, so that it wouldn’t wake anybody up prematurely.
If anything, the only time we should be complaining is if it takes a little too long for an Amber Alert to reach our phones. (A situation that occurred last year for the Amber Alert in North Battleford. Thankfully the child was found and returned to her family, and the perpetrator was sentenced to prison).
The Amber Alert is a valuable resource for law enforcement. It allows them to reach the public in a rapid fashion. And once the alert is issued, it is usually shared by the public immediately.
It’s not going to guarantee that a child is going to be returned home safely. A lot of Amber Alerts still end tragically. (The one issued in Ontario earlier this year is one of them).
But it does help improve the chances of a safe return, because so many people see the descriptions and photos of the child, the abductor and the vehicle involved..
Even at 4 a.m., there’s a chance that somebody who receives the alert will be awake, because they’re on shift work, or they’re travelling on the highway, or out in the community. They’ll see the vehicle, the suspect or the child in question, and help play a role in reuniting the child with their family.
And that’s why the Amber Alert is a valuable resource, regardless of the time of day.
