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Brittney Spears: Unfit Parent?

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Brittney Spears: Unfit Parent?

from JoeUser Forums

Pop singer Brittney Spears is defending herself over photos that show her driving with her baby on her lap instead of strapped to the car seat. She defends herself by saying that she was trying to avoid paparazzi and didn't have time to strap in her child. This incident, however, is a glaring example of the two sets of justice we have in America.

If Brittney were an average citizen, that photo would have been more than enough evidence to remove Brittney's child from her home, due to concerns over the health and safety of the child. Her home would have been searched from top to bottom, and she would be facing a long future in court defending allegations of being an unfit parent. While social services are investigating, they've publicly stated that they do not expect any action to be taken. I assure you, they would not make such a statement if that were you or I.

Looking at the photo, I find Spears' claims of being hurried to avoid paparazzi hard to believe. There is not much blur in the background, which would seem to indicate she was not going at a high rate of speed, and neither her facial expressions nor the baby's convey any sense of urgency. Even if her claim were true, wouldn't the fact that she would be racing to avoid paparazzi be even MORE reason to strap the baby in? After all, one need look no further than Princess Diana to see the consequences of a high speed crash, and a baby on the seat in its mother's lap would be a certain projectile in the event of a crash.

Spears is not the first celebrity to act irresponsibly with her children. And she won't be the last. I am sure we well remember Michael Jackson's dangling his baby over a balcony's edge. But it is beyond the pale when 580,000 children linger in US foster care on far less serious allegations, while celebrities act with impunity.

California's Child Protective Services has more than enough reason to act here. Because they don't, it behooves us to ask the question WHY they don't. Could it be that placing their policies and procedures under a microscope of public scrutiny would expose them for what they really are and bring their house of cards crashing down? To steal a highly appropriate phrase here, Inquiring minds want to know!

24,202 views 110 replies
Reply #26 from JoeUser Forums Top
Ok, I take back this

I hope so. Then we'll see how you like it.


but not the rest.
Reply #27 from JoeUser Forums Top

Jill, I suppose you think you're going to be a perfect parent and you'll never make any mistakes with your kid. Maybe he or she should be taken from you some day. I hope so. Then we'll see how you like it.


For one thing, noone that I am aware of suggested taking the kid away from Britney. It is one thing to say a person is stupid and a bad parent. It is another to say their kids should be taken away.

I don't know how you concluded that I was suggesting I would never make mistakes with my kids. I guess you didn't comprehend the whole part about calculated risk in my comment. You also didn't say whether or not you are a parent. I take my responsibility as a parent more seriously than anything else in my life.

I have a 9yr old, a 5yr old and am pregnant. I guarantee noone would survive trying to take any of my children away from me. But then again, I have never given anyone any reason to consider doing so. I don't do stupid things with my kids or my own life for that matter. I value life too much.

If you value your life here on JU, I would suggest you not say things like hoping someone's kids get taken from them. You really need to reevaluate what transpired here if you feel justified in saying such a thing. If I had said "I hope you are never able to have children" you might be able to compare it. That is not the case.
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Reply #28 from JoeUser Forums Top
I don't know how you concluded that I was suggesting I would never make mistakes with my kids.


Because you seem to think Britney has to be a perfect parent.
Reply #29 from JoeUser Forums Top
Jill, I suppose you think you're going to be a perfect parent and you'll never make any mistakes with your kid. Maybe he or she should be taken from you some day. I hope so. Then we'll see how you like it.


Icono, you're crossing the line buddy, big time! Quit while you're ahead!
Reply #30 from JoeUser Forums Top
Telling the owner of this site's wife that you hope her children are taken away someday in order to advance a point in a stupid argument over someone as irrelevant as Britany Spears.


LOL
Reply #31 from JoeUser Forums Top
Let me be clear. I DON'T think CPS should try to remove Ms. Spears' children. She has a right to be a parent, and to not have to worry about that happening. My point is, so do 580,000 other kids' parents.
Reply #32 from JoeUser Forums Top
Let me be clear. I DON'T think CPS should try to remove Ms. Spears' children. She has a right to be a parent, and to not have to worry about that happening. My point is, so do 580,000 other kids' parents.


I totally agree Gid.

I don't know how you concluded that I was suggesting I would never make mistakes with my kids.


Because you seem to think Britney has to be a perfect parent.


I don't think anyone has to be a perfect parent. Matter of fact, there is no such thing. There is a big difference between thinking someone is stupid and acting irresponsibly with their kids and feeling they should have their kids taken away. You need to chill out and make a reality check here. You seem to think that either people are expected to be perfect parents or people are bent on having kids taken away from parents. Their is a whole wide world of variance in between. Life isn't that black and white my friend.
Reply #33 from JoeUser Forums Top
LoL, here's a better definition of unecessary risk:Telling the owner of this site's wife that you hope her children are taken away someday in order to advance a point in a stupid argument over someone as irrelevant as Britany Spears.


Yeah, but it's not life-threatening.
Reply #34 from JoeUser Forums Top
I'm laughing my ass off at how transparent a lot of this feminine outrage is. Everyone is just reeking with disdain for that poor, ugly, white trash britney. Her awful misspent life. lmao. She must just be sooo miserable; I'm sure we're all just so much better and more fulfilled and happy. Better parents, too.

(whew, that made us feel better, didn't it? Takes a bit of irrational self-inflation to forget those stretch marks, i guess)
Reply #35 from JoeUser Forums Top
Takes a bit of irrational self-inflation to forget those stretch marks, i guess


I don't know who you are referring to here but I sure as hell hope it isn't me. I am hormonal and having a pompuos person with no uterus make snide remarks regarding stretch marks is not appreciated at the moment. I don't think seeing anyone put their baby in danger helps them feel better about themselves. I just don't see the logic in that.

I don't know Spears, don't care about her personally in any manner. I would be concerned if I saw any parent with an infant in their lap driving down the road. People have the right to do stupid things. It is just too bad that their kids might have to pay the price.
Reply #36 from JoeUser Forums Top
So many asshats...so little time to care.
Reply #37 from JoeUser Forums Top

Takes a bit of irrational self-inflation to forget those stretch marks, i guess)

Dude, that was so wrong of you to say that.  Really.  It wasn't necessary.  Would you have said something like that to your wife?  If not, why do you think it's okay to say it to any other woman? 

FYI, I have a few stretch marks on my hips.  Those are my badges of honor.  They signify my body's ability to grow, form and carry a child (Or children).  They are physical reminders of pregnancy and shouldn't be used by any man as an insult to a woman. 

If that's how you meant that statement, as an insult, then shame on you. 

Jill, I suppose you think you're going to be a perfect parent and you'll never make any mistakes with your kid. Maybe he or she should be taken from you some day. I hope so. Then we'll see how you like it.

On the scale of wrongness, that statement is off the chart.  It's also incredibly, horribly mean.  To say to a pregnant woman that she hopes she gets her children taken away from her some day.....my gawd, Icon.  What the hell makes you think it's okay to say stuff like that?  The only thing you could have said that is worse than that is wishing someone's child terminally ill or dead.

Breathtakingly horrible, and incredibly low.  You should be ashamed of yourself for saying that.

Reply #38 from JoeUser Forums Top
Reply #39 from JoeUser Forums Top
#38 by BakerStreet
Thursday, February 09, 2006


Baker your comment and attitude is so uncalled for. You reek of disdain and pleasure in telling us how you think we feel. I love my stretch mark, they're well-earned. No one was finding pleasure in chastising her we just can't beleive she would put her child in such a danger, a baby. If you can't see what damage that can be done putting the baby in danger then say nothing but don't try to ridicule us!
Reply #40 from JoeUser Forums Top
Yeah Baker, it's real effing funny. Hardy-effing-har-har.
Reply #41 from JoeUser Forums Top
I think it is wrong to expect government to make sure we are all perfect. If you smoke in the car with your children, should they be taken by CPS? Britt’s indiscretion in terms of what is at stake is chilling. If that air bag had deployed, thank God, it didn’t, that poor child would have died instantly and perhaps killing Britt herself. We go through life leaning from our mistakes. A person who doesn’t make mistakes is absolutely not doing anything. We would go through several life times and not see Brittney make this mistake again, and maybe that’s a good thing for those of us who see this.
Reply #42 from JoeUser Forums Top
" Yeah Baker, it's real effing funny. Hardy-effing-har-har."


Oh, come on. I can just imagine some of the comments if some of us soggy-around-the-middle fellahs started playing all superior to Brad Pitt, talking down his lifestyle choices and his new sideshow marriage. How could possibly trust his blood drinking wife with his children!!! You don't think this has the slightest thing to do with the fact that this is a cute blonde who looks really girl in a schoolgirl uniform?

No offense, but Britney is fabulously wealthy and as far as I know happily married and *gasp* actually handles her own child. Seeing a star of her magnitude with a child on her lap instead of at arms length with a nanny is enough to make me think twice. Maybe it was a bad decision to hold her child in her lap, but some of us grew up white trash and are accustomed to such. 'scuse us.

As for your Stretch Marks, blessed and merciful be their names, feel free to burn my embassy. I thought it was funny, and I still do. When I see a bunch of my work-a-day peers talking down someone like Britney Spears as if she were some ghetto skank, lol, well, there's a bit of reality missing. It would be akin to me thinking of how lucky I am that I didn't end up like that poor old Hugh Hefner.

And I still think it was funny.
Reply #43 from JoeUser Forums Top
Baker: Here's an angle I don't know if you've considered...

Many (if not most) women have strong maternal instincts. Men tend to be more "rough-house" and "it won't hurt 'em".

When I see that picture I don't think, "Damn, I'm jealous...I wish I could look like THAT but since I can't maybe I can make myself look better by saying mean things about her." When I see that picture I think, "That baby is so close to that airbag."

Perhaps this is the difference in the predominate male v. female points of view on this thread.

Of course, I could counter with the suggestion that you horn dog males are willing to forgive or pish-posh away anything stupid or dangerous she does because somewhere in the back of your head you harbor the fantasy that she might actually sleep with you, and you don't want to do anything to hurt your chances.
Reply #44 from JoeUser Forums Top
you harbor the fantasy that she might actually sleep with you, and you don't want to do anything to hurt your chances.


That's precisely why I've stayed out of this argument.

Good one Tex!
Reply #45 from JoeUser Forums Top
Of course, I could counter with the suggestion that you horn dog males are willing to forgive or pish-posh away anything stupid or dangerous she does because somewhere in the back of your head you harbor the fantasy that she might actually sleep with you, and you don't want to do anything to hurt your chances.

LOL.. touche.


As far as I'm concerned, this isn't about how much money she has, how cute she may be, or how she ended up with her husband. It's about endangering the life of a child. Period. Give the woman a ticket, make her pay the fine and have it on her record, and be done with it. No. Not be done with it. Learn from the incident and don't subject your own children to this risk (not that I think anyone here is a proponent for that).
Reply #46 from JoeUser Forums Top
If all of these entertainers really truly wanted to do away with paparazzi, doesn't it seem like they could get together and get some sort of legislation passed?


God please no! No more laws! Why cant we allow people to be stupid? It is an inalieanable human right! Yes tragedy does happen, but when you wish a law upon a star, it falls upon you and me!
Reply #47 from JoeUser Forums Top
you harbor the fantasy that she might actually sleep with you, and you don't want to do anything to hurt your chances.


That's precisely why I've stayed out of this argument.

Good one Tex!


Smart man!
Reply #48 from JoeUser Forums Top
Good one Tex!


LOL.. touche.


*Bows* Thank you, thank you.

I promise you, I am a first-rate smartass. Hehe.
Reply #49 from JoeUser Forums Top
RE: #47 by Texas Wahine

Sure, I can see that, but it wasn't much different when she *gasp* walked barefoot into a public restroom, and people won't shut up about her husband. No different than all the "Jessica Simpson is so stupid" feeding frenzies. After lurking around conversations like this it becomes apparent that the hotter the target it the more venom.

Frankly, she doesn't have enough junk in the trunk for me, so I'm not particularly biased towards her. She's genetically 'hick', so in that area I feel an affinity. Don't get me wrong, I'd bang her like a screen door in a tornado, but then, I'd have to be a lot more irrational to believe that Britney would show up at my door.

It would be more understandable to make myself feel better by dismissing Mr. Pitt, wouldn't you say? Ewww, I feel so sorry for their kids. How awful, maybe they'll even LOOK like him... *shudder*
Reply #50 from JoeUser Forums Top

God please no! No more laws! Why cant we allow people to be stupid? It is an inalieanable human right! Yes tragedy does happen, but when you wish a law upon a star, it falls upon you and me!


Boy did you ever miss the point of that comment Dr Guy! I don't want more laws. I just don't want celebrities to have special treatment as far as the current ones go and I want them to stop bitching about the paparazzi when they use it as a tool. They aren't the powerless victims they try to make themselves out to be. If they really wanted to do something about it, they could.