Brittney Spears: Unfit Parent?

Published on February 8, 2006 By Gideon MacLeish In Current Events

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!

Comments (Page 6)

Gideon MacLeish

on Feb 12, 2006

Gideon, I agree with a lot of the points you've made in reference to this incident. I just want to make it clear that I will not undermine the serious danger of placing infants near the steering wheel of a moving vehicle.

It's not OK. It's not OK for me to do it. It's not OK for Britney to do it. It's not OK for anyone to do it.

And I don't condone her doing it either. I just feel that, in a perfect world, she'd have a positive role model to smack her upside the head and shout "child! What WAS you thinking?"

There's a difference between what I think is stupid and wrong and what I'm willing to send a person to jail for.

Texas Wahine

on Feb 12, 2006

I don't disagree with that at all.

I'm not saying she needs to have her child taken from her or that she needs to spend time in the slammer. She needs to become aware of how dangerous what she did was and not do it again.

Hopefully all the negative attention will do that for her.

trueandfree

on Feb 12, 2006

Bad judgment and bad behavior are two different things with potentially same result. I just agree that this was a case of bad judgment and I would be surprised if we ever see anything like this from her again. Look at Michel Jackson and his baby, talk about stupid! Still, I do not think he would do that again either. I am just having a somewhat difficult time thinking that most people have done things, dangerous things, which does not necessarily represent a habit or normal behavior. Speeding with children in the car tends to be a habit with some people. If you get pulled over the cop gives you a ticket, not take your kids. In other words, I agree with you Tex.

Angela

on Feb 13, 2006

She is a worthless excuse for a mother. I don't care what she says she was trying to do, there is always time to buckle the baby in. With her and Kevin as parents, that baby doesn't stand a chance. Thank God for the high priced nanny. Excuses are like assholes, everyone has one.

Angela

on Feb 13, 2006

I agree with you there. Just because she has money seems to make her untouchable. I say press charges against the bitch. It's not the baby's fault that she is an idiot.

Gideon MacLeish

on Feb 13, 2006

I say press charges against the bitch.

I DON'T agree with pressing charges against her, actually. While I think what she did was fundamentally stupid, I think we've become more than a little ridiculous in how we apply our laws. I just feel that everyone else in America has a right to equal consideration.

Angela

on Feb 14, 2006

Ok, pressing charges may be a little harsh, but she shouldn't be able to just get away with it. If it had been any normal everyday person, there would have been hell to pay. I thought that it was common sense to buckle a baby up. Maybe I was wrong. I just don't understand how you could put your own child in danger like that.

DJBandit

on Feb 14, 2006

Look, I did that once. I admit it was a very stupid thing. Ironic that my son was crying and I told my wife to get him out of the seat to take his pants off (I think) and I was going 60 mph on a 60 mph zone that changed into 45 mph zone just as she moved our son from the chair and a cop was coming from a side street. Talk about coincidence. I knew right off the back he was gonna pull us over so evn before he turned and put on his lights an sirens I was already pulling over. He gave me a choice of either a ticket for having my son out of his seat or for speeding. He recomended the child ticket for it was cheaper and all I had to do was take a class on child safety to avoid getting points on my licence (this was in Miami BTW). I took the child ticket, paid it, took the class and promised never to do it again. It has been about 6 years since that and I have another son about the same age as the first was and I keep an eye on both with their seatbelts and I never let my older one in the front seat even at the age of 7.

So I believe that Britney should at least get a ticket, take that child safety course and go on with her life and hope her stupidity learns from the lesson. Taking the child away is too extreme at this point, an investigation is OK, it keeps people on their toes. No more laws, I remember seeing something about a carseat that looked like an egg to fully protect my child from a major accident while completely keeping him from enjoying the surroundings during a nice trip to grandmas house. Talk about a bad idea from good intentions. As usual I always blame the parents for their childrens responsabilities till they are of age. Abd it is her sole responsability to make sure this child is safe no matter the situation, papparrazzi, earthquakes, snow storms (I know this was in Cali but just as an example),terrorist attacks, a mob of women during a sale at the mall, other kids, etc.

Baker, you have your right to an opinion, but heed my warning. You are better off facing a mad bull with a red shirt on than messing with a bunch of women who believe that child safety is #1 priority and that men can actually do 2 things at once, argue and think about Britney in every single outfit in this years Victoria Secrets Vanlentines catalog the take them off. Both result in serious reprocations that will make you wish you were face to face with a bull.

DJBandit

on Feb 14, 2006

So please stop giving this woman so much PR by talking about her as if she was so kind of problem that Bush should be solving. She is nothing but a lucky bimbo, just like Jessica Simpson, who made it big for a while, but messed up when she tried to be the next Madonna when we all know there can be only one Madonna and so her career has been spiraling down ever since.

She is not worth any of these words I'm posting here but it's the only way to make a point. Who gives a F_ck about her or her child, there are so many unlucky children in the world and you are worrying over a child that has it all including a mom for an idiot, and I don't mean that because of this incident but because of her whole lifestyle. What I don't get is if this really does boil the blood of so many women why are you not outside of her house protesting why she didn't get a ticket or at least admit she was wrong and that she really had no legit excuse. That I would like to see rather than all this crying and complaining about how wrong she was, specially when most of you agree but still argue as if you don't.

That's all I ask. Have a nice day.

Gideon MacLeish

on Feb 14, 2006

So please stop giving this woman so much PR by talking about her as if she was so kind of problem that Bush should be solving.

I talk about it because it underscores a fundamental problem I've talked about for some time. In this country, we live with two sets of justice, and that is wholly unacceptable. I don't think Ms. Spears should be prosecuted or attacked by CPS, but the fact that millions of Americans are investigated on FAR LESS speaks volumes.

joeKnowledge

on Feb 16, 2006

The picture whould have been enough evidence to remove the child from her home???

Not in NYC. Not with ACS (Administration for Children Services)

jedmiston

on Feb 16, 2006

she's lucky she didnt tap the brakes to hard or some one pulled out in front of her cause the air bag would have killed the baby. What an idiot and loser as a parent. She's unfit and careless.

Gideon MacLeish

on Feb 16, 2006

What an idiot and loser as a parent. She's unfit and careless.

That incident alone does not indicate that she's unfit. She may be, but it hasn't been proven. And it shouldn't even be assumed until/unless it is proven.

Careless, yes. A loser, maybe (though I'd like to be a loser with her checkbook balance, frankly). But unfit? A determination that doesn't belong in ours, or anyone else's vocabulary, without a heckuva lot of proof.

The picture whould have been enough evidence to remove the child from her home???

Not in NYC. Not with ACS (Administration for Children Services)

It would have been enough to prompt an investigation. And in their investigation of an ordinary individual, they would demand a home visit.

I'm going to revisit our encounter with CPS As I did on another thread, and ask you:

Allegation #1 was that we kept our children home from school (we homeschool within the laws of Texas, and this is not within CPS' jurisdiction, a fact they, themselves, readily admitted).

Allegation #2 was that we have high weeds and junk in our yard.

Allegation #3 was that our 16 month son was seen stuffing food into his mouth at a community dinner (which was implied as evidence that our family was malnourished).

Which of those allegations screams "unfit parent"? (CPS wanted to interview all of our children in our absence, a COMPLETE home visit during which they would search through the home for anything they felt would merit additional investigation, access to our financial information, a criminal background check, and all kinds of other irrelevant, unConstitutional intrusions). I MUST point out that NOWHERE in any of those allegations does it allege ANY violation of ANY law.

I have MANY case histories (yes, New York State is among them) where parents were investigated on FAR LESS proof than has been provided in Spears' case. My question isn't "we are under investigation, why isn't she?", but rather, the reverse. Brittney Spears gets proper treatment under the law, but should it take millions of dollars and a few multiplatinum albums to preserve the rights the founding fathers EXPRESSLY reserved for us?

Reebs enopacci

on Feb 17, 2006

Dumb, yes. Child abuse, no. I think that dumb fits every aspect of Brittney Spears personal life. As a parent, I can say that we all could be better in some way or another. No "action" needs to be taken here- she does get "hunted" by the paparazzi and does not have the same life as you or I, so why should she be treated the same?

Gideon MacLeish

on Feb 17, 2006

does not have the same life as you or I, so why should she be treated the same?

Because the Constitution expressly forbids titles of nobility and acts on the assumption that all individuals have the right to equal treatment under the law.

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