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 7)

Tiffany

on Apr 13, 2006

Oh my god lets stop the world from turning tommorow and go protest because this woman had her child out of the car seat. I really wish you people actually knew how many times paramedics roll up on the scene of an accident to find that the car seat was the reason why the child lived. There is only a fourty percent chance that your child being in a car seat will save it's life anyway. Anyway, leave the girl alone, it's here kid let her raise it and do with it what she wants as long as shes not burning it, beating it, or leaving it alone what she would be in her bussiness for? People should clean out from under their own door steps and leave other alone, then the world would be a better place. All you who are so commeted to the cause, look around there are literally hundred of kids in your community that actually are being abused help them first!!!!!!

Gideon MacLeish

on Apr 15, 2006

Anyway, leave the girl alone, it's here kid let her raise it and do with it what she wants as long as shes not burning it, beating it, or leaving it alone what she would be in her bussiness for? People should clean out from under their own door steps and leave other alone, then the world would be a better place. All you who are so commeted to the cause, look around there are literally hundred of kids in your community that actually are being abused help them first!!!!!!

Actually, you are underscoring the point of the article. As I have said about this, the question isn't "we're being scrutinized for less, why isn't she", the question is, "she's NOT being scrutinized, why ARE we?" I am an activist against CPS (their policies actually make it LESS likely that a child abuser will actually go to jail), and I posted this article because it was relevant to that topic.

Felecia

on May 17, 2006

I dont think that she would actually do anything to harm that baby, and i dont know why people dont beleive that there was a paparazzi chasing her because im sure that there was, and honestly that would be real scary if there was somebody chasing you trying to take your picture. She does not deserve to have that baby taken from her, im sure that would not be a regular thing, im sure she really did it because she felt they were in danger, and if you have actually seen the movie Paparazzi, you would probably understand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Felecia

on May 17, 2006

Gideon MacLeish

on May 17, 2006

She does not deserve to have that baby taken from her, im sure that would not be a regular thing, im sure she really did it because she felt they were in danger, and if you have actually seen the movie Paparazzi, you would probably understand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1) I agree that she shouldn't have her baby taken away. My comments were not meant to imply that she should, but rather that the hundreds of thousands of innocent parents falsely accused should have the same consideration.

2) I don't buy the paparazzi argument, because I have read too many insiders who say that the celebs most bothered by the paparazzi are the same celebs that exploit them. Brittney Spears is fast becoming a B-List celeb, and it's in her best interests to stay in the news.

Texas Wahine

on May 17, 2006

Gideon: Have you read about the new Britney baby mini-scandal?

I haven't seen photos, but apparently she (more than 4 mo. pregnant, Oops! She did it again! Hehe) was driving in her Mini Cooper with her son in the back seat, in his car seat right and proper, but with it facing forward instead of backward.

This is not illegal per se, but they (CA authorities) consider it breaking the "spirit" of the law, as little Sean is still very young and is safest in a backward facing car seat.

Nothing will come of it, I don't think, beyond lots more speculation (blown WAAAY out of proportion) about Britney's parenting abilities.

Gideon MacLeish

on May 17, 2006

I didn't hear that one, Tex. Sounds WAY overblown.

I'm getting tired of legislators deciding when a child should face forward or backwards in a car seat, and, even worse, to what age they should sit in a car seat (a SEVEN year old in a car seat? Gimme a steenkeeng break!) Not only does it become impossible to keep up with the rules, but eventually people get fed up and ignore them altogether.

bakerstreet

on May 17, 2006

For years they said infants should sleep on their stomachs to prevent strangling on spitup, and then they decided they should sleep on their backs to prevent cribdeath, but then there is a risk strangling on spitup...

The car junk isn't any different, other than the fact that they mandate it and levy fines against you if you don't keep an up-to-the-minute read on what they think at this particular moment is the thing to do. I grew up getting tossed around in the back of a pickup truck and I have more sense left than most of the people who make these recommendations.

Texas Wahine

on May 17, 2006

I grew up getting tossed around in the back of a pickup truck and I have more sense left than most of the people who make these recommendations.

That's something local that I just cannot wrap my head around.

We have a new awareness campaign going on, "Click it or Ticket". Big fines for not buckling up. And yet...it is perfectly legal to ride in the back of a truck.

HELLLLOOOOOO! It's WAY more freaking dangerous to be in the back of a pickup in an accident than to be unrestrained inside the cab. We recently had an accident where 8 middle aged women were in an accident. They were in the back of the truck and guess what?

They all died.

Either it should be illegal to be unrestrained in the bed of a pickup truck or it should be legal to be unrestrained inside a vehicle. Let's pick one and have some consistency. Ugh.

100

Gideon MacLeish

on May 17, 2006

If we do away with primary enforcement laws, that's good enough for me (primary enforcement means they can pull you over SOLELY for not wearing your seatbelt). In Wisconsin, for instance, they don't (or didn't, when I lived there, at least) have primary enforcement laws, and a seatbelt ticket was a $10 ticket that you'd usually get if the officer didn't want to give you a ticket for the offense that caused him to pull you over but still wanted to show a ticket from his book to his superiors.

101

momoftwo

on May 20, 2006

Who didn't ride on their parents' lap when they were a kid?? Those were the old days, 20+ years ago. I am sure your father didn't put you on his lap on a Highway "outrunning" the paparazzi though. Brittney Spear's Dad probably let her ride in the front seat when she was little and that's why she thinks that it is ok. POINT IS, it's not- there are carseat and seatbelt laws put into place for good reason- SAVING CHILDREN'S LIVES! Do I think that she is a horrible parent no, do I think that it was a stupid thing to do, yes. That's it. Aswell, people with money are treated differently by law enforcement, they are treated differently by everyone, everywhere they go, especially celebrities. This will always happen, forever, everywhere, get used to it. I don't think that Britney really gets the gravity of her responsibility as a parent, it is careless to think that it "won't happen to me". I would say this of anyone, loaded ($) and a blond pop star or not.

However, I don't think that some of the name calling and conceited comments happening here are a true waste of time. Are there better things to do?

102

Dr Guy

on May 20, 2006

Just a bump for your top article.

103

rose

on May 27, 2006

im am a young mother and ever young mother makes mistakes i think everyone should get off her back and give her a chance. a child is going to get hurt and it just makes everything worse because shes on needles because everybody is watching her. I think people should leave her alone and worry about there own lives.

104

Sugar High Elf

on May 28, 2006

I think (from my many years riding them) seatbelts are not on schoolbuses because they pose a hazard to kids. We had to do evacuation practices as if 1. the bus were on fire or 2. we were somehow stalled on a railroad track with a trian coming. In these situations, time matters -- every second of it. Five-year-olds (and older kids) get into panic mode, can't get their seatbelts undone and waste time. At least that's what I was told by our school board.

About the child seat facing forward: I had to ride facing forward when I was little because I would get extrememly car sick if I faced the back. I have no idea if Brit's baby is the same way... don't really care. Just thought I'd bring that up.

And about removing children from the home: Even bruises aren't enough to remove a kid sometimes. Even suspecting the parents for drug use / abuse / making or selling isn't always enough. My mom has to deal with DHS (what it's called here) often enough with few results. It's sad, but it's reality. Some high-profile cases make it seem like it is very easy to take a person's kid from them, but I don't think it's really as easy as all that. At least not in my hometown.

Just my two cents.

105

laurakemble

on Aug 26, 2006

I think she is a great mom everyone makes mistakes it is all part of life. I myself have two kids im 21 years old my son is 3 years old and my othere son is 11 mon old and it is rough i belive that she learned from her mistake so y ppl wont leave her alone i donno but i will say i think she is a great mom

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