You would think that America, touted as one of the safest places on earth would be immune to child kidnapping. Not so, kidnapping of teens and kids in America, is quite common, particularly during the day time that you start wondering if you can trust your instinct in letting your kid out of sight. It is quite ironic, that as kids in Nigeria, daytime was our jolly time, to venture in and out of the neighborhood, with no cause for alarm on our part or our parents. Night time was different. I guess, for some parents, they slept with one eye open, on account of robbery. In America, very seldom do you hear of break-ins by Armed robbers at night time, which is extremely puzzling to me, till this day.

Ironically, daytime that could be viewed as a safer period is perhaps a dangerous one for the America child. During daytime, kids activities are mostly constrained to the indoors, watching television, homework, playing games etc. Outdoor activities, ok, sometimes involve sporting activities, but it is quite unlike our childhood days back home. Just yesterday, I read of a teen in Kansas who was kidnapped, and there is a surveillance video that provides a montage of the kidnapping and she has not been found. Sometimes in the paper, you read of a child who foiled a kidnapping plan by abductors, or a missing child kidnapped in the mall, or some other place.

Why is this problem so peculiar in America? Granted I have been away from Nigeria for a long time, but I'd like to think it is a lesser problem back home.

I have no reason why it is so prevalent. I would like to think that it could be due to the "laxness" of the American Justice system when it comes to prosecuting and sentencing kidnappers. Why is it that everyday, many kids go missing later to be found in some ditch? They don't keep a tight enough track on these sex offenders because you might find some working in schools, or as bus drivers. There are soo many stories out there of people getting kidnapped and then killed. . .or just kidnapped. It was for that reason my parents basically let me and my siblings go nowhere, always stayed in the house. Wanted to go out for a jog, they would show us the news. Wanted to drive somewhere. . .have you seen the news? Haha, I guess I should be great full though

Often times, these people are repeat offenders. Like if you want Dateline's "To Catch a Predator." These people often times have been caught before, but punishment is so lax, and so hard to get around that it leaves room for people to commit those crimes again. Oftentimes, I feel like unless someone is killed, they don't take serious action, which is sad.