[redwitch]

1. Why would you assume the child has no interaction with other children? There are pre-schools, schools, day care, all kinds of activities for children in and out of TV, other children visit their grandparents in this neighborhood. This little one is very active in activities from preschool to gymnastics to dance -- all of which ensure playtime with other children.

2. I truly doubt TV is aware this child is living here. I know that when my daughter lived with me, someone reported that I had a 17 YO living with me. She had to show her driver's license to Community Watch to prove she was 22 not once but twice. If TV knew, there is no doubt in my mind that the grandparents would have to come up with another solution.

3. Quite frankly, it doesn't matter how much anyone here objects to this child living here. You don't know where the child lives and, thus, you cannot report it to anyone. It is up to the neighbors to do what they deem is appropriate -- no one else can. You can rail about the grandparents breaking the rules until you're blue in the face. Doesn't matter -- the child will still be here until the mother returns.

While the grandparents love their grandchild and their daughter, they want their lives back, too. They bought into TV lock, stock and barrel. There is no way that the mother or child would be here a day longer than necessary -- two years was the maximum time. Should something happen to the mother, I'm sure the grandparents would find another solution. It is one thing for a pre-schooler (or younger) to live in TV for a set period of time, it is another for a child in school with friends visiting, etc. to live here. The grandparents know and understand this.

4. If a rule is being broken and you object to that rule being broken, you do have recourse -- contact Community Watch. It will be checked out and proper steps will be taken.

The only point I was trying to make was that rules are broken. We ALL have choices, especially when it comes to rules -- follow them, ignore them, deliberately break them, move to another locale if you don't like those rules. We also have choices when we see a rule is broken -- explain to the individual what the rule is and hope they quit breaking it; go along with the offender by allowing the rule to be broken; call an authority to stop the breaking of the rule. You do have recourse if you choose to take them. The choice really is up to you.

I don't want to get into a discussion about the morality of breaking a rule or condoning the breaking of a rule. It is an individual choice. In this case, I choose to stand with the grandparents and the neighbors who have opted to let the child stay. Yes, we are all culpable but I can live with my choice and, obviously, so can the neighbors. I could not live with forcing these loving people to choose between their dream (TV) or their grandchild.

Everyone breaks rules of some sort -- sometimes knowingly, sometimes out of ignorance. Some rules are truly important (not murdering someone is a pretty rule); some are minor (no jaywalking in my mind); some are downright silly (showering in the nude). Regardless, we all decide which rules we choose to follow and which ones we choose to break. But I doubt there is one person who can say (and honestly believe) that they follow every rule every time (think of the small piece of paper you threw on the ground; the time you drove a little too fast; ....). So far as we know, only one person has been perfect and even He had a heck of temper and knowingly broke some rules (He was arrested, tried and crucified).