A 16-year-old Michigan girl who authorities say tricked her parents into getting her a passport and then flew off to the Mideast to be with a West Bank man she met on MySpace.com headed for home on Friday.
U.S. officials in Jordan persuaded her to turn around and go home before she reached the West Bank.
Katherine R. Lester is a straight-A student and student council member, her father said. "She's a good girl. Never had a problem with her," Terry Lester said.
Wow! I can't even wrap my mind around how dangerous this action might have been. It is clear that this young lady doesn't understand the dangers of the world - human trafficking, illegal slave trade, etc.
I am also confused on how the mother can even begin to question how the "government" didn't stop her daughter. The government has other people to watch besides a misguided 16 year old girl that thinks she knows what she is doing.
The really question is...how did this happen and the parents had no idea??
They knew her grades..they knew what she did on Friday night, but they had no idea what she was doing online?
This scary truth shows the real divide in the generations.
Hence the strange art of social engineering. It shows us that we not only need to educate ourselves on how the others think, but educate those who have no idea that these dangers exist. Twenty-five years ago tons of terrible things existed, but we were all very unaware.
ReplyDeleteHmmm...how can a parent or adult teach their children or those younger than them how to spot someone who deceives. There are clues, and sadly, you have to do your research. But to destroy their naivity in the process? Is this what we've all come to in order to protect ourselves? Something to think about.
Very good point. The truth is, it isn't easy and we can't expect everyone to be good at it..or even want to do it.
ReplyDeleteThe world is made of two types of people. Those that know and those that don't. I am not saying that some people are just smarter, I am just saying that one person can not understand all apsects of all things. It just isn't possible.
Very simple idea yet so complex at the same time. For example, you may know something about a certain type of process or method that I don't. Yet, I may know more than you about the process that coffee goes down before hitting the bottom of your cup in the morning.
Something to think about indeed.