Liberals Stunned to Learn That There's More to Sweden Than Stieg Larsson Novels and IKEA Furniture

Claiming this is a common practice in her country, a Swedish mother left her baby, alone, in a stroller outside an Amherst, MA burrito eatery's courtyard, for ten minutes, in broad daylight. The cops were called; pandemonium broke out. (The tot was not harmed; no charges have been filed against the mum.)

This casual treatment of a wee tot (even in some 'safe' European city where people are largely walkers, not drivers) is deplorable. Worse, has this woman not noticed the seedy characters that often traverse - at all hours - that courtyard? I wouldn't leave a 9-year-old alone there.

But the issue that has many chattering about this multicultural imbroglio is this: Is it the type of parental neglect that merited calling law enforcement and social service personnel?

It is interesting to notice that it was the we-are-the-world denizens of Amherst (who continually mount the soapbox to lecture the rest of us rubes about the need to be 'culturally sensitive') that went all Big Brother on this hapless foreigner.

Conversely, the Swedish mother has learned some lessons in cultural differences herself: Never leave a babe unattended in a public place in the good ol' USA (yes!), and American cops who carry guns are supposed to be intimidating (yes!).

Cute little guy. Glad he's ok.



Photo credit: Larry K.