I came across an interesting AP article today: Sentences vary when kids die in hot cars. I thought it was very well-written and somewhat thought-provoking as well. It’s unfathomable to me how people could forget their child in a car. Seriously, how do you be going somewhere with your child and go in someplace for hours at a time without remembering that you are, in fact, a parent who is wholly responsible for a young life. But after reading the aforementioned article, I was able to understand some of the circumstances a bit more (although I am not, and would never, ever condone such actions).

Generally my impressions of people who lost children to such tragic, yet unavoidable, circumstances have been that these people probably were not the most attentive parents, and possibly should never have become parents in the first place. Somewhat prejudicial and stereotypical, I know, but these were generally my first thoughts, because how can you forget you have a child? And sadly, there were a couple of people mentioned in the article that seem to fit that cliché. How on earth do you think it’s alright to leave your young children alone in the car? Even if you’re unaware of how quickly a car interior can heat up on a warm day, who leaves their young kids alone anywhere for hours at a time? These are the people who really should never have had kids in the first place.

But I was surprised to read that the vast majority of people who are at fault in this kind of loss are successful, often professional and very accomplished members of society. And some of these people were not the parents (and therefore not the normal caregivers of the children), so for them to blank out and forget their responsibilities is perhaps not as abhorrent as a parent leaving their child, it’s still unthinkable. Mind you, I would think this is something that will torment these people for the rest of their lives, all stemming from a short period of forgetfulness or preoccupation.

I think losing a child would be the worst thing a person could face, but in these hyperthermia cases, I’ve often thought that there is some definite parental responsibility lacking. So I was surprised that the article actually left me feeling sympathetic for some of these parents mentioned, especially once you get to the end to hear the rest of Kevin Kelly’s story. Perhaps people like Mr. Kelly will eventually create enough awareness that no more children will die of heatstroke in sweltering cars.

In the meantime, though, babies are still dying strapped into their carseats… as recently as a few days ago in San Francisco.