Kidnapping fear overblown

Did I read the front page story in last week's Acorn correctly? Two boys accuse their friendly neighborhood FBI agent of attempted kidnapping for offering to help them pump up their flat bike tire?

Paranoid parents have been feeding on twisted crime statistics and sensationalized media reports for so long that they have created a society where the average person is afraid to even talk to a strange child. We celebrate living in "one of the safest areas in the country" but then teach our children to fear strangers.

I remember when smiling and playing peekaboo with an unknown child was considered a friendly thing to do- today it carries the risk of rude parental behavior. We have replaced trust and respect with fear and suspicion. These are not the characteristics of a healthy society and it is particularly sad to see this happen in an age that is the safest for children in all of human history.

Parents, if you ever want to be treated with civility and courtesy by strangers, you would be wise to teach your children to do the same, for tomorrow's stranger is the child of today. Mike Stern Westlake Village