You’ve probably heard them.
The loud noise coming from phones, televisions, and radios.
A child is missing, and the police are asking the public to keep an eye out for them, their abductor, and possibly a certain vehicle.
Robynne Henry The Henry Hype
A few turn out to be false alarms, and the child is returned to their families with hugs and kisses after a scary ordeal. Others aren’t so lucky, and some situations can end in severe consequences.
Over the last few years, I’ve noticed a trend that disgusts me after the amber or emergency alerts are sounded. People call the local police not to report a sighting, but to complain that it woke them up or disturbed a show they were watching.
I remember my dad watching a new episode of the Walking Dead when the audio was interrupted by a foghorn. Information scrolled across the screen letting us know a situation was unfolding.
We both thought it was part of the show at first, but quickly realized the gravity of the circumstances. While neither of us were close to where the abduction had taken place, we felt better having the information in case we were out and came across the vehicle in question.
The next day, I read articles about the influx of calls the local stations had from residents angry to have had the show disturbed for the few moments the alert was issued.
Honestly, I don’t understand how anyone could do this.
Even if it turns out to be a false alarm, that’s someone’s child that’s missing.
A parent is going through one of the worst scenarios ever imagined, and all some people can focus on is losing a few moments of sleep or a scene or two from a new episode.
Taking the time to call 911 and wasting the dispatcher’s time to complain about it is honestly such a low act.
Put yourselves in the shoes of the family desperately trying to find their child before it’s too late, and learning the newest twist in your show might not seem so important anymore.
Amber alerts aren’t issued lightly, and calling 911 for something that isn’t an emergency just shouldn’t happen.
If the information being heard is the difference between a child being returned home safely, I want to be woken up every single time to hear it.
The person missing may have nothing to do with me, or it may end up being a false alarm, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that someone is just trying to bring a loved one home.
Taking the time to listen or read the information, even if it’s at an inconvenient time for you, is literally the least a person can do in that situation.
