Parenting 101

Pit bull kills 7-year-old Minneapolis boy at home
Perhaps, his loved ones can only speculate, young Zachary King Jr. had gone to get a puppy in his family's basement, where their full-grown male pit bull was chained. When the 7-year-old boy's older sister came inside to look for him Thursday afternoon, she found him badly bitten and lying on the basement floor. She ran to get their father, but it was too late.

So, they have an animal that needs to be chained in the basement. OK, at least it's chained. How about laying down the law to your 7 year old, and all your other kids---you are not allowed down there, under any circumstances, without mom or dad. How about locking the basement door if you're not around. How about not having a dangerous dog in the first place. What's more important---the safety of your children, or owning some macho breed of dog.

Condolences to the family. I saw the tv footage last night and it was the grandfather who I felt sorry for. He said he tried talking to his son about this situation, but what could he do; his son is a grown man. And it's that man who's going to have to live with this the rest of his life. You're suppose to protect your family from danger, not bring it into the house.