Isn't this a great example of how to ruin a very good point with a stupid comment?

Question

Chris Cuomo, the Good Morning America breakfast show anchor, interviewing Gerry McCann:

"Your story is pretty puzzling - it's tough to understand why you and your wife came to leave your children to go to dinner," Cuomo asserted, remarking that no American parent would "leave their kids in that way".

I ask you. How stupid is that? The first part of his comment was prefectly sensible and valid.... but let's get real. Is this man SERIOUSLY trying to tell us that NO American parents have ever been negligent?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=471365&in_page_id=1770&ct=5#StartComments

Doris - yes, of course we do. But we are not all top media people who do this sort of thing for a living, and I found his comment ridiculous.

Anne, I agree with you, but its irrelevant.

Miss P - i'm surprised at you, my friend. You wouldn't question ANYTHING anyone says to them? I understand that you feel very strongly about their behaviour (as do I) but lets be realistic.

How is making stupid generalisations like "NO AMERICAN PARENTS EVER DO THIS" helpful? How does it get the point across? It merely ruins what was an excellent point, bercause it is complete and utter horse manure.

This has NOTHING to do with your (or my) personal opinion on the McCanns. It is about standards of journalism. I cannot imagine being unquestioningly sheepish enough tothink it is okay to hear one of the top US news anchors make a completely false statement which puts everything else he said into doubt too. NOT because I disagree with him, but because news anchors should be dealing in facts and not blatant hyperbole.

Answer 1

I think you have to take it in context.

Why would American parents not leave their kids in that way? Because it is a CLASS B FELONY under U.S. Federal Law. They don't just have their children taken away from them, the minimum sentence is TWO YEARS IN JAIL.

If the McCanns had left their children alone in the United States instead of Portugal, they would have been arrested. Don't believe me, ask Jill and Phillip Adam, another middle class British couple who left their small children (1 and 5) in a hotel room while they went out "no more than 100 yards away". They also claimed they were checking every half hour, but (surprise, surprise), the police discovered the children alone and waited a full hour for the Adams to return to their upper story room (with unlocked patio doors to the open balcony - God forbid!). What was their defence? "That's what everybody does in the UK". I loved the response of the Florida police: "You may eat your children in the UK, but it's still a crime in the United States!"

Better that Americans have a low opinion of the McCanns and the Adams then of the 90% of the rest of us who would never leave our children alone while we went out for a meal or to watch a fireworks display.

Answer 2

Here's the deal Alot of the users, even some of the elite ones in the Top 10, are in these lame e-feds, and what they will do is if they have an issue with a user, they will go into their little chatrooms on their little e-fed sites and convince other users to block and/or disrespect that person. This leads me to believe their are very few men in this section. It's like a domino effect. If you're on the outs with a 'popular' user, you suddenly have 10 other users you've never heard of sending you hate mail and blocking you. E-feds are retarded, full of in fighting, and a waste of time. None of these users are wrestlers but try to act like them. It's a sad sight to see. My advice? Don't join.

Answer 3

Surely he was just asking what everyone wants to know, after all, leaving Maddie alone is the big issue, (if they hadn't left her, she'd still be with them) Once McCann had explained that, the interview could move on. I can't imagine why the father of a missing child is on US television (or any television) in the first place.

Answer 4

Journalists can probe Gerry for a sensible honest answer and an apology as much as they want but he will never admit leaving the babies is child neglect.

Answer 5

at least he asked the question , something the british are too scared and spineless to do ?

so why did you and your wife go out and abandon three children uner the age of 4 mr mc cann ?
dont you think that was a stupid selfish and dangerous thing to do
no loving parent would go out drinking leaving their children whith no care
the sooner british journalists grow some balls the better

Answer 6

did he actually say that no american parents leave their children? because it doesn't sound like he ment that by what he had asked!!!!

maybe it was just a way the press can brush past the actual "why did you leave them alone" question and focus on the fact "he was implying no american's leave their children!"

i would have liked to know Gerry's answer to that question although his reply was probably " it was like sitting in our garden" or "it was a very safe place" or something stupid like that!

Answer 7

You are so right. But this sort of mistake is common on both sides of the Atlantic, where TV interviewers cannot resist adding a superfluous jingoistic comment.

Answer 8

It's a bit like a reporter asking a parent who has lost a child in a horrific accident, " how do you feel about it?" I think the point is we all ask silly questions at times. Thankfully often to the amusement of our friends, family and other Answers users

Answer 9

Maybe he was just trying to get it though numbscull's head that it's not right to leave the kids alone and by saying American's wouldn't do that is just a figure of speech and I wouldnt question anything anyone says about this incident as long as they are trying to point McCann in the right direction

Answer 10

Poor phrasing on his part. He's the anchor, for pity's sake,it's his show - you'd think he'd get ot right!