Couple Sues Wal-Mart

Avatar for claddagh49
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-20-2004
Couple Sues Wal-Mart
50
Mon, 09-21-2009 - 9:48am

I saw this on Good Morning America this morning. I think Wal-Mart should have their pants sued off of them! This is ridiculous. Think twice before taking any cute half nude pictures of your children and taking them some place to be developed. None of the pictures shown were child porn. Stupid Wal-Mart!


http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Weekend/parents-sue-wal-mart-children-bath-time-photos/Story?id=8622696&page=2




Edited 9/21/2009 11:50 am ET by claddagh49
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-09-2001
Tue, 09-22-2009 - 11:01am

The family is the victim here, I agree. Victimized by big gov't and Wal-mart over-zealousness. Big bully gov't is *not* the way to go, powered by fear and paranoia. But I think that is just what happened in this case.

You know, I still think child pornographers *know* they are producing immoral smut. And the reason same exists and is so widespread is that these sick people *know* how to disseminate *and* obtain these photos, right under the noses of paranoid retailers and gov't. So, I still don't think the majority of these sickos are having their smut developed by regular retail photo services. This family was victimized by over-zealous paranoia, nothing more, nothing less. The gov't and it's use of retailers for finger pointing, should really scale back this invasion of private lives in these kinds of scenarios. Walmart? (eye roll)



Blessings,

Gypsy

)O(





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"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night.

It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime.

It is the little shadow which runs across the grass

and loses itself in the sunset.



- Crowfoot, Blackfoot warrior and orator



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Dog fighting is cruelty, which is a human activity and a human illness.

It's not the dog's fault.

All dogs need to be evaluated as individuals."

--Tim Racer, one of BAD RAP's founders



http://www.badrap.org/rescue/



Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket Photobucket



Mika Dog




"All things share the same breath;

the beast, the tree, the man.

The Air shares its spirit with

all the life it supports."

--Chief Seattle



"If there are no dogs in Heaven,

then when I die I want to go where they went."

~Will Rogers



"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress

can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

~~Mahatma Gandhi





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"Life is a state of mind." ~~from Being There.



Blessings,

Gypsy

)O(



iVillage Member
Registered: 03-09-2001
Tue, 09-22-2009 - 11:03am

***" don't want it to be the clerk's definition. Pass it on the authorities and let them decide, even if it means you'll be ridiculed for being paranoid."***

You know what?! The stupid gov't doesn't have a clue either, as is obvious in this case with this family.



Blessings,

Gypsy

)O(





Photobucket



"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night.

It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime.

It is the little shadow which runs across the grass

and loses itself in the sunset.



- Crowfoot, Blackfoot warrior and orator



Photobucket Photobucket



Dog fighting is cruelty, which is a human activity and a human illness.

It's not the dog's fault.

All dogs need to be evaluated as individuals."

--Tim Racer, one of BAD RAP's founders



http://www.badrap.org/rescue/



Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket Photobucket



Mika Dog




"All things share the same breath;

the beast, the tree, the man.

The Air shares its spirit with

all the life it supports."

--Chief Seattle



"If there are no dogs in Heaven,

then when I die I want to go where they went."

~Will Rogers



"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress

can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

~~Mahatma Gandhi





Photobucket



"Life is a state of mind." ~~from Being There.



Blessings,

Gypsy

)O(



iVillage Member
Registered: 03-09-2001
Tue, 09-22-2009 - 11:10am

***"I said I think it was CNN. (A link to CNN??) I was watching news on television; I watch a lot of stations. Maybe CNN didn’t think the lawsuit was worth posting a link about."***

Thanks for the reply. I *know* you said you "think" it was CNN and that you saw *something* on the TV. I *did* read your post. Since the information you posted indicated that maybe there *were* photos that were possibly porno, one would think that should be a big enough story that I would find something with a Google search of the Net if not on CNN. But there was *nothing.* I did find this this morning, however:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfmoms/detail?entry_id=48024

So, it seems to me the gov't people looking at this family's photos, had their heads up their rears and smut on the brain, as did Walmart, that blinded them to their mis-interpreting the photos in the first place. JMO, of course. Perhaps more information will be forthcoming. If I find anything further, I will post a link to it.



Blessings,

Gypsy

)O(





Photobucket



"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night.

It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime.

It is the little shadow which runs across the grass

and loses itself in the sunset.



- Crowfoot, Blackfoot warrior and orator



Photobucket Photobucket



Dog fighting is cruelty, which is a human activity and a human illness.

It's not the dog's fault.

All dogs need to be evaluated as individuals."

--Tim Racer, one of BAD RAP's founders



http://www.badrap.org/rescue/



Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket Photobucket



Mika Dog




"All things share the same breath;

the beast, the tree, the man.

The Air shares its spirit with

all the life it supports."

--Chief Seattle



"If there are no dogs in Heaven,

then when I die I want to go where they went."

~Will Rogers



"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress

can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

~~Mahatma Gandhi





Photobucket



"Life is a state of mind." ~~from Being There.



Blessings,

Gypsy

)O(



iVillage Member
Registered: 03-09-2001
Tue, 09-22-2009 - 11:18am

Thanks for the update! :) So... first they said there were photos of evil objectionable genetalia, etc., and then the judge said there were not.

***"The Demarees, who held a news conference on Friday, insist that the photographs were simply innocent bath- and playtime snapshots of the girls, who ranged in age from 1 1/2 to 5. A judge agreed with their description, and the couple regained legal custody of their kids in May."***

So, a JUDGE also thought the investigators and Walmart had their heads up their butts, and saw something in the photos THAT WASN'T EVEN THERE. Gov't run amok yet again! :O

***"According to one of the investigating officers, "The photographs depicted three young girls in various states of nudity, and several of the pictures depicted close-up views of the girls' genitalia."

The report also quoted the Walmart photo clerk as saying the photos went beyond what she considered "normal" child bath-time photography." ***

So, the clerk *did* make a judgment call to pass the photos on. And I'm sure the clerk was an "expert" on it all, too. (eye roll)

This whole travesty is an example of gov't run amok. It took a JUDGE to figure out the photos weren't porno, so just how "expert" were the investigators in recognizing porno? Not very, obviously. And certainly not Walmart.



Blessings,

Gypsy

)O(





Photobucket



"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night.

It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime.

It is the little shadow which runs across the grass

and loses itself in the sunset.



- Crowfoot, Blackfoot warrior and orator



Photobucket Photobucket



Dog fighting is cruelty, which is a human activity and a human illness.

It's not the dog's fault.

All dogs need to be evaluated as individuals."

--Tim Racer, one of BAD RAP's founders



http://www.badrap.org/rescue/



Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket Photobucket



Mika Dog




"All things share the same breath;

the beast, the tree, the man.

The Air shares its spirit with

all the life it supports."

--Chief Seattle



"If there are no dogs in Heaven,

then when I die I want to go where they went."

~Will Rogers



"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress

can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

~~Mahatma Gandhi





Photobucket



"Life is a state of mind." ~~from Being There.



Blessings,

Gypsy

)O(



Community Leader
Registered: 04-05-2002
Tue, 09-22-2009 - 11:51am
I'm having a personal dilemma along these lines as child abuse goes. We have a neighbor whose mother lives with them. They're not from this country. She has confided in me that her son in law abuses the kids, not sexually but beats them. She is constantly complaining about him. I have no other evidence so I'm afraid to contact the authorities. The kids seem to have a good rapport with the dad and I see them out playing together all the time. If there is nothing going on, I'll be accused to being paranoid and living in a police state. OTOH, I'd feel terrible if I did nothing and it was found to be true. Where do you draw the line as a public citizen? Spying on the neighbors? But the safety of the children is important. What if I reported them, they took away the children for a month, only to return them and I get sued? What if I don't and become one of those neighbors complicit in remaining silence while they thought abuse was happening? Am I being paranoid or concerned?










Community Leader
Registered: 04-05-2002
Tue, 09-22-2009 - 11:53am
I'm sure THEIR lawyer released the most egregious pictures. Not. He's playing it for all its worth because he has a big jackpot at the end.










Community Leader
Registered: 04-05-2002
Tue, 09-22-2009 - 11:58am
Thanks--that sheds somewhat more light on it. I'll be curious to see what really happened.










Community Leader
Registered: 04-05-2002
Tue, 09-22-2009 - 12:10pm
I'm disappointed that Wal-Mart would have a policy that would have the clerks decide. I think the policy should be any pictures could be turned over. I wonder if this will make all people decide never to turn in pictures regardless.










iVillage Member
Registered: 03-09-2001
Tue, 09-22-2009 - 12:15pm
IMO, it's not your business to report them, based on the information that you've posted, given all you have is what the woman told you. You, yourself, have witnessed nothing at all, right? If this woman feels that strongly, give her the phone # and let *her* make the call. You have no evidence, have not observed personally bruises visible on the kids, a lot of screaming and crying in fear or pain, right? Kids going to emergency a lot, etc.? I wouldn't call it in, unless the noise level was so high it interfered with my life, too. Or, if *you* saw something, obviously. Then I'd complain on that basis. Otherwise, no, I would not recommend that you call the cops. Unless this woman *specifically* asks YOU to make the call for her. And promises she will tell the authorities that *she* asked you to call on her behalf. Otherwise, no, I would not make the call just on my own, given what little you have posted and that you have observed nothing yourself.


Blessings,

Gypsy

)O(





Photobucket



"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night.

It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime.

It is the little shadow which runs across the grass

and loses itself in the sunset.



- Crowfoot, Blackfoot warrior and orator



Photobucket Photobucket



Dog fighting is cruelty, which is a human activity and a human illness.

It's not the dog's fault.

All dogs need to be evaluated as individuals."

--Tim Racer, one of BAD RAP's founders



http://www.badrap.org/rescue/



Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket Photobucket



Mika Dog




"All things share the same breath;

the beast, the tree, the man.

The Air shares its spirit with

all the life it supports."

--Chief Seattle



"If there are no dogs in Heaven,

then when I die I want to go where they went."

~Will Rogers



"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress

can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

~~Mahatma Gandhi





Photobucket



"Life is a state of mind." ~~from Being There.



Blessings,

Gypsy

)O(



iVillage Member
Registered: 03-09-2001
Tue, 09-22-2009 - 12:18pm

***"I'm sure THEIR lawyer released the most egregious pictures. Not. He's playing it for all its worth because he has a big jackpot at the end."***

If you read the update, a *JUDGE* disagreed with the investigators findings that the photos collected were in any way, pornography. And ruled there was no evidence of child abuse porno. So that backs up the released photo from the lawyer, IMO, and not just typical lawyer slanted "strategy."



Blessings,

Gypsy

)O(





Photobucket



"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night.

It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime.

It is the little shadow which runs across the grass

and loses itself in the sunset.



- Crowfoot, Blackfoot warrior and orator



Photobucket Photobucket



Dog fighting is cruelty, which is a human activity and a human illness.

It's not the dog's fault.

All dogs need to be evaluated as individuals."

--Tim Racer, one of BAD RAP's founders



http://www.badrap.org/rescue/



Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket Photobucket



Mika Dog




"All things share the same breath;

the beast, the tree, the man.

The Air shares its spirit with

all the life it supports."

--Chief Seattle



"If there are no dogs in Heaven,

then when I die I want to go where they went."

~Will Rogers



"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress

can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

~~Mahatma Gandhi





Photobucket



"Life is a state of mind." ~~from Being There.



Blessings,

Gypsy

)O(