A man was arrested on murder charges Tuesday in the Mother's Day stabbings of his 8-year-old daughter and the little girl's best friend, who were killed after they went biking in a park.

Before that, A convicted sex offender was charged in the slaying of young Florida girl. The partially clothed body of Sarah Lunde  was found last month after a week-long search. The 13-year-old had returned home from a church trip when she went missing.

And before that, The mother and stepfather of a 3-year-old girl known as "Precious Doe," whose body was found decapitated, will be extradited to Missouri. Michelle and Harrell Johnson, who had been living in Muskogee, Oklahoma, are accused of killing the little girl, who`s real name is Erica Green. Erica was only 3 when she was murdered. Her body was found near an intersection in Kansas City, Missouri on April 28, 2001, but it wasn`t until several days later that police found her severed head.

And these are just the ones we hear about ... picture the ones we don't hear about.

It's official? Our children are under attack.

America, there's nothing worse that knowing that your child is taking a risk at a school bus stop, playground and even a walk down the sidewalk with friends. Our children are being treated as sex objects, pets, only to be used, thrown on the side of the road, or killed and thrown into the bushes. When did we get like this? How has our society come to this? We see more cases of sexual abuse against our children than ever before.

It seems like more and more each day I turn on the TV there's another case of children being abused or killed. It's things like this that should put your household into perspective. I have two sons, and I hug them every night and every morning I head to work, because nowadays, you just don't know.

It's a two-fold problem: As a parent, you want to give your children a normal life of growing up. On the other side, you don't want to be too overprotective, but in today's world, if you're not, someone will take advantage of it.

So what do we do? Stay aware, keep a broad perspective on your living enviornment. Attempt to get to know your neighbors, because everyone is not evil. Yes, there are a few good people left in this world, and those few need to band together and save the one future that even now is uncertain to an extent? our children.

They are the immortality of our own, and we should take more responsibility as a country, as a state, as a county, and as a town to look after our "little people". For those that are, keep up the good work, and for those who feel that "it will never happen here," I'll pray for your children.

It's negligence like this that will bring tragedy to a community.

We all have a flaw similar to that, and we must work on it. Those that are out to hurt the children of this country are taking advantage of our "dropping the ball."

So what's the solution? Awareness ... teach our kids street smarts, and let them know that this world isn't a world that's totally safe. Good common sense begins in youth.

Mothers, hold your kids at night, tell them you love them. Fathers, do the same.

I am not bitter, are you interested?

Email me at navjoallen@yahoo.com. with your thoughts and I'll be sure to respond to them in my next column. Please leave your name and state so that readers can see who's responding from where. Good or Bad, I accept it all.