Baltimore crime beat blogger Peter Hermann has an interesting post on a group of Cub Scouts from Bethesda whose cars were broken into while they were visiting Baltimore's National Aquarium. The police were sent to the wrong address, but the kids and their chaperones didn't know that's why no one showed up to help them. The adults tried to explain what happened on the way home, and to put it into perspective.

Peter asks whether fifth-graders could understand the distinction between "hurting a car" and "hurting a person." Yes, I say. Definitely.

He also wonders what you would have told your kids, who may believe the police are infallible, in this case. I would have hauled out my "everybody makes mistakes" chestnut. (Usually this is how I'm using it: "Everybody makes mistakes -- even Mommy.")