I'm struck by the juxtaposition of several local news stories today, and what they say about the state of things for children in our society.

Unfortunately, there's lots of bad news today about adults doing horrible things to kids. In Baltimore County, a mother is going on trial today in the death of her son, who allegedly was starved to death because he wouldn't say "amen" after dinner. A Calvert County mother is charged with murder in the deaths of two of her daughters, whose bodies were found in a freezer last year.

But this news gives me hope for humanity: a crew of prisoners entertained a little boy who, missing from his family, was found walking alone along a busy road in western Maryland. The inmates, supervised by a correctional officer, shared their lunches with the boy and played with him until his family could be found.

Children can bring out the best in people, even people who've done bad things. Unfortunately, they are also the innocent victims of adults at their worst.