Recent Attacks Have Ruined Outdoor Recreation For Some

The limited time to enjoy the warm Michigan outdoors is upon us.

It’s your chance to get outside, go hiking and camping, play and have plenty of fun. It’s like a long, cold then rainy dream finally came true.

Well, for a few local people, the beginning of the warm weather has been what many would call a nightmare.

On May 28,. Police said it is unclear whether the men were after the girls or the scooter they were playing with.

According to the police report, around 7 p.m. Saturday the girls reported they ran home and went inside to tell their parents about the situation. The father told police that he came out of the residence and observed two males running toward the vehicle. They initially picked up the scooter and tried to load it into the vehicle, he reported, but then left it and fled the scene.

I can’t believe two young girls playing near their home in Fenton in the evening have to worry about being attacked.

Nothing bad happened, but those girls will think about that situation every time they are outside and a car drives by, and it's a shame. Those men took some of their innocence. They took away some of their childhood.

If it was one isolated incident this spring, I might say, well, things like that are bound to happen in the crazy world we live in.

However, there were also a couple of other attacks during Memorial Day weekend, the Oakland Press reports.

According to an article in Wednesday’s Oakland Press, two 10-year-olds and a 6-year-old were walking on a trail at Proud Lake Recreation Area in Commerce Township, not too far from their father, with plenty of people around, during the day.

However, the article stated that a man came up behind them and pulled one of the girl's pants down. One of the other girls tried to stop him but was struck in the face and fell down. The Oakland Press report said the man then ran off after the girls screamed.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Department is still trying to locate the attacker.

The outdoors is supposed to be a place of peace, calm and relaxation. If that is taken away, is there any place where kids can be kids?

Another incident at a state park occurred Memorial Day in the area, the Oakland Press reported.

Police received 12 911 calls from near the beach house at Seven Lakes State Park in Holly Township after a reported stabbing around 5:30 p.m. The Oakland Press reported one caller told police two people started fighting with knives and that someone had been cut. Deputies responded but found no one at the scene.

How’s that for a relaxing day on the lake?

I have always enjoyed the outdoors. If it’s nice out and I’m inside, I feel guilty, as if I owe Mother Nature to enjoy her treasures, whether it’s camping, kayaking, playing or just sitting. One thing I’ve never thought about is being attacked.

It’s too bad these people involved in the incidents will have these negative thoughts the next time they go outside and likely for the rest of the summer and years to come.

Instead of having high relaxation levels, they’ll be on high alert, and that’s heartbreaking.