DEAR ABBY: My friend of eight years has her 55-year-old son living with her. She has been driving a man around who she told me is a friend of her son’s and she knows his family. What she never mentioned is that he’s a registered violent sex offender who was just released from prison.
She knows how I feel about this issue. Sex offenders are not allowed where we live because there are children here. I am very upset, and I told her to never call me again or come to my home. She brought the man to her home for a cookout. Children live on both sides of her. She has been trying to talk to me, but I have walked away. I feel hurt and lied to. She seems to not care about protecting the children in the neighborhood. What should I do here? — INCENSED IN INDIANA
DEAR INCENSED: Do the responsible thing. For the safety of those children, inform the police that a neighbor has been bringing a registered violent sex offender to her home in spite of the fact that minor children live on either side of her. The authorities can take it from there.
DEAR ABBY: My niece and I have always had a strong bond. Her son and his wife were expecting a baby. Most of my family knew, but they didn’t want to tell anyone until she reached her second trimester.
My niece told me. I was supposed to keep it a secret. I have been depressed because my son is going through a divorce and my psychiatrist put me on a new medication. While I was on the medication, for some reason I forgot about keeping it a secret and sent a text to her son congratulating him.