Jessica Dubroff.
-PJ
Posted on 06/10/2010 1:34:22 PM PDT by Jotmo
Her parents’ post said the beacon was switched on manually.
Even with all that and a working beacon, good grief, it is difficult to find a little liferaft in a big ocean.
That’s still darn dangerous.
No debate on that. Its darn dangerous.
yeah, it’s a little self-indulgent. Granted.
But after reading lots of posts on both sides, I’m gonna go ahead and root for her. Sure, she could die. Well, so what? Thousands of teens die every year from drugs and drinking and car wrecks, IMHO much more stupid and self-indulgent and *pointless* things. We can afford one more, and it’s far from being the stupidest way she could die.
And yes... people will put their lives on the line to rescue her. Yep. As a former Coastie I got to help rescue lots of pretty stupid people. I didn’t mind a bit.
If only more of her generation found as much interest in something like sailing as they do with video games, drugs, stupid music, ecstasy, sex... I don’t think it would be a bad trade.
Anyway... My .02
I hope she is found and is safe.
My biggest objection is that she's out there in peril only because of a WANT. Not a need. And if the worst happens, do you think it will be comforting to a 16 year old that she was doing what she WANTED? I don't. For an older person, maybe. But not a kid.
How many soldiers were 16 throughout our American history? I understand that legally she is not an adult, but that doesn’t mean that 16 year olds are children.
And how many parents hand their children a vehicle and a cell phone putting ALL of our lives in danger? No screaming about how horrible parents are then.
From the perspective of a parent, I think her folks are complete idiots.
Yes, it’s a want, not a need. Like I said, if only more kids her age wanted more than they seem to, I think we’d be better off.
Of course it’s crazy. Her odds are against her. She may very likely die. Well... all I’m saying is that among her generation lots more kids come up with far more pointless ways to die than that. Hers, at least, will be a pretty damn remarkable story if she survives it.
Maybe we should send *all* of our 16 year-olds out on the sea alone for a while. Only the survivors get a shot at finishing their lives. Might not be *all* bad... :-)
I was not addressing mental health or child abuse laws.
That's good ... I hope those others who were addressing it that way ... will take notice of what I was saying though.
This child is on a self-indulgent trip that may now harm others. There is nothing noble or heroic about this kids trip.
That could be said about all sorts of "adventurers" too. They could all be considered self-indulgent, doing those things, just so they could say that they did it or to show "it could be done" ... age doesn't matter on that one.
And likewise, whenever you have some adventurer get into some kind of trouble, it always causes risks to a number of other rescuers who come to their aid. That's the way it's always been.
I used to live close to Mount Hood (in Oregon) and you would have rescues that would go on there periodically too. It was just part of having a mountain there. You could count on rescues going on, all the time.
Or, at the Oregon Coast, there would be climbers who would get stuck on some rocky outcropping at the beach, when they were climbing where most people wouldn't go. You would have rescuers coming. Or, if you went fishing in your 17-footer, out in the ocean (some people wouldn't take a small boat like that) and they might have to be rescued out in the ocean. Or you get people who are on the rapids (in some river in Oregon) and they would have to be rescued from some problem where they got trapped in a bad position or place in the river.
You might as well get rid of all the outdoor sports and activities and recreation and "adventures" if you're going to talk like that ... :-)
And I don't see that changing any time soon.
It now appears the brain continues to change into the early 20's with the frontal lobes, responsible for reasoning and problem solving, developing last.
LOL ... I just got off a thread about "home-schoolers" where a lot of parents would be "right here" disputing with you about that, telling you that their kid of 14 years old (in being "homeschooled") is as capable and knowledgable and can make as good if not better decisions than those of 20 years old ... :-) ...
I would agree with you there about that decision making process... but I gotta laugh here, because I got "set straight" by a lot of those "homeschoolers" that this was not the case at all ... with their 14 year old kid ... hoo-boy!
I could have used you on that discussion ... I'll call you in next time ... LOL ...
I understand that her “want” is better than drugs etc and a loftier “want”. But it’s still a selfindulgent want. At 16 is she even thinking of death? REALLY cognizant of the consequences? Most kids think they’re bullet proof.
Its not as though brains and guts will be enough to survive on.
And she is a minor. Parents are supposed to protect their kids from ill advised choices, not facilitate them.
They aren't 16 years old with little concept of the consequences. She can SAY she understands but the realization of mortality comes with age. These threads have several freepers saying that they did things as a young person that they would NEVER do now.
I would agree with you there about that decision making process... but I gotta laugh here, because I got "set straight" by a lot of those "homeschoolers" that this was not the case at all ... with their 14 year old kid ... hoo-boy!
Being smart has little to do with making mature, sensible choices. Few adults will deny themselves and will make dumb choices at times.
I will say that most homeschooled kids are better "grounded" than kids in public schools, surrounded by MTV, peer pressure etc.
Yup. It’s scary thinking of that little girl out there alone.
//child endangerment//
Of course it was, but it happens all the time.
Remember the 14 year kid trying to set some sort of flying record a few years back. He had an adult in the co-pilot seat but on one leg they took of way to overgross stalled crashed and died.
There has been probably at least a hundred of these incidents in the last 10 or 20 years.
She was out there in worse conditions than I have ever been in and it can get pretty rough outside the Bay of San Francisco.
I have seen footage of sailboats sinking in 40 seconds if that long.
The legal age of emancipation by court order in California is 14.
Abby Sunderland has the rights under the law of the State of California to make her own decisions.
Keep that in mind.
I have been impressed by both her (and her brother’s) spirit.
6 days without seeing anyone is better than running into the wrong person.
Really nice boat she had, looks like a J class to me.
Jessica Dubroff.
-PJ
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