WOW. Kids are not really smart

[fett]

This was no accident. It was a deliberate act by a group of kids that turned out tragically. To call it an accident is to not blame. I blame the kids.

[toejam]

EDIT: I can't get with the "kid should have known better, fuck him, he deserves to die" mentality that is so pervasive here.

I never said that. I said it's most likely the fault of the parents and their lack of parenting skills. They'll probably be assholes and try to sue the TV station for playing the cartoon, too.

[Bengal]

fett,
Understand the concequences or not, it's a horrible accident. What does it matter if he knew it could kill him or not? Does it make it better if he did? Maybe to those saying snide comments here it does but to me it doesn't. It's still a horrible accident. And yes, I'm calling it an accident. I see in one of your posts (#9) you don't think it should be. What should it be called? Negligent homicide? Against whom? The parents or his friends?

Either way a kid is fighting for his life. I don't really care what he thought he knew or didn't before the incident happened.

EDIT: I can't get with the "kid should have known better, fuck him, he deserves to die" mentality that is so pervasive here.

[fett]

Bengal. We obviously have a different conception on how much a kid has the ability to understand consequences. For me, once a kid hits 5, they know. Did the parents fuck up on this one? No. Did the parents cause an attractive hazzard? No.Can there be an adult there all the time. No. Kids, with all the shit they see on TV and all the warnings they get should know better. And, yes, they are kids. And that is the one part that should scare the shit out of us.

[Bengal]

We are not talking suffocation here. That would mean that the pressure was so great on his torso that he couldn't breathe. I read it as he "drowned" in sand, rather than he suffocated.

But fine, blame the kid for being stupid. I still think it's tragic and feel for his family. But I guess I'm in the minority. Cool. That's one I don't mind being in.

Hopefully this kind of thing never happens to you. But if it does, I hope you don't have to read some comments like I've read here.

[JacksonDean]

I'm pretty sure I knew I could drown in water and that being buried under sand/dirt would suffocate me when I was a kid.

Yeah, I'm going with you and Fett on this one. I knew this easily in first grade with my first official swim lessons, and probably earlier through other things. I mean I've had my face full of sand and dirt a lot (and just when I thought I'd never end up doing that again, I joined the Marine Corps... go figure).

[Bengal]

I'm pretty sure I knew I could drown in water and that being buried under sand/dirt would suffocate me when I was a kid.

But I can see to a kid how water and sand could be thought of as different. Drown in sand? That could sound very strange to a young child.

[Bengal]

I raised babifett, my son Keith, by myself. His mom was dying from MS before he was born. She died when he was 5. Don't you dare question how much I care about children.

Back up fett, that's not what I was saying at all. This damn typed word is hard to convey intent. I didn't say you don't care about your kids. It's quite obvious you do.

What I was going to say is if you've raised a kid you'd know how guilable they are. It's not a fault, it's just what it is.

[toejam]

I'm pretty sure I knew I could drown in water and that being buried under sand/dirt would suffocate me when I was a kid.

[fett]

fett,
This discussion does beg the question, did you raise your kids?

I raised babifett, my son Keith, by myself. His mom was dying from MS before he was born. She died when he was 5. Don't you dare question how much I care about children.

[Bengal]

I'm not heartless at all. I tried in my trailerpark to remind the kids of the hazzards with cars. I told the kids about the sun hitting a car's windshield. But this incident is way different. These kids were talked into doing a very stupid thing. What's the next stunt? Let's see how long I can keep my head under water with a hand, sand, holding me down.

I'm still not seeing your point. Kids were talked into doing a stupid thing? That's par for the course when your young. Maybe it wasn't in your hippie-california-lovein 50's and 60's but times started changing in the 70's. Kids get talked into doing stupid shit all the time.

I'm trying to think if I've told my kids that they can't breathe under sand. I really don't think I have. I guess I'll have to do that when I get home.

[fett]

I'm not heartless at all. I tried in my trailerpark to remind the kids of the hazzards with cars. I told the kids about the sun hitting a car's windshield. But this incident is way different. These kids were talked into doing a very stupid thing. What's the next stunt? Let's see how long I can keep my head under water with a hand, sand, holding me down.

[Bengal]

fett,
This discussion does beg the question, did you raise your kids?

[StukaJU87]

Let's see if I can remember some of the stupid things I did as a young kid growing up in Rutherford, NJ.

Swam in the storm drain next to the Erie railroad tracks in a torrential downpour.

Swam in the intersection of Union Ave and Wood Ave when it was flooded after a heavy rain.

Chopped down an assload of trees along the railroad tracks with no logging experience.

Threw huge hunks of ice and snow at passing cars on Erie Ave, then hid in my friend's attic.

Threw crabapples at the bus driver along Union Ave and hit him in the face once when his window was open.

Hit a baseball into the windshield of the bus along Union Ave. (by mistake)

Rode shopping carts down Washington Hill, routinely.

Rode sleds down Washington Steep.

That is just some shit I could think of off the top of my head that could have caused injury or death to myself or others. Kids do stupid things. It is a fact of life.

[Bengal]

These kids are old enough to know. I don't buy this kids will be kids stuff. Not anymore. This ain't the'50's.

OK, and I'm calling you heartless.