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Why you don't get a lot of opportunities to do something extraordinary. You can hit by a car tomorrow.
I remember local news covering this girl. Plus she was on the radio. She definitely sounded very convincing and confident. She sounded more expert in sailing than she did David Stern about the NBA. Still, it makes it where you have to examine what exactly is "too young" for what? A smart alecky kid can say "Let a 15 year old sail around the world, but I can't get a driver's license?" "Let a 15 year old sail around the world, but I can't go to a party on land?
I don't agree. The World gets to where it is by the courage, wisdom, spirit of these pioneers, those who push the envelopes. The World would still be in the dark ages if everyone is like you.
I think this whole situation is totally irresponsible. I usually would think something like this would have a larger motor boat following her incase of an emergency that she isn't able to send out?
Because I wouldn't go across the world alone? Christopher Columbus had a crew. It was Lewis and Clark, not just Lewis.
While it isn't possible to protect your kids from every potential threat, and possibly not wise, this was a crazy thing for her parents to allow. Don't think they don't realize that now. They do, regardless of what they might say to the media. Let the kids become adults and then they can put themselves at risk without your permission. The parents had to be active participants in this misadventure. It was stupid, in my opinion. Let's hope she's OK.
If most govenrments don't trust 16 year olds to fight wars, pay taxes, or live on their own, then they shouldn't be able to sail the world alone.
Kurgan: I have something to say! It's better to burn out than to fade away! sincerely, Seriously . . . comparison to the pioneers is ridiculous Courage - Yes Wisdom - no spirit of the Pioneers - NO! Discovering something new? No Exploring the unknown? No Doing something foolish for fame. glory and to say you did it? Yes haven't read the whole story . . . maybe she was raising awareness and money for cancer But it was foolish. Being Brave is one thing . . .but one can be Brave and Foolish Rocket River
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Wrong ... wrong and wrong ... It's more than just sailing the world ocean ... When you say no to one thing, you can't possibly know to say yes to others. This 16 yr old are more mature and has better skills to carry out this task then many who are older. If a person is prepared for it, age does not matter. If a person is not, you can be a 100 yr old and can't possibly accomplish what she can. "It's better to burn out than to fade away! " has more truth than most of us will experience in our lifetime. What is one life if you don't accomplish anything special? Millions like you can pass on and the World would not notice nor affected in the least bit.
There was no need for her to do this though. No real purpose other than fame or a sense of self accomplishment. I think life is special in itself. And as for your comment:
I think we should let 16-year olds do whatever the hell they want. I mean, they ALWAYS make rational and well thought out decisions based on their vast life experiences. What could possibly go wrong?
Here is the link to the official blog that was documenting her trip.... Link: http://soloround.blogspot.com/ Here is the last post on the blog detailing the last communcations with this girl:
she had the guts and went for the glory. credit to her. i'm sure she knew the risks. there are alot things i say i wanna do, but too lazy or chicken **** to do it. if she's dead, at least she died trying.
If it is MORE THAN SAILING AROUND THE OCEAN please explain it to me . . . Question - How does her traveling around the world in a boat . .. . AFFECT the world more than . . . millions like me simply doing our d*mn jobs and living our lives? Rocket River
Not to trivialize her danger, but these 'records' sound like trivial rich kid hobbies. Don't get me wrong, I'm not attacking this because she's wealthy (which I'm assuming since sailing isn't exactly cheap), and I'm sure she was proficient and passionate about it. If this was a goal she set for herself, great. But few care about these records, nothing is gained besides a personal experience, and so it all boils down to a purely recreational activity. To compare this to historic explorers is a stretch, to say the least. I guess the parents wanted her to accomplish her dream, but it's their goal to weigh the risks and protect her in these situations. In this case the best protection was probably not letting her go in the first place.
