Dutch court rules against 14 year old solo sailing trip

[pam]

Good on the court. I can't imagine parents even considering letting a 14 year old girl do this.

Has setting records become more important?

Dutch court rules against girl's solo sailing trip - CNN.com

[Charlyc]

It should be consider based on sailing ability, although 14 is a bit young in my book.

[Mahone]

Some young people are capable of the most extraordinary feats. While the average parental assessment would obviously return the answer "no, she should not be going"; her parents know her better than anyone else and as her father is an experienced sailor himself I'm sure he is capable of judging her ability better than most. Forgetting her age for the moment, I would also imagine (with her family background) she has been sailing since she was a toddler. That's almost 14 years experience.

[Just_A_Guy]

There's a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old Aussie girl making an attempt right now - I've linked to her site elsewhere, I think.

Would I let my kid try it? No.

Am I comfortable with government telling parents what their kids can and can't do? In principle, no.

There's an old saying in legal circles that "hard cases make bad law".

[pam]

The thing is though..You allow a 14 year old..then a 13 year old wants to do it to become the youngest..then a 12 year old...Somewhere you have to draw a line.

[Soul_Searcher]

I wouldn't let my daughter do it if I had one. I worry when my hubbys home 5 mins late and he's a fully grown 30 year old, never mind a 14 year old sailing alone round the world, even is she WAS experienced.

[Vort]

Good on the court. I can't imagine parents even considering letting a 14 year old girl do this.

Has setting records become more important?

Dutch court rules against girl's solo sailing trip - CNN.com

I disagree. I hate European courts. They are as corrupt as the day is long. This is the same mentality that the German courts show when jailing parents who homeschool and not allowing parents to hold their children out of pro-homosexuality classes and such.

I don't necessarily agree with the parents' decision to allow their daughter to sail around the world, but this is outside the borders of the country. It's not like they're selling her into prostitution in southeast Asia or letting her do drugs abroad (which, ironically, might well be legal). This is purely a case of a government deciding, without compelling cause, that it can parent a child better than the parents.

[Charlyc]

There's a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old Aussie girl making an attempt right now - I've linked to her site elsewhere, I think.

...

There's an old saying in legal circles that "hard cases make bad law".

Yes, Jessica Watson Jessica Watson - youngest ever to sail around the world who also loves the publicity. But on her first attempt she ran into a cargo ship, damaged her yacht and had to return, all cause she was asleep and didn't have her radar set up properly. And she's been sailing all her life, so its still a difficult issue this one.

But then a 17 year old boy did the trip 2 or 3 years back, still holds that record, but no one questioned him. They saluted him and he was all over the media as a hero. People say that's because he's a boy and Jessica doesn't seem to be Just modern day sexism I say.

[Moksha]

Wonder if an ardent libertarian would let his 14 year old drive around the world in the family Buick?

[Just_A_Guy]

Some would argue that making long passages at sea singlehanded ought to be illegal because maintaining a twenty-four lookout under such circumstances is impossible. But that would apply to people of any age, IMHO.

Moksha, the essence of libertarianism is not imposing your personal/family's choices on others.

[pam]

I disagree. I hate European courts. They are as corrupt as the day is long. This is the same mentality that the German courts show when jailing parents who homeschool and not allowing parents to hold their children out of pro-homosexuality classes and such.

I don't necessarily agree with the parents' decision to allow their daughter to sail around the world, but this is outside the borders of the country. It's not like they're selling her into prostitution in southeast Asia or letting her do drugs abroad (which, ironically, might well be legal). This is purely a case of a government deciding, without compelling cause, that it can parent a child better than the parents.

To me it doesn't have anything to do with being a Dutch court, an English Court or a US Court. Again, somewhere along the line you have to draw a line on this.

[Guest xforeverxmetalx]

maybe there does need to be a line but... why let the government do it?

I agree with whoever said that the parents know their kids best, it should be up to them. there are extremely young kids out there doing kinds of work our society wouldn't allow... doesn't mean that they're completely incapable of certain things.

if it were up to me... I'd probably let the kid do some test runs closer to home first, then see about whatever more. but not an easy decision of course.

[pam]

Because some parents are also into if for the publicity. Case in point the balloon kid.

[Guest xforeverxmetalx]

sad but true...

doesn't mean that's good enough reason to say a kid can't follow their dreams though, it just means their parents need to get their priorities in order