After the recent Abby Sunderland debacle, another youth is about to try and sail around the world single handed - fourteen year old Laura Dekker.
Can't we as a society prevent this?
My country's (Australia) search and rescue service spent a ridiculous amount of time and money saving Abby: I don't begrudge Abby her life but I must condemn the stupidity of the whole exercise.

The parents are not doing their job and emergency services are not cheap. I suggest that we publicly and loudly sue the pants off these parents - perhaps then they (and others like them) might get the message that it is NOT okay.

Why can't these people put their energies into outdoing each other in a more positive, humanistic endeavour - helping provide clean water for poor people or something?
At least they won't need air sea rescue for that.

( Personal note: I just quit smoking. finally. I'm grouchy, right? . . . . . and this subject DOES deserve a good swift kick.)