<p>This is tragic. My heart goes out to the family. Every parents’ worse nightmare.</p>
<p>Barrons, are you liked and loved in real life? Or is the frequent arrogant, cold and nasty tone you express just an on-line persona?</p>
<p>Barrons: I have to agree with you 100%.</p>
<p>I hate when people call these incidents tragic. </p>
<p>It is the same thing when someone who was drinking and driving and dies. Most people feel so sorry for the person.</p>
<p>I feel sorry for the family, but I don’t feel sorry for the person being senseless.</p>
<p>
[quote]
trag⋅ic /ˈtr</p>
<p>A tragedy is actually defined as when superior forces outside the control of a person (often a great person) cause that person great harm. Your tautological definitions really say nothing. </p>
<p>football100-you get it exactly. Feel badly for the family. It was not their fault and they have to deal with it.</p>
<p>My wife deals with cancer patients. Most of them did nothing to get the disease and many will die–often way before their time leaving young children and wives behind. That makes me feel very sad. That’s tragic.</p>
<p>PLEASE STOP using this as an opportunity to preach! Do you not understand? It’s far too soon for the friends and family of this boy to want to use his story as a lesson! It is a tragedy that he died. I’m looking at a Facebook group dedicated to his memory that has 275 members. That’s at least 275 people who are mourning his death. Do you think they want to hear you lecture about this? Please, for the sake of his family and friends, STOP.</p>
<p>May Almighty God take him into his loving arms and grant his family and friends comfort and grace in these horrible days. How very, very sad. Such promise, now over in tragedy.</p>
<p>Your insensitivity to the feeling of loss or sadness of others… that’s tragic.</p>
<p>
This “preaching” is what ends up saving lives. Imagine how many young peoples’ lives have been saved by D.A.R.E. programs. This youth’s death might have been prevented had he been aware of the dangers of experimenting with alcohol or drugs while five stories above the ground. <em>That</em> is what’s truly tragic.</p>
<p>I offer all condolences to his friends and family, and I mean no dishonor to the deceased, but working to prevent future fatalities is the best thing we can do.</p>
<p>I would say most of the preaching goes in one ear and out the other. The only thing I really remember about DARE is I hated them for taking up part of lunch in elementary school.</p>
<p>Well I remember quite clearly a presentation in high school by a mother who lost her daughter to drunk driving that resonated very strongly with the student body. I’m sure at least half a dozen - if not several dozen - students decided on that very day not to drink and drive.</p>
<p>I knew this young man for many years and attended his funeral
a very sad day. Looked like dozens of kids from Penn there and
a large turnout from the local Rose Valley community. He was a
diver and worked as a lifeguard at the local pool. A great kid from
a great family. He had lots of friends and will be missed by many
many people. A tremendous shock that will affect a lot of lives.
very sad.</p>
<p>“I’m sure at least half a dozen - if not several dozen - students decided on that very day not to drink and drive.”</p>
<p>by high school I was skipping those presentations to go out and get lunch, but I can’t remember having any urges to drink and drive even without attending…</p>
<p>anyway, preaching about drinking itself will not get you far, and drunks will find ways to hurt themselves whether they are on the roof or not</p>
<p>Speedo, it must have been very difficult for you and all those who cared about him.
No matter the reason it happened, the loss must feel beyond measure. My sympathies to all who knew him.</p>
<p>This is so sad. I can’t imagine how anyone would refuse to call this tragic. And the family is moving forward with such strength and grace during a horribly painful time.<br>
There are some icy-cold souls out there posting on these boards lately. Thankfully, there are plenty of warm hearts on CC to drown them out.</p>
<p>Not being moved to tears by shear stupidity does not make one cold. I reserve my caring for those who had no choice when bad things happened. Yes, for the parents it was a tragic event–one repeated every day for parents of drunk drivers, drug addicts, and even thrill-seekers going outside their level of ability.</p>
<p>“Reserving your caring” makes you cold in MY book!</p>
<p>Did you ever do anything stupid when you were young, Barrons?</p>
<p>One of the bad things about the internet is that it allows people to “post” feelings or thoughts without the consequences of face to face reality. How easy it is to hide behind a keyboard and monitor. How can another human being be so cold as to post that which barrons has posted? We all know the diffrence between things that could have been avoided and those that could not have. Thats not the point. My thoughts and prayers are with the family. If your thoughts and prayers are not then please hang your head, say nothing, and let those who wish to offer comfort do so without having to pander to your lectures on justice.</p>
<p>Oh and I see your point… race car driving is much more responsible.</p>
<p>When a young person dies too soon, it is a tragedy, no matter the cause of death. To not be saddened at the loss of life is simply an uncaring reaction. Some deaths are preventable. But in the end, the person still has passed away. Does it matter how they passed away? No. They are gone. Too soon. And that is tragic for the person who died and for the loved ones who will miss him. My heart goes out to his grieving friends and family.</p>
<p>^^^ Thank you, soozie, for summarizing it so well. In the spring of 2007, two well-loved seniors in the class ahead of my daughter’s were killed when they went off-roading in a construction area. Yes, it was foolish, and illegal. But it was also tragic. Our entire community was in shock. Their families will never recover from the loss. Two promising, kind, caring young men lost their lives, and we lost the contributions they’d have made to our world.</p>
<p>barrons, you must feel absolutely confident that no one you love will ever commit an illegal act or make a foolish mistake that could result in death. Or perhaps you are cold enough to feel that, if they do, death would not constitute a tragedy. I frankly can’t fathom what you think, nor how you can lack the basic human empathy, or decency, to post as you have above. </p>
<p>I assure you that the parents of these boys are mourning a tragedy. I doubt they’d be moved much by your “reasoning.”</p>