Here's something you might be interested in.
At a Boulder County Fair, a 12-year-old was thrown and trampled by a bull. It was during a competition called "Little Britches Rodeo."
Emergency personnel were on the scene, but after the bull stomped on the childs chest, there wasn't much they could do. He died on the way to the hospital.
I thought about this boy and his parents. I also thought of Michael Jackson, and wonder if he was as messed up as he was (meaning all the plastic surgeries), because his dad was so abusive. Aside from the physical abuse Michael took, he also had to listen to his dad comment on his nose and other things about his physical appearance.
All over the shows today, there was talk about how Joe Jackson was asked about his sons death, and he quickly brought the subject around to the new record label he's starting. Nice.
But back to the rodeo.
I was at my moms house over the weekend and happened to see a show she was watching. A guy who called himself a "bull fighter" would run around the ring with a bull chasing him (no cape or swords, but I guess this is something that people do at rodeos). He got thrown around like a rag doll, and was in the hospital for a few days. His wife was so proud of him when, a month later, he was back at it.
And as idiotic as that guy is, he's an adult.
I have a problem with parents letting a 12-year-old do something like this. And I guess you can argue...kids can get hurt a lot of ways -- riding a bicycle without a helmet, playing football (even with helmets), and so many other activities. And that's a valid argument.
But with a bull, and letting a 12-year-old ride it...well, I think that's bad parenting. At the end of the day, you have to decide what the activity is, and what warrants the risk to your child.
I once did a story about a 15-year-old girl who was having a party. She raced motorcycles. When I asked about an injury, she told about a time she was going 140 mph. She crashed and was out for two minutes. Her dad said, "We thought she was dead."
This was another example of what I thought was a poor decision by the parents. They were spending so much money on their childs motorcycle racing (the gas they used was something that cost $18 a gallon), and it just seems that there is more chance of something bad happening doing that, then say...piano lessons, softball, or any other hobby you can give your child the option of participating in.
At a Boulder County Fair, a 12-year-old was thrown and trampled by a bull. It was during a competition called "Little Britches Rodeo."
Emergency personnel were on the scene, but after the bull stomped on the childs chest, there wasn't much they could do. He died on the way to the hospital.
I thought about this boy and his parents. I also thought of Michael Jackson, and wonder if he was as messed up as he was (meaning all the plastic surgeries), because his dad was so abusive. Aside from the physical abuse Michael took, he also had to listen to his dad comment on his nose and other things about his physical appearance.
All over the shows today, there was talk about how Joe Jackson was asked about his sons death, and he quickly brought the subject around to the new record label he's starting. Nice.
But back to the rodeo.
I was at my moms house over the weekend and happened to see a show she was watching. A guy who called himself a "bull fighter" would run around the ring with a bull chasing him (no cape or swords, but I guess this is something that people do at rodeos). He got thrown around like a rag doll, and was in the hospital for a few days. His wife was so proud of him when, a month later, he was back at it.
And as idiotic as that guy is, he's an adult.
I have a problem with parents letting a 12-year-old do something like this. And I guess you can argue...kids can get hurt a lot of ways -- riding a bicycle without a helmet, playing football (even with helmets), and so many other activities. And that's a valid argument.
But with a bull, and letting a 12-year-old ride it...well, I think that's bad parenting. At the end of the day, you have to decide what the activity is, and what warrants the risk to your child.
I once did a story about a 15-year-old girl who was having a party. She raced motorcycles. When I asked about an injury, she told about a time she was going 140 mph. She crashed and was out for two minutes. Her dad said, "We thought she was dead."
This was another example of what I thought was a poor decision by the parents. They were spending so much money on their childs motorcycle racing (the gas they used was something that cost $18 a gallon), and it just seems that there is more chance of something bad happening doing that, then say...piano lessons, softball, or any other hobby you can give your child the option of participating in.