Anonymous wrote:

Teens will find and drink alcohol.

So we should facilitate that?

Different poster here. This is the point. Yes, kids will find something to drink. But there's a difference when they know it's wrong and not sanctioned by adults. They drink less. When the parents act like it's all OK or even worse, supply the stuff, there's no reason for them to moderate their drinking at all.

Do you really think that teens moderate their drinking when it's not sanctioned by adults?

The fact of the matter is that your parent hosted events are making a serious problem worse. The Montgomery County Police Department can confirm this fact for you.

Anonymous wrote:

Teens will find and drink alcohol.

So we should facilitate that?

Different poster here. This is the point. Yes, kids will find something to drink. But there's a difference when they know it's wrong and not sanctioned by adults. They drink less. When the parents act like it's all OK or even worse, supply the stuff, there's no reason for them to moderate their drinking at all.

Do you really think that teens moderate their drinking when it's not sanctioned by adults?

of course. Many studies support that. Kids with parents who preach the no alcohol message drink less, binge drink less, and those effects last into college when there is much less supervision.

And it makes logical sense. If you facilitate drinking, they are going to drink. If you say no alcohol and actually monitor it, you won't stop it completely, but it will be significantly less.

Teens will find and drink alcohol.

So we should facilitate that?

Different poster here. This is the point. Yes, kids will find something to drink. But there's a difference when they know it's wrong and not sanctioned by adults. They drink less. When the parents act like it's all OK or even worse, supply the stuff, there's no reason for them to moderate their drinking at all.

Do you really think that teens moderate their drinking when it's not sanctioned by adults?

Anonymous wrote:I think that if there were stronger consequences for the near misses then there would be fewer tragic situations. If students knew that if they were ever caught with alcohol that the citation would be shared with colleges and their admission would be revoked, this would end things quickly. If parents knew that their livelihood would be adversely effected - losing their license, security clearance, significant fines then parent hosted drinking parties would stop.

This is brilliant and would be a very effective solution for those who believe they're entitled to unlawful behavior. Now, how to best implement it, is the question.

I think that if there were stronger consequences for the near misses then there would be fewer tragic situations. If students knew that if they were ever caught with alcohol that the citation would be shared with colleges and their admission would be revoked, this would end things quickly. If parents knew that their livelihood would be adversely effected - losing their license, security clearance, significant fines then parent hosted drinking parties would stop.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I don't disagree that a hosting parent should be held criminally liable but don't think for a second that teens won't find somewhere else to go. They told us they would- let's listen to them.

What are they telling you, you should do? Host another party?

Read the students' own words from the blog (quoted a few times and cited upthread). And stop acting like an idiot. This subject is too important to suffer fools like you.

I did read it. Did you? What's your takeaway? Keep your kid on the right track? That will probably help a lot of parents.

Yeah, I am one of your fools who has never drove drunk. Are all your friends alcoholics? Perhaps you should broaden your circle of friends if you believe everyone has broken the law with drunken driving.

I suppose you have never ran a red light, driven over the speed limit, or made any decision that could have resulted in the demise of yourself or others. If so, please enlighten us all on how to be perfect individuals.

The rest of us make or have made bad decisions. Our children make or have made bad decisions and we/they survived by the grace of God. I don't know why others don't.

You can talk to your kids, take car keys away, don't let them drive until they're 21 and you will have a better chance of this not happening to them, but you never know.

Or you can be a responsible parent who doesn't host events with underaged illegal drinking.

+1

There is a vast chasm between having run a red light or driven over the speed limit, and making alcohol freely available - indeed, joking about its consumption - to underage teens in your home, knowing that they are consuming a lot of it, and knowing that they are driving away.

The two examples are not comparable in any way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I don't disagree that a hosting parent should be held criminally liable but don't think for a second that teens won't find somewhere else to go. They told us they would- let's listen to them.

What are they telling you, you should do? Host another party?

Read the students' own words from the blog (quoted a few times and cited upthread). And stop acting like an idiot. This subject is too important to suffer fools like you.

I did read it. Did you? What's your takeaway? Keep your kid on the right track? That will probably help a lot of parents.

Yeah, I am one of your fools who has never drove drunk. Are all your friends alcoholics? Perhaps you should broaden your circle of friends if you believe everyone has broken the law with drunken driving.

I suppose you have never ran a red light, driven over the speed limit, or made any decision that could have resulted in the demise of yourself or others. If so, please enlighten us all on how to be perfect individuals.

The rest of us make or have made bad decisions. Our children make or have made bad decisions and we/they survived by the grace of God. I don't know why others don't.

You can talk to your kids, take car keys away, don't let them drive until they're 21 and you will have a better chance of this not happening to them, but you never know.

Or you can be a responsible parent who doesn't host events with underaged illegal drinking.

I know every teen who wrote on That blog. They are good, sweet kids and, bottom line, they don't want their drinking houses taken away. They don't want people to come down on the Saltzmans because that means parents will no longer allow drinking at home and it will be harder to do it.

They may say not to blame Saltzman because they are "United" and support each other, but don't forget that teenagers are the most selfish and egocentric of beings, so it really just comes down to the fact that they couldn't drink as easily anymore.

I drank in high school. Never once was it at a home where parents were there. Parents were out of town or we went to a park. And if there was no place to do it, we went to Bennigans or the movies or watched scary movies in someone's basement. We didn't do it every weekend.

These parents who host allow it EVERY weekend. Kids drink more and more often.

So sure, the teens are telling you they will drink anyway, and they will since that is what teens have been doing since the dawn of time, but we certainly don't have to make it easy for them or parents who want to host.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I don't disagree that a hosting parent should be held criminally liable but don't think for a second that teens won't find somewhere else to go. They told us they would- let's listen to them.

What are they telling you, you should do? Host another party?

Read the students' own words from the blog (quoted a few times and cited upthread). And stop acting like an idiot. This subject is too important to suffer fools like you.

I did read it. Did you? What's your takeaway? Keep your kid on the right track? That will probably help a lot of parents.

Yeah, I am one of your fools who has never drove drunk. Are all your friends alcoholics? Perhaps you should broaden your circle of friends if you believe everyone has broken the law with drunken driving.

I suppose you have never ran a red light, driven over the speed limit, or made any decision that could have resulted in the demise of yourself or others. If so, please enlighten us all on how to be perfect individuals.

The rest of us make or have made bad decisions. Our children make or have made bad decisions and we/they survived by the grace of God. I don't know why others don't.

You can talk to your kids, take car keys away, don't let them drive until they're 21 and you will have a better chance of this not happening to them, but you never know.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And still, the teens drank the alcohol and the teens got into a car with an impaired driver. There's plenty of blame to go around. Personally I'd blame myself too if I were the parent of a teen in that car.

But for the dad's negligence, they might not have done that. He gave them the opportunity and encouraged them - inexperienced, underage drinkers - to drink. And drive.

Sure, they made bad choices. But as a functioning responsible adult with a fully-developed brain, he should have known better. I hold him far more responsible.

I totally agree with this. ( no I'm not a "sock puppet" either) I actually found some of the student posts under the blog entry to be cold and heartless. They claim to have a deep family bond with fellow Wootton attendees, but. then talk about " survival of the fittest? Cruel. I dont blame the Murk family at all for anything they said in their statement. The code of silence and protection of the host must have been extraordinarily painful for them. I"m glad a brave soul spoke up. Some have alluded to this situation perhaps contributing to the principal's death. ( heart attack I think I read) The stress of this could absolutely have contributed, imo. Broken heart syndrome.

Is this another Wootton student? The right neighborhood. Possible drug overdose call. Really disturbing.

http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2015/Two-Officers-Injured-While-Taking-17-Year-Old-into-Custody-in-Rockville/

Anonymous wrote:You make absolutely no sense. But I won't judge you -- it's clear you cannot read.

Fixed that for you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
1. How long do you think Kenny Saltzman should sit in the slammer for what he did to those kids, both those who survived and those who didn't?

2. I have never been driven by a drunk driver.

3. I have never driven a car after consuming alcohol.

So please take your sanctimonious bullshit defense someplace else.

What he did to those kids? Owned a house that there was a party with alcohol in, saw that there was a party with alcohol in it, and didn't shut the party down?

Morally, he should have acted differently. Legally, his actions were probably illegal (that's up to the prosecutor and judge/jury to decide). But he didn't do anything to those kids. What they did, they did to themselves.

He knowingly permitted them, underage teens, to consume alcohol - large quantities of it - in his home. In fact, he made a joking comment to one of them about the large amount of alcohol he was carrying into the house. He negligently and knowingly allowed teens to drink in his home, and then drive under the influence.

That is what he did to those kids.

And should be punished accordingly.

You make absolutely no sense. But I won't judge you -- maybe you can't read.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I don't disagree that a hosting parent should be held criminally liable but don't think for a second that teens won't find somewhere else to go. They told us they would- let's listen to them.

What are they telling you, you should do? Host another party?

Read the students' own words from the blog (quoted a few times and cited upthread). And stop acting like an idiot. This subject is too important to suffer fools like you.

I did read it. Did you? What's your takeaway? Keep your kid on the right track? That will probably help a lot of parents.

Yeah, I am one of your fools who has never drove drunk. Are all your friends alcoholics? Perhaps you should broaden your circle of friends if you believe everyone has broken the law with drunken driving.

I think you've had a few too many yourself.
The kids said they'd find alcohol and somewhere to drink it. That's what they said and that's the takeaway.
I'm one of the pps who said I've never driven drunk or with a drunk driver. Are you always such an ass?

What's your point? You should host another party? (It's a very simple question.)