[Thank You Rush]

“”Did Dad push too hard? Many think wrongful parenting is on display here. Many see nothing wrong in adventurous activities. What do you think?””

You should have been around this weekend. There wasn’t any lack of people’s opinions then. Anyone entering this thread is sure to get blasted all over again but that won’t stop me from giving my opinion one more time.

I think what Abby did was pretty admirable and courageous and I think her parents are raising all their seven children (soon to be eight) in admirable ways and are to be praised/respected for giving them the guidance and environment to challenge, strive, achieve or fail. I understand they have fallen on hard times and are being picked apart in the media and also here on FR and I think that’s sad.

Neither Abby or her brother were without experience or spirit when they set out to achieve a goal and a dream.

[JennysCool]

But are they going to teach their kids that it’s wrong to make others pay for your misadventures?

I think the Sunderlands have more of a sense of entitlement than they do a yearning for adventure:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2533542/posts

[humblegunner]

they set out to achieve a goal and a dream.

Yeah. Fame and self aggrandizement.

Admirable as hell, that.

[Ron C.]

Tx for that info - I missed the weekend posts on FR, but ran into a flurry of posts on another website that could scarcely be called 'conservative' from my perspective.

I grew up taking many 'risks' - (had parental, and grand-parental training.) I climbed mountains, lived off the land in deserts - while younger than the girl in this story. Once I literally had to crawl to civilization after I broke an ankle on a mountain side.

Funny thing though - every other kid was doing the same kind of stuff - many far more 'dangerous' than anything I did. By today's wimpy standards, our grandfathers would not have settled the West - it would have been ceded to Mexico.

[LADY J]

" I think her parents are raising all their seven children (soon to be eight) in admirable ways and are to be praised/respected for giving them the guidance and environment to challenge, strive, achieve or fail. I understand they have fallen on hard times and are being picked apart in the media and also here on FR and I think that’s sad. "

It's admirable to bring children up to do innovative things.

However, how about doing it with your own money? These people borrowed the money for her boat & expect other people to be responsible for paying their way.

They are asking the public for money to salvage the boat & who will be responsible for paying back the boat loan?

It's nice to follow your dreams - but do so with some responsibility & not expect other people to pay for your journey.

This man, with soon to be eight children to support, made no plans for taking care of them, in the case that this adventure failed...which it did!!

[napscoordinator]

God help the United States of America if you seriously think that. I can't believe that you would put a child in danger by herself. What has happened to being parents until 18. Obviously that is out the window. These parents were selfish. Looking for easy loot since they were too lazy to get a day job. They parents are no better than those scary parents who put their kids in beauty pageants or those who send them off to Hollywood.