I remember the first time I was given the watch and left in charge of the ship as a young officer. For some reason, everybody else on the bridge was suddenly a Chief or PO. They certainly followed my orders, but if I'd given the wrong order...
If the reality of inescapable responsibilities were imposed at age fourteen, say, instead of after college graduation at age 21 or 22, that'd be seven less years getting to live without being responsible, seven less years indulging the habits of not having to be responsible, and seven more years building a child into a capable, productive adult. I think the overall change in society would be highly beneficial.
I do understand what you are saying, but my perspective is somewhat different. I think the problem is, we're expecting kids to grow up too soon. We're letting them think they can oppose adult decisions and make up their own minds about things before they are ready.
I do believe in kids more responsibility and more opportunities to stretch themselves than most of society seems to do today. But only with adults watching over their shoulders to help them handle the inevitable mistakes they will sometimes make. Yes, we have to give them more responsibility, but that means we also need to keep a firmer hand on the tiller.
At the moment, society denies kids the chance to learn responsibility while they are young and under supervision.
I'm a teacher, and before I became a teacher, I spent a fair amount of my naval career involved in training young sailors and officers. In both those roles, I've seen the kids who grow up to be the 'best adults' are the ones who were encouraged to stretch themselves young, but always to understand that their parents or those in that role, would step in when needed, and when they did, the kids had to listen.
Things like the Scouts (and it's not the only organisation, just the best known one) provide this type of support.
With Abby Sunderland - I wouldn't have let her go, if I was her parents. There's reasonable risks and there are unreasonable ones, and to me, this one was unreasonable. Frankly I think there are a lot of other ways she could have got the same benefits without that level of risk.
Australia seems to find itself constantly rescuing adult solo yachtsmen from the Southern Ocean - I've been involved in two such rescues myself in the 1990s. This is dangerous for anybody, but they made their own decisions and nobody else could stop them. That's not the same situation when it comes to a minor child. Her parents had to make this happen.
Reading your articulate post...I am ashamed of my recent post where I ranted about my opinion earlier that I thought these parents were irresponsible.
Yours is a much more reasoned and experienced post. I appreciate that.
Let her go? Are you kidding me? Do you realize where "her dream" came from? It's all on the website interview of the father. When she was 13 her father took her on a cruise up the coast. The weather was terrible and she was complaining the whole way, yet the cruise continued for several days. At the end of the trip the fater asked her "Abbey, are you ready to sail around the world now"?