Eyes Above The Waves

Robert O'Callahan. Christian. Repatriate Kiwi. Hacker.

Saturday 7 January 2012

Risk Tolerance

Wise words:

John McGlashan principal Michael Corkery said: "He was doing what every kid should be doing, playing with his friends in a river."

Everybody had done everything right, but Dion still died.

"It was just a tragedy, and tragedies happen. Life sometimes deals out bad luck but we have to get on with it. We'll never forget him."

Too often, people respond to a child's tragic death by setting up a pressure group, foundation or new law to Make Sure This Never Happens Again.

Comments

Franklin Chen
Rob, What do you think of the "Free range kids" movement? http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/ Does it accord with your philosophy of risk?
Robert
I haven't seen that site before, but I like it!
Caspy7
Damn the rivers. I'm sure we'll have better luck with lakes.
Anonymous
I always find it ironic that these unlikely tragedies garner more attention than the very pedestrian occurrence of kids being killed in and by cars. It's not that society has a low risk tolerance. It just has a very bizarre sense of what is a risk.