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December 30, 2003

Personal Responsibility Pop Quiz

OK, class, today's question:

If a stolen car packed with seven young people, none of whom is wearing a seatbelt or in possession of a driver's license, is driving erratically, catches the attention of the police, seeks to evade the police, and ends up crashing violently, killing all inside, who is to blame?

If you said "stupid kids," you'd be right. However, some people think (being generous with that word) differently:

Howard Hurtt said his son and his friends had recently been borrowing cars from people they knew. He said he tried to get his son to stop the joyriding, but questioned why the group was pursued.

"I've always been told that the patrolmen should follow them, but don't push them,'' Hurtt said. "They were just out joyriding and a cop pulls them over and here we have seven deaths. I lost my only son.''

Just out joyriding?

If driving recklessly, unrestrained and without a license, in a stolen car is something of which you approve, Mr. Hurtt, might I suggest that you're a completely unfit parent?

Maybe we should have parenting licenses in addition to driver's licenses. Although I doubt Mr. Hurtt would care much about either one.