SOLO-Youth Press Release -- Warning: Following Dreams "Irresponsible"

Callum McPetrie's picture
Submitted by Callum McPetrie on Tue, 2009-05-19 00:03

Warning: Following Dreams "Irresponsible"

With the full support of her parents, 15-year-old Aussie Jessica Watson has a goal: to become the youngest person ever to individually circumnavigate the globe. However, her biggest challenge isn't lofty waves, strong winds and faulty equipment - it's Australian "family groups."

John Morrissey, of the Australian Family Association, has deemed the planned voyage too risky, saying:

"I've been teaching 15-year-old girls for 42 years and I'd be amazed if any of them could cope with something like that."

Similarly, from Bill Muehlenberg, of the Family Council of Victoria, says:

"...I think it sounds fairly irresponsible to allow this kind of thing to happen certainly at this young age."

Of course, a solo circumnavigation of the world presents certain dangers - which I'm sure Jessica Watson is fully aware of, and prepared to deal with. Unlike most teenagers these days, hshe is motivated, has a purpose and a goal, and she intends to reach her goal. She represents the pinnacle of what being a teenager should be about: finding one's own wings and goals, and reaching for the stars - building up self-esteem so critical at this point in life.

Instead, we have bureaucrats who don't know a single thing about Jessica telling her it's too dangerous. How dare she be motivated and willing to accomplish a goal! After all, in our politically correct world, we're always on about "letting the little people have a go." How's that supposed to help when people need to be assured of themselves and their goals, ideas and dreams?

As SOLO Youth Coordinator, I am fully behind her attempt to be the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe individually. Ultimately, her only true barrier to completing her voyage is if she doesn't have 100% confidence in her own ability to attain her goal.

Link: http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/a......

Callum McPetrie: Callummcpetrie@yahoo.co.nz

SOLO: SOLOPassion.com


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What a sad old bastard John

PhilipD's picture
Submitted by PhilipD on Tue, 2009-05-19 00:47.

What a sad old bastard John Morrissey is. It's not just 15 year-olds that he wants to control, it's everyone: "I don't know how closely they are shadowed...but on long-distance epic journeys like that there is a lot of isolation and it is normally people of 50 or 60 who have the sort of maturity needed to deal with it."

Naturally someone like Morrissey doesn't like alcohol calling for, "a restriction of advertising, and education for adults and children, to stress the dangers and promote safe drinking.”

He's not too keen on sex either: The Australian Family Association (AFA) has condemned the National Pharmacies and Priceline stores for stocking a Durex brand vibrator product as a sexual health aid. “If these products belong anywhere it’s in an adult sex shop that people don’t want to be seen entering.”

Or on same-sex relationships: Australian Family Association spokesman John Morrissey said he was concerned about TV "normalising" same-sex relationships, after the television show 'Neighbours' showed a tame kissing scene involving two teenage girls.

Morrissey does like the idea of paid parental leave, although recently he said 18 weeks of taxpayer funded leave wasn't nearly enough: "And 18 weeks is not long enough anyway. A child needs two or three years of one-on-one with their mother, instead of becoming aggressive graduates of long day care."

I doubt that you and Mr. Morrissey would get along, Callum!

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