Jessica Dubroff Takes Flight

There are a whole lot of folks feeling sad about the fiery death of Jessica Dubroff, the 7-year-old "pilot" who was dealt a tragic blow by being genetically linked to a pair of history's biggest lamebrains - her parents. Much to the amazement of my more sensitive acquaintances, however, I'm not one of those who shed even crocodile tears when I'd heard that Jessica, her dimwit father, and her equally dimwitted flight instructor went down in flames this week when they attempted to put the girl in the record books as the youngest person to fly across the country.

No, I'm not sad. I'm enraged! Though not at the child. How could I be? She wasn't in on the decision! It's safe to say that, like most kids her age, she's not even capable of the reasoning required to make such a decision. I'm enraged at the selfishness that must exist in the evil souls of those who might make such a decision for her. It's safe to say that she had no idea of the danger her parents and her flying teacher were putting her in by making such a decision. However, there is a more important reason for being angry about this event.

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Of course, the columnists are having a field day.

Some blamed the intense pressure put on kids by their peers ("society") as others - such as that bonehead from the University of Illinois at Chicago (Tolan, I think was the name) - questioned just how far parents should push their kids. Here's an answer: If we push them at all, limit this "encouragement" to the confines of keeping others safe. Right. How about blaming this tragedy on the intense neglect for mature decision making, vis-a-vis the general disregard for the physical society around us? (A disregard which more greatly permeates our society as never before.) What if she'd crashed in a residential area, taking out hundreds of other lives, as well?

I've been shocked that but one journalist - the Chicago Tribune's Clarence Page - mentioned this point, as they've all been occupied with the welfare of the little girl and her two stupid parents. To hell with the parents; I say it's too bad her mother wasn't up there with them!

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I once heard a professional pilot state that he didn't worry much about amateur pilots - "they don't last too long."

Indeed, such commentary is only natural, considering how such an act by a mere child wrongly diminishes the accomplishments of professional pilots everywhere. Flying an airplane is not child’s play - it's serious business. I suppose this incident proves that not everyone can do it after all. And that Jessica Dubroff was not the "remarkable child" the world thought she was.