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'10 OH OL Matt James (Notre Dame Signee - RIP)

To me, the word alcohol will have nothing to do with my memory of Matt James. Bear with me for a minute...

While all states have laws about underage drinking, it is a simple matter of fact in our culture that high-school kids on their last spring break imbibe alcoholic beverages. While not everyone does it, it is a large enough majority that drinking while on spring break has become nearly a rite of passage.

Yes, it would be reprehensible for any adult to have provided the alcohol for them. And if any adult turns out to have been the source of the alcohol, that person will live with the shame of it forever.

But Matt James should not be judged in the slightest, and the fact that there was alcohol in his system is not even a part of this story to me. Is it why he died? Probably. But his death is the story; not the rite of passage that I was lucky enough to survive.

Rest In Peace young Mr. James
 
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AKAKBUCK;1685630; said:
Let's just all be careful "where we go" right now.

That's all I'm going to say.


I agree with this. The facts, whatever they are, will come out in the days and weeks that follow.

No matter other events happened last night this is a tragedy.

RIP Matt James. My thoughts and prayers are with your family and friends.
 
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DaddyBigBucks;1685611; said:
To me, the word alcohol will have nothing to do with my memory of Matt James. Bear with me for a minute...

While all states have laws about underage drinking, it is a simple matter of fact in our culture that high-school kids on their last spring break imbibe alcoholic beverages. While not everyone does it, it is a large enough majority that drinking while on spring break has become nearly a rite of passage.

Yes, it would be reprehensible for any adult to have provided the alcohol for them. And if any adult turns out to have been the source of the alcohol, that person will live with the shame of it forever.

But Matt James should not be judged in the slightest, and the fact that there was alcohol in his system is not even a part of this story to me. Is it why he died? Probably. But his death is the story; not the rite of passage that I was lucky enough to survive.

Rest In Peace young Mr. James

If a "GPA" were to be awarded in a thread like this one has become
I'd say this one belongs. However, there really are no "GP's" that should be awarded here.

BidDaddy spelled it out real clear. I personally don't give a damn about alcohol consumption or other "adjectives" that are being reported by sources regarding Matt's state of mind at the time of this accident. Bottom line is that a 17 year old kid is dead, his entire life ahead of him. The fact that he was a great high school football player means nothing, except that it lands his story on an internet football site.

From my heart, I just want to wish the James family my condolences. I can't even imagine what they're going through. My son is 12, and I could never imagine having him gone in 5 years.

Peace:cry:
 
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According to an article in The Lancet a few years ago, nearly 10 million children under the age of five die annually. That is more than 1000 every hour, approximately 1 every 3.6 seconds. Poverty, expressed in malnutrition and disease, is the primary cause of their death. Social violence also plays an important role.

Every one of these deaths affected someone the same way that the death of this young man does. In my mind, while this death is no more tragic, it is especially sad because it appears to have been preventable.

I hope that posters will continue to be moderate in their comments. Whether one agrees that they would allow their kids to take part or not, this seems to be a longstanding practice in Cincinnati. There were supposedly chaperons present, one for every eight kids. But something went wrong. This underage child appears to have become intoxicated and aggressive. He did not fall over a structurally-impaired balcony, he allegedly fell leaning over the balcony arguing with kids in an adjacent room.

Certainly, serious questions need to be asked. The end of any life at an age so full of promise needs to be understood. Who provided the alcohol to these underage minors? Where were the chaperons when this kid became drunk? Why were they not alerted to the potential problem as an argument escalated to this apparent magnitude? What can be learned to prevent similar occurrences in the future?

Many people here, me among them, would not have allowed their children to take this trip at this age, precisely because of what happens when teenage judgment, under-age intoxication, and unsupervised moments meet. But, that is not for us who were not in this situation to judge. We don't know these kids and the summarized allegations of a press report may not adequately describe what happened.

This is a time for thoughts and prayers for a family transiting a very dark time in their lives.
 
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Steve19;1685736; said:
Many people here, me among them, would not have allowed their children to take this trip at this age, precisely because of what happens when teenage judgment, under-age intoxication, and unsupervised moments meet. But, that is not for us who were not in this situation to judge. We don't know these kids and the summarized allegations of a press report may not adequately describe what happened.

Good for you and for other parents who manage to see the possible danger, but --assuming you're soon going to be the parent of a high schooler -- be prepared.

As a teacher and coach I was blown away at the permissive attitude I saw from many parents. If you haven't been in a good suburban high school, drop in. The first thing that will catch your eye is dress. The first time I saw a Big Johnson T-shirt I wondered who would let their child out of the house wearing same -- turns out to be many parents. Add to it clever T-shirts with alcohol logos, the flag of rebellion, racist and sexist jokes.

It was/is not but a short step from that to covering for a child's absence, or deliberately pulling the child from school for a family vacation, to throwing parties for kids where alcohol was present -- "We took everyones car keys as soon as they arrived..." "They're going to drink anyway. I want my kid to learn how to hold it in their own home."

And it isn't far from that to letting a car full of teen-agers to drive straight from school to Florida for spring break or graduation ceremonies. Or renting rooms in hotels for after prom parties. Be ready to hear lots of, "But all my friends get to..." and it will be true, many of their friends will be allowed.

Beer is cultural here in Cincinnati. Age laws are seen as arbitrary and stupid. In that climate the consequence is often something as tragic as this. It is the stature of Matt as an athlete that turns the spotlight onto the facts surrounding the tragedy. The best that can come out of this is that more parents will be awakened.

It will not stop teen drinking, but it may cause more parents to think about at least being present to, and talking about, the very real potential for tragedy.
 
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Steve19;1685736; said:
According to an article in The Lancet a few years ago, nearly 10 million children under the age of five die annually. That is more than 1000 every minute, approximately 1 every 3.6 seconds. Poverty, expressed in malnutrition and disease, is the primary cause of their death. Social violence also plays an important role.

Every one of these deaths affected someone the same way that the death of this young man does. In my mind, while this death is no more tragic, it is especially sad because it appears to have been preventable.

I hope that posters will continue to be moderate in their comments. Whether one agrees that they would allow their kids to take part or not, this seems to be a longstanding practice in Cincinnati. There were supposedly chaperons present, one for every eight kids. But something went wrong. This underage child appears to have become intoxicated and aggressive. He did not fall over a structurally-impaired balcony, he allegedly fell leaning over the balcony arguing with kids in an adjacent room.

Certainly, serious questions need to be asked. The end of any life at an age so full of promise needs to be understood. Who provided the alcohol to these underage minors? Where were the chaperons when this kid became drunk? Why were they not alerted to the potential problem as an argument escalated to this apparent magnitude? What can be learned to prevent similar occurrences in the future?

Many people here, me among them, would not have allowed their children to take this trip at this age, precisely because of what happens when teenage judgment, under-age intoxication, and unsupervised moments meet. But, that is not for us who were not in this situation to judge. We don't know these kids and the summarized allegations of a press report may not adequately describe what happened.

This is a time for thoughts and prayers for a family transiting a very dark time in their lives.

WELL SAID.
 
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Good kids make mistakes. Sadly, some of those mistakes end in tragedy.

I hope Matt's family can mourn the loss of their good kid, and remember the bright lights he provided them in his too-short life.

Tough Easter for the James family.
 
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Steve19;1685736; said:
According to an article in The Lancet a few years ago, nearly 10 million children under the age of five die annually. That is more than 1000 every hour, approximately 1 every 3.6 seconds. Poverty, expressed in malnutrition and disease, is the primary cause of their death. Social violence also plays an important role.

Every one of these deaths affected someone the same way that the death of this young man does. In my mind, while this death is no more tragic, it is especially sad because it appears to have been preventable.

I hope that posters will continue to be moderate in their comments. Whether one agrees that they would allow their kids to take part or not, this seems to be a longstanding practice in Cincinnati. There were supposedly chaperons present, one for every eight kids. But something went wrong. This underage child appears to have become intoxicated and aggressive. He did not fall over a structurally-impaired balcony, he allegedly fell leaning over the balcony arguing with kids in an adjacent room. As a St.X alum,and former teacher for 7 years at a SW Ohio Catholic school, I can say that alcohol is completely melded into the social culture of just about every Catholic school. 20 years ago, my parents were shocked/amused to see a keg at the beginning of the year parents night at St. X(I am actually Orthodox and didn't have any contact w/ Catholic schools per se until I went to X). That changed the next year, I believe,but things like this, and the fish fries, festivals, etc., illustrate the culture that these kids grow up in. Needless to say, underage drinking is rampant, and a significant %of parents take a very wink,wink attitude towards it-and don't necessarily have a lot of room to criticize w/ a straight face. The kids do take having a designated driver very seriously-but make it almost a point to brag about it. Bottom line, if SW Ohio Catholic kids lived in an area where 5 story balconies at parties were common, you would see a lot more tragedies like this.
The schools say the right things, and do what they can, but, ultimately, if they cracked down w/ an iron fist, the alumni and parent reaction would be severe-and donations,etc. would dry up very quickly.

Certainly, serious questions need to be asked. The end of any life at an age so full of promise needs to be understood. Who provided the alcohol to these underage minors? Where were the chaperons when this kid became drunk? Why were they not alerted to the potential problem as an argument escalated to this apparent magnitude? What can be learned to prevent similar occurrences in the future?
The St.X community is going to have some serious soul searching to do if arrests are made-I doubt it was a townie they slipped 20 bucks to buy a couple cases of Natty Light who takes the fall if something happens.
Many people here, me among them, would not have allowed their children to take this trip at this age, precisely because of what happens when teenage judgment, under-age intoxication, and unsupervised moments meet. But, that is not for us who were not in this situation to judge. We don't know these kids and the summarized allegations of a press report may not adequately describe what happened.
Like I said above about the wink wink thing, the parents from the Catholic schools are often "around" on these spring break trips-just another floor or a couple of condos over, and the parents chaperoning the kids are longtime family friends,if the not the parents of the students.
This is a time for thoughts and prayers for a family transiting a very dark time in their lives. Yes, I am praying for Matt and the St.Xavier community.
..
 
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