March 11, 2008
Everett Boy Buried in Sandbox Dies
Normally we don't like to report on the kind of news that brings a sad sigh to your lips and might make you think of calling your mother. But since Seattlest Abbey covered the story of the 10-year old boy who asked friends to bury his head in the sand, and we're filling in on the news beat while she's in Austin, we thought we should at mark the end of the story now that the poor kid has died.
KIRO 7 has the details:
Porter, 10, told playmates to bury his head in sand. He got the idea from a cartoon he watched on television, according to his half-brother, Joshua Quantrille. In the cartoon, called "Naruto," sand is sometimes used as a weapon.
There is absolutely nothing witty or smart-alecky to say here because, dammit, this is just a tragic story where no one seems to be at fault. We just hope that the families are allowed to grieve in peace and find a way to heal. We also hope that the circumstances don't inspire lawsuits against Naruto creators or the Cartoon Network in the same manner Judas Priest was sued by the parents of two young men who shot themselves after listening to the band's records in the 80s. No peace will be found down that path, and really, can a cartoon be blamed for the actions of a child?
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I regularly lament the fact that playgrounds have become a sterile "everyone wins!" place where a kid would have a tough time breaking an arm or a leg. But I agree, this is a bit sad. However, the only reason we hear about such things is because 99% of the inherent dangers have been replaced with stationary and safe plastic and rubber.
We never heard about the kids responsible for the secret recall of swing sets, marry-go-rounds and monkey bars. But Porter Quantrille will forever be known as the kid who killed the sandbox.
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Could someone, anyone, please explain to me how these 8-10 year old kids thought it was ok to bury someone head first in the sand? How could they have not known better?
How terrible.
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I agree with herbisara. I'm sorry. I've seen this news for a couple days and just have a hard time being sad. I keep thinking "darwin" but am too afraid to say anything... but seriously... they're 10.
I'm sorry if that seems rude to the family. I completely understand and sympathize that this is a sad and tragic event. But I can't help but also think "really?"
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I don't know you guys. I think you might be giving 10 year olds too much credit. It's easy to forget if you don't hang out with kids at all, but 10 year olds are still pretty unformed and stupid. They're pretty likely to believe in haunted houses and shit like that so the idea that burying your head in the sand is ok doesn't seem too far fetched. I mean, to a 10-year old, how dangerous can sand seem? It's soft and easy to shove all manner of body parts into and it feels good when you pull them off and the sand runs off your skin. Why would it be any different for your head?
Obviously it is and we know that. We're adults. No matter how smart and precocious a kid may seem, they don't have experience or critical-thinking skills.