Guess what? The American Sailing Association refused to sponsor Abby Sunderland because what she was doing was too dangerous

And guess what else? Her rescue cost $300,000, which her family can’t afford to pay. Mrs. Sunderland says: “We’re not wealthy people. What price would you put on a child’s life?”

That’s the self-seeking idiot parent of the self-esteeming idiot daughter whom numerous sentimental idiot conservatives have been celebrating as a heroic pathfinder in the Western tradition, and how dare anyone gainsay her courage or criticize her quest? But now we find out that when her irresponsible antics placed her in mortal danger, other people having nothing to do with her voyage, namely the Australian taxpayers, must pay for the very substantial costs of rescuing her, because, after all, she’s a “child,” and “What price would you put on a child’s life?”

There’s modern liberalism for you: unlimited personal freedom, enjoyed by some, combined with unlimited obligation to pay for the costs of that freedom, imposed on others.

It seems that every day now we see another story in which liberalism with its various appendages, including in this case the cult of female empowerment, runs into the boundaries of reality and gets exposed and discredited. It’s hard not to believe that, however slowly, the lessons are starting to sink in and at least some liberals are beginning to have second thoughts.

The story is from Australia’s Herald Sun:

Abby Sunderland’s solo bid was ‘too risky’ says American Sailing Association

THE United States’ peak sailing body was so concerned about Abby Sunderland’s solo record bid that it refused to sponsor her.

As the young sailor blasted her critics, the American Sailing Association confirmed it had knocked back the teenager’s appeal for help, fearing commercial endorsement might encourage her to take too many risks.

“We chose not to be sponsors of Abigail because we did have concerns about the timing of her departure,” said executive director Charlie Nobles.

Abby’s route placed her in the treacherous Indian Ocean during the notoriously tough winter months.

“She had a lot of sponsors that were behind her and I think that puts pressure on her,” Mr Nobles said. “We made a prudent decision not to contribute to that.”…

Mrs Sunderland, who is pregnant with the family’s eighth child, said the family did not have the money to compensate Australian rescue officials, with the rescue costing $300,000, the Courier Mail reported.

“The full cost of chartering an Airbus would be so high, you’d think they would have to work with the US Government for that,” she said from her California home.

“We’re not wealthy people,” she said. “What price would you put on a child’s life?”

Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed yesterday that the Government would not seek reimbursement for the cost of Abby’s rescue.

“That is not the way that the law works,” Mr Albanese told Channel 10’s Meet the Press.

“If there was an Australian lost at sea, we would want the international laws on maritime to kick in and for every effort to be made to save that person.”

Posted by Lawrence Auster at June 13, 2010 10:22 PM | Send