H. Neal Glanville: ‘Accidental’ the wrong word
November 24, 2008
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Portions of the following were written the day after the tragic loss of Christopher Wilson.
Unfortunately, my inexperience with computers, combined with the lack of response to my requests for further information from the Daily Press, made getting the column printed impossible. I shall, however, “endeavor to persevere.”
Well Craig, we’ve been robbed. A promising life has been taken from us.
According to the published report, the death was ruled “accidental.” It also states, “alcohol may have been a contributing factor.” We now know that alcohol was involved, so by my definition “accidental” has no worth.
The paper also states that Christopher may have helped the accused contributor pay for the alcohol. If he did, and did so in front of the store clerk, then the clerk should also be guilty for our loss. (Editor’s note: Christopher Wilson was not inside the liquor store during the alcohol purchase.)
The time for news releases and radio sound bytes is over. The mere mention of a “Social Host Ordinance” jumps on the chest of common sense. We have the laws to prosecute charged parties, adding another surely will be like giving gas to an ambulance chaser.
We must stand as a whole community and see that the rule of law is brought to bear on any and all participants. A standard for justice must be met and continue to be met. Indifference to our loss guarantees you a sack full of guilt and your own moment wandering through purgatory.
Plan B’s plan b
Throughout the years, Moffat county has been recognized in numerous record books for its monster mule deer. One of the biggest I was ever part of taking was by the bridge at Juniper Hot Springs by Doug Urie and his little brother.
Doug had stopped just below a short rise north of the bridge to wait on Mr. Tardy (yours truly). As Doug slept inside the truck, his brother stepped off the road and wandered into a patch of sagebrush. As he was straightening up, he noticed movement in the river below, and realized his brand new Monkey Ward binoculars were still in the truck with his sleeping brother.
Not being the dedicated hunters his brother and I were, he decided to use “Plan B.”
“Plan B” was simple, as most Plan B’s are (why Plan B’s have never been Plan A’s, I’m not sure. It must be depressing, though, always a B, never the A). As Doug’s brother did his best to sneak back through the brush, he tried getting Doug’s attention with short loud whistles. This part of “Plan B” was failing miserably, and he was running out of cover and patience with his sleeping beauty brother.
It was time for Plan B’s “plan b.”
WARNING: This plan should only be attempted by frustrated young men, with strong right arms — “plan b” was to fling a softball-sized rock and aim for the bed of his sleeping brother’s truck.
Yes, the rock did land directly in the bed of Doug’s truck, and, yes, Doug did wake up. I wasn’t right there when the awakening occurred, and since each brother had his own version of what happened, I’ll let you figure out what you would have done.
However, somewhere in their discussion, Doug’s brother pointed out the old Moss Back trotting up the Juniper Springs Road. In those days, there were two men you couldn’t out shoot: my brother, Roy, and his trusty shot gun (ask him about the time he shot his new Jeep) and Doug Urie. Doug owned the ugliest hunk of junk .300 Magnum you’ll ever see, but oh my gosh, when he pulled it up, it became a work of art never to be duplicated. He drove a tack through the heart of that mule deer at 432 yards (we lasered it four years ago.)
When Mr. Tardy (myself) drove up, the two of them were trying to load him in the back of the truck. It took three of us to get that bad dog up and in.
Doug never measured the height or width of that old muley; he did, however, take a picture of the antlers sticking up on each side of the bed of his 1946 Dodge pickup truck. After he cut the antlers off, he parked in front of All Season Sports and told the best huntin’ lies ever.
Until next time
There I was, surrounded on the right by the entitled people, and I said to myself, “Self,” I said (’cause that’s what I call myself when I’m talking to myself), “on the bright side, the elections are over. May God have mercy on the result.”
Thank you for your time.
24 November 2008 at 1:45 p.m.
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als362 (Anonymous) says…
I agree with another ordinance to punish those that buy drugs and alcohol for minors. The man that bought the alcohol for this child should be glad I am not the judge, I would find a way to put a murder charge on top of the other things he is now charged with. That said I also believe that the parents must be held accountable for a portion of this as well. Had the child been at home, in bed where he should have been, he would probably be alive today. When I was this age, if I was not home at that hour of the morning, my parents would have had every officer available looking for me. And when I said I was going to stay at a friends house they called the parents and made sure that was the case, and that parents would be there during that time.
25 November 2008 at 5:45 a.m.
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nimrod (Anonymous) says…
als, one hopes that one day when you suffer the loss of someone you LOVE dearly your loss is met with compassion instead of the blame you are casting. It's too bad that the caring parents you refer to didn't teach you some of that compassion!
25 November 2008 at 9:58 a.m.
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als362 (Anonymous) says…
When children are being killed in this manner there is no time available to be dainty and nice. During these times things must sometimes be said that may be hurtful to some people in order to help prevent future events of this manner.
25 November 2008 at 2:26 p.m.
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Isis (Anonymous) says…
als, I assume you do not have children. Parents have to sleep like everyone else. No one is asking you to be dainty or nice. However, I do personally ask that you find some compassion in your heart for these parents. I can assure you that they no longer sleep sound soundly.
25 November 2008 at 10:09 p.m.
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grannyrett (Anonymous) says…
als, You're on the wrong side of this one. It would be nice if it were a perfect world and all teenagers were perfect little angels. Until you have kids, you can not know the suffering they are going through. When I was a kid, I wasn't going to make the same “mistakes” I thought my parents were making with me. Guess what-they did a pretty good job. Kids have this little thing called “free will”. It doesn't matter how much you try, they will do things you don't approve of. I did it, every kid I know of did it. There may even be things in your life you did that your parents didn't approve of. That doesn't make them bad parents. There is no pain I can imagine that would be worse than losing a child. Let's not point fingers and blame someone we don't know. He made a bad choice. It's a bad choice many kids make. Thank goodness that most don't pay this kind of price for their bad decisions. May the good Lord hold them close and give them comfort.
26 November 2008 at 11:23 a.m.
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als362 (Anonymous) says…
I am sorry, but I just can't agree with you.
26 November 2008 at 2:28 p.m.
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Isis (Anonymous) says…
als - even though you can't agree with me or others on this issue, I will have the same compassion for you if you or yours find yourself in a similar situation.
27 November 2008 at 12:46 p.m.
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highway1340 (Anonymous) says…
I hope that this young man who purchased alochol gets the same punishment that anyone who buys alcohol gets for doing so. He should be charged for buying alcohol for a minor and that is it. That kid would have got booze from someone or somewhere. It just so happens they go it from that particular person. Teens who drink get it when they want it. Anyone who remembers when they were a teen remembers there was always kids who could get beer/whiskey when they wanted. The guy who bought the booze didn't force the kid to take it, he didn't force the kid to get drunk, he didn't force the kid to go up on the sandrock at night or fall over the edge. We live in a society where we want to blame someone else and no one has to accept responsibility for their own actions. The man is guilty of buying beer for a minor (lets keep in mind to that this wasn't a little kid, this was a 17 year old young man). The young man who fell off the sand rock is responsible for drinking and the unfortunate accident. The DA will simply be responsonding to a gut reaction of a community if they charge him for anything more than buying beer for a minor.
I am sorry if you have a tough time dealing with this fact. I am not defending his actions or justifying buying beer for minors. But blaming him will not make the young man who died come back or properly punish someone for an unfortunate accident. If you prosecute him for buying beer you better prosecute the parents for the boys death too, becuase their actions were no less contributory than the guy who bought the beer.
27 November 2008 at 2:11 p.m.
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als362 (Anonymous) says…
Nothing will bring that boy back. No sentence no matter how long will do that. I would like to see that person get about 1000 hours of community service. And serve it sweeping the main streets of Craig, on the weekends, with a sign on his back that says: “I bought alcohol for a child that died”. This type of punishment will show other people that buying alcohol for minors is not the right thing to do. Perhaps it will deter others from doing that in the future.
A little note for highway1340 - This person would get some sort of murder charge if I were the DA. You are right he did not pour it down his throat, but buying it for him was just the same as pouring it down his throat. You might think about that if a minors ever asks you to buy alcohol for them.
27 November 2008 at 5:30 p.m.
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freeman (Anonymous) says…
whether it was this guy or that guy ,the simple fact is you dont buy alcohol for any minors,,,plain as day??? he broke the law and should be held responsible no matter what the out come is .the young man did not force the adult to buy for him did he???? who is in the position of trust ? this is who i believe responsibility should fall to .as you said 1340 people HAVE to accept responsibility.and even though he was 17,,,,you should accept, the fact that he is a ……MINOR..
28 November 2008 at 1:34 p.m.
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highway1340 (Anonymous) says…
I agree he was a minor. I also agreee that the young man that bought the alcohol needs to be punished for purchasing alcohol. But he should get the same punishment anyone who buys alcohol for minors gets and not be punished extra because the one he bought alcohol for died as a result of their own actions. The guy that was over age 21 is not in a position of trust!!!! he wasn't his guardian, his teacher, his boss, etc etc etc. He was an acquaintence that was a few years older and bought beer because that's what he was asked to do by a bunch of young people who were accustomed to having beer bought for them. If they didn't get it from him they would have gotten it somewhere.
Punish the guy for buying alcohol, but don't punish him because the person who drank it had an accident. The same goes for the bar who sells a drink to someone who goes off and gets in a wreck. It isn't the bars fault that they had a litle too much to drink (could have been two or three drinks) it doesn't take much to have your judgement impaired. But the fact of the matter is, it isn't the bar's fault that they person gets into an accident, just like it isn't the young man's fault who bought the beer for those kids that night that an accident happened because there are way too many people to blame than just him. So don't use him as a scape goat - If you start pointing fingers you better point them at everyone who contributed to the accident and hold them all at the same level of accountability.
28 November 2008 at 2:23 p.m.
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freeman (Anonymous) says…
i say i have to agree with you on that,,,,sorry,,when i grew up here in the 70,s any of us who was out having a good time would of never left a friend lying on the ground no matter where it was,,,,,specially when we left. people are so quick to point fingers now days like me,,,and its wrong,,this afternoon @4pm on bresnan cable,,channel 503 ifc,,,its called bowling in columbine,,watch if you dare,,but it will show you what really is happening here inthe usa and other countries…..littleton,colorado ,home of lockheed martin,,???…worlds largest weapons maker.
1 December 2008 at 8:59 a.m.
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als362 (Anonymous) says…
You are wrong 1340! If someone wrecks their car, and no one is hurt, they recieve a totally different charge, than if the same wreck happens and somone is hurt or killed. Especially if alcohol is involved.
Anyone that is considered an adult, has to take on the responsibility of being in a position of trust when around children. Just because that person is not a parent or guardian, does not exclude them from being in a position of trust.
Example: If a child is lost, and goes to an adult for help. That adult is in a position of trust, no matter who they are. Whether known to the child or not. Regardless of age, career, or status.
God help you if you don't understand that
1 December 2008 at 10:39 p.m.
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freeman (Anonymous) says…
als362 tell them how it is,,,yes you hit it right on the head,,,just like i told my girlfriend,,,,,,,,you know what the most confusing holiday it is in the colored community…………..fathers day
2 December 2008 at 5:31 a.m.
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nimrod (Anonymous) says…
freeman, that was totally uncalled for!!!!!!!
2 December 2008 at 7:44 a.m.
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grannyrett (Anonymous) says…
freeman—Where ever that came from, put it back! We don't need comments like that.
2 December 2008 at 8:33 a.m.
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50cal (Anonymous) says…
yeah or the politically correct police will come and get you.
2 December 2008 at 9:26 a.m.
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lonelyone (Anonymous) says…
oh brother!!?? that was not nice at all. might have been funny at a different time, but not now and most likely not ever in Craig America!
But it probably it was probably pretty darn funny to you late last night, huh??
2 December 2008 at 9:34 a.m.
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50cal (Anonymous) says…
not funny but sadly true.
2 December 2008 at 11:22 a.m.
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freeman (Anonymous) says…
sorry,,,,i appologize ,,just trying to get in the christmas spirit,,happy holidays