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Blog Entry 8 of 20 Dying to Write
Someone told me that I should write a book about helping your sister handle her grief. As my profile states her husband was killed in an accident in January. We have been struggling to understand and to get through the days for the last six months. My blog is just about grief and family. Sounds pretty simple huh? I wish it was.

Blog Url: http://denver.yourhub.com/~familycomes1st

Bujanovich opens up great dialogue

Contributed by: Susanne Sanstra   on 8/17/2007

What a delightful day I had yesterday, although it didn't start out that way.

I started the morning yesterday reading the Rocky Mountain News online and read the article about Bujanovich, the school board president that held a party for teens at his home and served alcohol.

There was a place to comment and if any of you know me you know, I HAD TO COMMENT.

The article stated that Bujanovich should have known he would be held to a higher standard. "What higher standard", I wrote, "I would expect that no adult have a party and serve alcohol to kids."

I was very understated in my comments -- not the usual rant that you would expect from me but I was trying to start a debate.

I got a debate alright with almost every comment on the side of allowing teens to drink in controlled environments. One person even commented that I was "burying my head in the sand if I thought I could stop teenage drinking."

Well I left that discussion feeling pretty disheartened.

Look people, I don't think I have my head in the sand. I don't even think that my kids are any better than the rest.

I understand that this is a challenge but I don't feel like the right thing to do is hand them a bottle of beer and try to keep the keys from them.

I know that once I give my okay to anything, my kids push the boundaries to see how far they can get with them. Once I tell them, sure you can drink but only when you are not driving and only when you are with an adult that will make sure of that, the only part my kids heard is "sure you can drink."

They will do it in any situation, at anytime, regardless of the circumstances. I do not believe that teenagers have the ability to recognize that they can not drive.

I honestly believe that it is difficult for adults to make that decision. Teenagers do not understand the consequences.

I know the parents that will argue that the biggest fear is that they drive drunk or get in the car with someone that is drunk so it is BETTER to try and control it. The trouble with that is the kids biggest fear is getting a DUI not killing someone or themselves.

Do you honestly believe they ever think that might happen to them?

Well after the debate from yesterday crushed my belief system by the responses, something magical happened! A reporter from the Rocky Mountain News called me.

Lisa Ryckman was doing a follow up story and she asked for my opinion. Well you know I love to give my opinion! The story is on page 8 of the RMN today and I must say it is VERY well written. Who got the last word there, mister head in the sand???

All I can say is that I want to support the kids that choose not to drink. I want to offer them another alternative that does not seem to be very well supported these days.

I know my kids are little and I have a long way to go until I have to face these same issues in my own home. I have decided to start now.

They know what I am doing. They know my message. And if in the end my kids come home drunk, because I know they still can,

They will have hell to pay. What else can we do?

Check us out at www.angelsgathering.com


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Showing 1-2 of 2 comments
Submitted By: Michael Rule
posted on 8/21/2007 @ 8:31:06 PM
Rated Blog Entry
I could go to great lengths to say what I feel about all this, but......Rock On, Girl!
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Submitted By: Joseph Kirchmer
posted on 8/17/2007 @ 9:32:43 AM
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Great blog Susanne! Very thought provoking.
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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Susanne Sanstra

Larkspur , CO

Susanne Sanstra has posted 20 blog entries and 15 comments since joining on 8/4/2006. Susanne Sanstra 's average blog rating is 4.98.
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