Jessica Watson - The Opinion Poll

[Wotname]

OK, Jessica has completed her voyage. Many people have opinions about it and CF has had several threads and many many posts about her and her voyage.

Without repeating your opinion and especially without trying to prove it "right" and therefore others "wrong" just vote so we have an idea of the numbers in every camp.

If you must state expand or justify your opinion, then lets keep it short and i.a.w. CF rules

[TaoJones]

Hmmm . . . don't see a "None of the above" option, Wotname.

TaoJones

[Sandyh]

Surely it's simple? "None of the Above" is a non-vote, so why include it as an option??

G'day

[David_Old_Jersey]

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by TaoJones

Hmmm . . . don't see a "None of the above" option, Wotname.

TaoJones

Originally Posted by Sandyh

Surely it's simple? "None of the Above" is a non-vote, so why include it as an option??

G'day

Well, I am sure that TJ's post was very tongue in cheek and Sandy has answered it correctly however let me apologise to those who wanted to have their "not having an opinion" as an opinion. I should have known there would be some - considering this is the internet .

Really the thread (and poll) is just a way of counting up the actual numbers of those basicly approve or disapprove of the whole JW thing rather than having to read countless arguments for and against and let you state your opinion without having to justify or fight for it.

Or perhaps I just want to keep the JW controversy alive .....

So far it seems that the CF members are very supportive of her...

[surfingminniwinni]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Or perhaps I just want to keep the JW controversy alive .....

Thanks for that:

[paradix]

I had a few problems with this poll.

First of all, I couldn't vote for any of the answers, as none of them completes the poll question to form a sentence that makes sense in English...

Then I thought I would vote "a good thing", because the thread title is just "Jessica Watson (the opinion poll)", and she is definitely a good thing.

But in the end I decided to re-define the question as "Having yet another thread about Jessica Watson on CF is..", and so I have voted for:

"a bad thing".

[Wotname]

Ahh Paradix... all so true.... but thanks for taking the time to re-define the question to suit your taste........ you would make a good politician... or perhaps you are already one...

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Sandyh

Surely it's simple? "None of the Above" is a non-vote, so why include it as an option??

G'day

"None of the above" is not a non-vote. A non-vote would be if you just don't care. But "none of the above" might mean an opinion that her having made the trip is a great achievment, of course, but that it's not such a good thing for people so young to be put up to such dangerous stunts by their parents.

That would be my own opinion. And I didn't vote because no choice in the poll reflects that.

Great kudos to her for having managed it successfully and having returned home safely.

Can't vote "a bad thing", therefore.

But putting young kids in mortal danger for the sake of fame and world records -- can't approve of that, so can't vote "a good thing", either.

As a libertarian, I don't believe that governments should tell people, even kids, where they can or cannot sail. So likewise, can't vote "should be prohibited"

[skipmac]

I was going to say pretty much what Dockhead said but I was too lazy to type it all and he said it first anyway.

[mintyspilot]

Originally Posted by skipmac

I was going to say pretty much what Dockhead said but I was too lazy to type it all and he said it first anyway.

I'm with you and Dockhead...

[Wotname]

Just curious Dockhead, skipmac and mintyspilot, just what simple, short and concise statement (say 10 or so words max) would sum up your opinions.

You see, I sort of figured there were really only 4 options, good, bad, prevented or indifference. Indifference in this context is simply not voting. It is also a bit like a multi choice exam, which is the most correct statement that summarizes your feelings.

BUT I must have it wrong as you guys obviously have another opinion if the above doesn't fit.

[skipmac]

Hard to put it better than Dockhead but I'll give it a go.

First, I'm not indifferent to the issue, quite the opposite. Not voting to me would signify indifference.

Then I do not completely agree with any of the choices. Hard for me to see the world in absolutes, black and white, right or wrong, even though my degree focused on digital logic where everything is absolutely one or the other.

1. "Good Thing" It was a successful voyage so she was up to the task, perhaps a little lucky, but you can't argue with the results. I would certainly rather see publicity for the new generation sailing around the world than selling crack on the street corner. So I cannot say it was a bad thing but cannot totally say it was a good thing.

2. "Bad Thing" We all know that out on the ocean things can happen and even the best of us might not be able to cope. A little bad luck the voyage could have gone quite differently, but it didn't. I do have great reservations about allowing a 16 year old to take that kind of risk so to some degree think it could have been a very bad thing.

3. "Prevented by the government" Again for me I see both sides of that choice. We need government to "prevent" some activities like drinking and driving, dumping toxic waste in the local river, whatever. On the other hand, I don't want the government trying to regulate personal choices that do not harm others; how to worship or not, whether to drink, smoke, chew or not, or whether to go sailing around the world or not. But at what point should the government step in? Well if a parent is trying to let their 10 year old daughter go sail around the world then someone needs to step in. At what age should the child/person be allowed to take this kind of risk?

I could go on and on but probably shouldn't and if I haven't communicated my vague thoughts by now I'll never get there. Bottom line, for me the choices are too restricted and almost simplistic and can't 100% agree or disagree with any of the options without further elaboration.

[mintyspilot]

Originally Posted by Wotname

...You see, I sort of figured there were really only 4 options, good, bad, prevented or indifference.

And then you gave us three answers to pick from.

Originally Posted by Wotname

Indifference in this context is simply not voting.

No. You are conflating two separate things. If I did not have an opinion then I would not read this thread and thus I would not vote. But I *do* have an opinion - just one that fitted none of the answers allowed.

My opinion...... http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post458260
in summary

" My worry about the Jessica Watson business is not her gender, it is more her age.

...snip...

Where does this trend stop? What do we do with 15 year olds who want to fly solo, or 13 year olds who want to circumnavigate? What happens when one of these children goes off and their yacht is later found with no one on board? Will periods of extended loneliness affect their social development? Will the enforced - accelerated - maturity make it hard for them to fit back in to their social milieu again?"

[skipmac]

Sorry Wotname that I completely trashed your request to reply in 10 words or less. How about

"I partially agree and partially disagree with all the choices"

Maybe add additional options

- None of the above
- All of the above
- I am tired of the subject and never want to hear about it again