Parents should share culpability when their children are exceedingly reckless. Who would argue that a taggers parent's should not foot the bill for their child's behavior? Or that restitution should be the rule when they cause an inordinate amount of property damage.

There is a difference I think when a 17 year old, who likely thinks like most other teenagers that they are invincible, and while alone in the wilderness, with no one to call or consult with, makes a poor decision that requires a rescue. subsequently they are delivered life changing assessments for that rescue, that may make others think twice before yelling for help. There is a fine line here where the time honored citizen concern for other citizens becomes nothing more than a business opportunity for the state.

There has to be a better way.

Hopefully it will serve as a cautionary tale which underscores the consequences of an off-season hike in a remote area.

My mother is the original Nervous Nellie, she would never have allowed a minor child to set off on such a trip. She would have been seconded by my grandparents, one of whom was a lifelong resident of NH who loved to hike. The wilderness can be unforgiving of those who make mistakes in judgment. Luckily that was not the case here.

devotees shotgunning each other about a 17 year old and his problem on a mountain. Hahahahahahahahaha...

My first thought was 'thank god the kid is OK'. But to salon.com left-wing loonies it is just another reason to attack each other with a knife and fork! Hahahahahahahaha...

Kitt... have some yellow cake. It'll settle you down, sport. Why are you such a hater? Just because you are brain-damaged and other people do not like you is no reason to be so bitter. Well... actually I guess that is a good reason. Hate away Kitt... go tell it on the mountain.

Hahahahahahahahahaha...

It's not difficult to find cases of that. For example, if you show up at the hospital emergency room you're not in a position to contest the charges later after you've been patched up. It's common knowledge hospitals use the emergency room to balance the books. That, too, may make people hesitant to seek treatment.

He's an Eagle Scout. That gives him some panache and credence for conducting a motivational and instructional speaking tour. Seriously. He could be a big help getting the word out what to do and not to do while preparing for hiking and actually hiking in the wilderness. He could volunteer his time, but fees would be paid by organizations/groups that hire him but they apply the fees to the Search and Rescue Team for the cost of his rescue.

Glenn,

We're deep into the letters and you've probably moved on to your next column but I had to thank you for this effort. I have heard the treacly tributes to Uncle Walt and though the same thing - these people commenting today aren't fit to shine Cronkite's shoes.

People today under 40 have no idea the way it used to be - and what has been lost.

He could also take a cue from the right wing and write a book about his colossal failures. I mean, if Joe the plumber or Sarah Palin can make a bundle for being stupid, why not this kid?

[The 17-year old] ended up lost after he hurt his ankle and decided to take a shortcut

"When I twist my ankle, I turn around and come down. He kept going up," Acerno said.

It sounds like Mason though he was taking a shorter route back to return more quickly and that Acerno feels all hikers should head downhill, no matter what. Is it possible that Mason felt he was making the more responsible (less negligent) decision, even though it turned out to be less effective than the alternative? Yes, it is possible, but I don't know. I think we need to know a lot more. For instance, where did that bolded phrase come from? It is not a quote. We know the action of the decision is attributed to Mason, but we do not know what he actually said. And why were the normal helicopters not available? And how much responsibility can we place on him for not knowing about the spring thaw?

FWIW, I grew up playing basketball on asphalt courts. Almost every day, someone would sprain an ankle. 19 times out of 20 we would tighten the laces and keep on playing. We knew that high-tops could not prevent a sprain, but helped a lot afterwards in controlling the swelling. Was Mason's injury in the 19 play-ons or the 20th limp-home? We don't know right now.

Personally, I am against the punitiveness of the dollar amount. I understand that it reflects the actual cost of the rescue operation and I am not questioning that. The punitiveness, for me, is in the magnitude of the result for a possibly rash or not-well-thought-out decision. As an out-of-stater, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth and makes me think twice about traveling to New Hampshire. And I have fond memories of climbing Mt. Washington.

I think it is a counter-productive decision for the state. I can only think New Hampshire is trying to stand on principle.

If you want to think of it in terms of tax burden to the taxpayer:

The population of New Hampshire in 2008 was 1,315,809. The total cost of rescue operations, according to the Concord Monitor was $175,320. That is less than 14 cents per resident.

If you want to think of it in terms of loss of income:

According to The Institute for New Hampshire Studies, total traveler spending for FY 2008 was $4.484 billion. The percentage of rescue operation here is too small for my calculator. I believe it is in the thousandths of 1%.

If you want to think of it in terms of loss of tax revenue that travelers bring in:

Again according to The Institute for New Hampshire Studies, the "amount of State government taxes, fees and sales as a percent of total traveler spending: 10.16 %". So New Hampshire makes 10.16% x 4.484 billion = $455,574,400. Again, the cost of rescue operations is a miniscule amount compared to this.

http://oz.plymouth.edu/inhs/EconomicReports/

click on "Return_on_Investment_FY2008"

or, "Don't Shoot Me, I'm Just the Stenographer"

Chuck Todd concludes his radio interview saying we shouldn't be angry at him, but at government that's where the power is. Todd's argument is that he's merely the stenographer to the powerful. It isn't even questioned.

Isn't the bill sent to Mason's family the logical end result of the minimalist state conservatives advocate?

I think what was irresponsible, though that lacks legal consequences, was setting out alone in a remote place. He was unlikely to encounter other hikers at this time of the year should he need help.

I'm helicoptering back into this thread to rescue it from the calf, or remora, sub-thread that arose and will not die; and I intend to assess appropriate charges and fines for my efforts.

I don't remember whether any of the preceding threads used the Secret Word: gravitas. It's the essence of Cronkite's persona.

It's a complex phenomenon; it's akin to charisma, insofar as it shares the element of attracting positive regard from a diverse range of perceivers. It's at least partly an accident of trait and character, I think-- although there's a circular quality to this. But Walter Cronkite, like Edward R. Murrow, simply looked and sounded like a battle-worn veteran reporter, and this quality improved with age.

Everyone prefers to be respected and taken seriously, of course, but politicians and public figures instinctively strive for gravitas. It's often imitated, and the presumption of gravitas is attributed in social situations out of common courtesy-- and necessity.

Incidentally, I agree with those here who caution against making Cronkite into a contrarian or subversive; he didn't challenge public pieties, e.g. the presumption that our government institutions are wholesome, and that employees of The Establishment generally act in good faith. He remained grounded well within the Sphere of Consensus.

But in a moment of crisis, he broke through the barriers and restraints of teevee network flackery and spoke a disturbing and challenging truth to power. His words had power precisely because he was a Voice of Normalcy. His gravitas carried the day.

Contrast the utter absence of even a scintilla of gravitas in the shills and clowns who have since pissed in Walter's work shoes. The inherent levitas of jackasses like Gregory is evidenced in his rapping skit with Karl Rove at the Infotainwhore's Walpurgisnacht known as the Radio and TV Correspondents Dinner.

Gregory, Brokaw, Williams, Todd... too long a list to itemize here-- all shallow, pretentious narcissists, Establishment birds of a feather in gilded cages.

PS: Gravitas is indeed a very subjective perception; for instance, to me Obama lacks gravitas despite the gravitas that is thrust upon him. Biden thinks he has it, but... come on. Holder? Clinton? And so on. Nada. Admirers would doubtless disagree.

Some are born with gravitas; some achieve gravitas; some have gravitas thrust upon them. Cronkite was in one of the first two categories.

IMO, the last category fails because it often doesn't stick to an unsuitable host.