Institutional stupidity...I need to vent

[blackfoot]

No you have every right to be upset and on various levels.

Sometimes a nice malt whisky will dull the senses just enough to let you calm down. Mind you, it might make you angrier.

True, but most people get upset about giving alcohol to someone that young.

That was a ridiculous idea someone had. Everyone is right (including fish in car idea) and you should say something. If for no other reason, they might do this to more kids later on.

 

[dark_isz]

The exact same thing happened to me about 32 years ago when I was 6. For the 4th of July picnic, the pool had a party and one activity was to dump goldfish into the pool and let the kids catch them. My sister and I both caught one. We brought them home and put them in a bowl. They didn't last through the night. I was very upset at the time, but I learned a lot about dealing with grief. Dealing with grief is an important skill to have. I must be hard on a parent to have to watch their child deal with their frist encounter with the death of a pet. I feel for you, and your daughter.

Children deal with grief differently than adults do. It is often difficult for the adult to understand the child's greiving process, which can make the situation more difficult for both child and parent.

Here are a couple of articles on Grief in Children:

HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD COPE WITH THE LOSS OF A PET

Pet Loss: Understanding Grief in Children

Talking To Children About Bereavement And Pet Loss

There are plenty of other resources around for helping you and your child work though the grieving process, if these articles aren't of any help.

Good luck!

 

[aodenkou]

This is a very CLEAR example of untended consequences - some young, inexperience, older, naive, (you fill in the blanks) individual "think" of a "great" idea and then decide to pass it on to every one else to "help" others. And as is always the case what they hope will happen has the reverse action and actually harms others.

Actions like this simply further my belief that government and bureaucracy will screw up anything they put their hands on, and that WE as individuals know best how to live our lives and - THANK YOU VERY MUCH KEEP YOUR GOOD IDEAS TO YOUR SELF AND LEAVE ME AND MY FAMILY ALONE - we can make our own mistakes ourselves and have no one to blame but ourselves.

If I might make a suggestion I would make a visit to the person in charge in person, not a phone call. Let them put a face to the person who is making the complaint. If you don't get any satisfaction go up the food chain and keep making complaints - you can be sure you are not the only one who had to explain to a young child, other parents had to do the same thing and may not have been so supportive. It would be nice if there were a group of parents that could go in and make the complaint. Esp if they were voters and the person in charge was elected to office........

But don't get your hopes up, they are probably some nut case that will not understand that what they did was wrong and you are just some whinging parent with nothing better to do.......but don't let that stop you!

 

[TimmyBoston]

I'm sorry. The stupidity of people astounds me.

I do think a call or email to PETA is warranted. They deliberated killed hundreds of fish for no reason. What they did to children and the fish is utterly mindless and barbaric.

 

[Brodirt]

I found no one of significance by phone that I could talk to today, so I sent the following email, lets hope it has some effect:

My 6-year old daughter was a guest at the family event at your pool yesterday July 19, 2009, I believe it was the Jack Williams Family Day as listed on your calendar. She brought home a goldfish from the event and described how she obtained the goldfish. Apparently a large amount of fish were dumped into the pool and the children allowed to catch them and to keep them. I am told that this was done on at least one prior occassion as well.

Needless to say, a fish dumped into a chlorine pool doesn't have a long life expectancy and my daughter's died before 9pm last night. She was distraught and woke this morning in tears as well. I am sure that this experience was repeated in the homes of many of your members and guests last night, and for the more lucky fish, this morning.

I assure you that I am not an irate parent and/or chronic complainer seeking to make all things about me and my children, but I felt compelled to contact you about this event and the overwhelming stupidity and insensitivity of those that promote and participated in this event. Not only have you unnecessarily traumatized at least one child, but you have unnecessarily, and inhumanely, killed a large amount of goldfish and possibly introduced contaminents to the pool that may be a danger to the kids, your members and your guests.

My family are friends with many of your members and it has been suggested to us that we join your pool. We have been told that it is safe, clean, family friendly and inexpensive. After yesterday's events I can't see how it could be any of those and without further explanation, why my family would find your pool a welcoming environment.

I welcome your contact. Please email me with a number I can reach you directly at, or if you wish I will send my office number to you.

 

[82R100]

Brodirt,
Looks like a good letter, though the "stupidity" comment may cause some to deploy their shields. Sad for your little girl, but perhaps you've taken steps that will avoid more of the same next year.

This is a very CLEAR example of untended consequences - some young, inexperience, older, naive, (you fill in the blanks) individual "think" of a "great" idea and then decide to pass it on to every one else to "help" others. And as is always the case what they hope will happen has the reverse action and actually harms others.

Actions like this simply further my belief that government and bureaucracy will screw up anything they put their hands on, and that WE as individuals know best how to live our lives and - THANK YOU VERY MUCH KEEP YOUR GOOD IDEAS TO YOUR SELF AND LEAVE ME AND MY FAMILY ALONE - we can make our own mistakes ourselves and have no one to blame but ourselves...

Does everything around here have to get converted to an anti-government rant?

- Chris

 

[Brodirt]

I received the following response:

Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns about our Family Day activities. I spoke to our pool director today on your behalf and he informed me of the following:
· The chlorine content in the pool was set to .5, which according to both Board of Heath and PETA standards will not harm any fresh water fish and is about the same as the amount of chlorine found in your drinking water.
· The chlorine level is tested immediately before the fish are placed into the water to verify that the reading is at .5 or less.
· The children (and adults) are given specific instructions as to the storage and care of the fish for the rest of the day, cautioning not to leave the fish in the direct sunlight as extreme temperature changes can be dangerous to the fish.
If you would like to send me your contact information, I will be happy to address any further questions you may have.

PETA has no such standards.
I am a fish tank keeper, have been so for close to 40 years. Chlorine at .1ppm can be fatal to fish.
I don't know about pools, but I doubt that the chlorine content was being manipulated yesterday as described. They would have had to clear out the pool, apply chemicals, test pool, add fish, do event, add back chlorine (which IIRC requires time to stabilize) and then retest before they re-opened the pool.
Not to mention the fact that if they did lower the chlorine content to .5 ppm that is below the safe standard for pool operations. They then put fish and kids together in the same water along with any contaminents introduced by those kids and fish....
I'm highly dubious about this explanation.

 

[Fnord5]

Why would the Board of Health have a guideline for chlorine concentration and fish?
I think they are scared, and trying to drop names to shoo you off.

Besides that, PETA wouldn't have that standard either, as they are opposed to keeping anything living as a pet.

 

[Spivey]

Well, at least now you have a perfect example for down the road when you need to make a point to your daughter about how there's a lot of stupid people in the world.

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