BY MIKE CETERA
It has become a recovery effort in Oswego. But the question remains, is there more to the recovery than simply finding 18-year-old Robert Funston?
In a story today about the search for Funston, who went missing in the Fox River while swimming with friends on Sunday, an Oswego teenager had this to say: "For teenagers, Oswego is cursed."
In response, a reader posted a comment calling the notion bunk: "The only curse Oswego has recently is teens making stupid decisions like getting in cars while drinking or swimming in rivers past flood stage."
I don't believe in curses, but I do wonder if a community can have a collective psyche and if that psyche can be damaged by repeated tragedy..
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 3,582 people in the U.S. were killed in 2005 in "unintentional drownings."
The agency says males are four times more likely to be the victims of drowning than females. River drownings also increase based on age:
The percent of drownings in natural water settings increases with age. Most drownings in those over 15 years of age occur in natural water settings.
Here's a message board discussing the accident.
I think the idea of a "curse" is a cop out for bad parenting.
How ridiculous. Now we're going to blame a curse so that no one has to take any responsibility for their actions anymore. I'll try that next time I goof up at work - and see how far it gets me.
Although poor parenting is sometimes evident, in the wide majority of cases, it seems to be a lack of good decision making (this person was a teenager). As the previous poster said; take responsibility for your own actions. Generally if you use common sense and do what you think is right, you can normally avoid these situations.
I would have to agree with "Anonymous" the idea of a "curse" is absurd. This like any other situation always prompts people to play the blame game. Really people......how about educationing kids in the art of "common sense" and taking responsibility when you "are" responsible.
People all over the world do the same things teenagers do in Oswego. Oswego just happens to get punished more often than other towns. So how bout instead of saying they need to learn and what not, actually do something about it. If you have a problem with teens being teens teach them when their younger. Im sure everyone when they were teens have done things that now of days teens do. Oswego just had bad luck with it.
come one a curse really i dont think thats it. parents tell their kids not to do things but thats how it happens kids always will go behind there parents back,with all the teens that died in the febuary 11th accedent it wasnt the kids fault they werent the ones driving they didnt know what was really going to hapen, cuz know one does people just wanna have fun.
I know for a fact that the missing teen was warned many times not to be in the river at this time of the year with the high level floodwaters. I agree, it's not a curse, but another incident of people disregarding warnings, making the wrong choices and then paying the unfortunate price. My heart and prayers go out to all those who are personally involved in this tragedy.
Well to be fair, the curse comment originated from a 14 year old. Also, I think puberty trumps the ability to have common sense with teens, psychologically. Thats why I blamed the parents specifically.
Its obviously a complicated situation, and we shouldn't get our panties all up in a bunch from some young kid's comment.
Maybe this is not a curse, maybe it was not the best choice to make, but everyone makes mistakes, EVERYONE. He was just a teen, doing what teens do, no one is to blame, this is no game. We have lost another one of our children maybe instead of everyone above blaming a curse, a parent or the person, just see it for what it is, another young life is gone, pray for him, his family and friends. Does it really matter who is at fault. God Bless Robbie and his family and friends.
Please stop even printing Things like "Are Oswego Teens cursed"- what is that? How heartless can this possibly be, these are people with their whole lives ahead of them and I can not think of anything more destructive? Oswego Kids are great people and they need your support they have had to face some tragic deaths of people that they know and love very dearly. Its insensitive comments like this that are rude and dismissive of the victims families. Think before you use your power of your pen and "right" to say what ever you want. Someone’s MOM and DAD will read the comments like "CURSED" and be offended- I know I am. Shame on you.
Jax
I think it's really irresponsible for a newspaper editor to even suggest that a town and/or its teens might be "cursed." Is circulation that bad that you have to resort to such sensational tactics to generate hits on your website and responses to your blog?
hahaha wow
im from oswego and i can say we are not cursed. im 16 and im still standing. yea we have lost some amazing people in the past year. making it harder and harder as the summer goes by. but i can promise that there is no curse. it makes me mad to think that some one even wrote that. or what some people on here wrote. yes he was warned but no one EVER needs to die for that.
or who ever wrote this
Although poor parenting is sometimes evident, in the wide majority of cases, it seems to be a lack of good decision making (this person was a teenager). As the previous poster said; take responsibility for your own actions. Generally if you use common sense and do what you think is right, you can normally avoid these situations.
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first of all next time you make a bad choice you should just go die????? that pretty much what your saying...... and im sure if he could talk right now he would only be blaming him slef. im sure he didnt go into there thinking oh wow im going to go swimm then drown.
or lack of pour parenting...... were growing up. yea were not going to listen to every thing that parents tell us. we love to think that, that will never happen to us. but as more of these acidents keep poping up its becoming more and more real. its scary. but robbie funston you are in all of our hearts. we will never give up on finding you. we love you and miss you.....
my heart goes out to his family and friends, i am a mother of two young kids, and it just breaks my heart to think this can be me. My prayers go out to his mom.
Keep in mind that for the well publicized deaths that did make it to the news, there were at least four other teens from both Oswego High and Oswego East High that never made the news beyond an obituary. Their deaths had nothing to do with “stupid decision making” or alcohol. Indeed, to young impressionable teens, the loss of nine of their peers in a two year span does indeed make them feel “cursed”. Walk into your place of employment, look around, and imagine what it would be like to lose nine of your co- workers in the same amount of time. Surely some type of crisis support or intervention would be needed to help you and your co-workers cope, regardless of the reasons for the deaths.
As adults, I am sure that the majority of us can look back at one specific time period in our lives and wonder how the heck we made it through alive. There is a reason that teenagers cannot legally vote, sign contracts, or even live on their own. They are minors, children, and cannot be held accountable for their actions. Teens are just as vulnerable as younger children, even more so in the fact that they have the sense of invincibility.
Those who take the time to judge these kids and/or parents, I too did some of my best parenting before I had my own children. Those who do have children/teens and are basing their judgment of other parents probably have no idea what their own kids are truly up to!
The comment that was published in the Beacon that a 14 year old boy said Oswego is cursed is false. He was talking with the reporter and the reporter made the comment about Oswego being cursed. I know the young boy and he did not say that.
As I sit here and think about this comment this editor has made I pray that it is not true. I just moved my family of 6 girls to this town hoping for a better life for them and sure as hell don't want something to happen to them. Like someone said, we instill evrything we should in our children but sometimes they think they are super heros and can beat the impossible and it will never happen to them. What we do is keep telling them that yes, it can happen to you too pray that they listen. My heart goes out to Robbie and his family and those kids that was there with him when this all happened. I also pray that this town is not cursed because if it is I am packing up ASAP.
considering all the deaths of the boaters and swimmers over the past 10 years on the fox river,anyone who goes swimming in the fox river
is ret@rded.....
Before you ever think about swimming in the Fox River, just expect it to pull you down! The Fox is like a devil in angel's clothing.
It's calling you to come swim in the cool water, and then once you're in, it sucks you in like water going down a drain. The best choice is to stay out of the river!!!
My heart goes out to the family of Robert. I can't even begin to think of how much pain you are in.
Oh, and when a lot of you make comments, please use spell check. Some of the comments take forever to read because of the horrible spelling!
My heart goes out to the family of Robbie Funston
There are two types of teens in Oswego:
the kids who say "it will never happen to me"
and those who aren't as lucky
i guess there is something about this beautiful once quiet town that makes kids want to be reckless
we have all had near death experiences i remember when i was a youngdumb maybe 5 years ago me and my buddies went along the catwalk underneath the railroad that stretches across the fox when those planks were rotted and old any moment any of us could have fell in between the planks broke our legs and drowned.
we miss you robbie not even a week ago i caught a handshake from you at Grandma's Table if only we could turn back time
Can we just focus on what is important and pray for Robbie and his family right now? Is that too much to ask?
I have know this family since high school, and my heart breaks for them. Let us all just pray for Ric Funston and his family right now!
If you keep on passing around the idea that Oswego is cursed, than the town perception is going to change with it. I think that it is ridiculous to think that a town can be cursed. I think that it's sick that instead of praying for Robbie's family right now you are worrying about blogging about how his passing contributes to a supposed "town curse".
You know, it amazes me that someone would elude to the fact that this unfortunate happening, whether it was poor jusdgement or whatever, had ANYTHING to do with poor parenting. How absolutely sick can one be? I imagine you are perfect and if you have children, they are perfect as well. Please, stay home locked away in your perfect little world.
As for the NEW MOM who is afraid of the Oswego 'curse'. For pete's sake. Get ahold of yourself. There were many years ago Yorkville went through a similar trend and lost several of it's kids. Was it a curse? NO. Stuff happens, that's life. Oswego is now a big community and more things are likely to happen. It's called law of average.
Everyone need to quit coming up with this stupid idea that there's a curse. They need to quit pointing blame at ANYONE because accidents happen and that's what this was. A very unfortunate accident. Have some compassion as a human, a parent, a sibling...and send some wishes to a family who really needs them right now.
I wouldn't wish losing a child on anyone.