Australia's Steve Irwin in PR nightmare for feeding reptile while holding baby son "Has Steve Irwin gone off his croc-er?"

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/04/1073151211781.html 

If ever there were a case for child endagerment...

It's one thing to risk his own skin, but this is BS!

Freekin' moron!

It looked asinine, but you gotta admit the publicity has been great. Steve has handled the most venemous of snakes and rarely had a bite, and has been up close and personal with so many crocs he can probably read their minds. No doubt he would have stuck his own head in the jaws of the reptile before it could have reached the baby. In this case, despite appearances, it was probably safer than giving the child a bath.

Yeah, if anyone could pull it off, Steve could, but why put a helpless baby in harm's way if you can help it?

I would never even THINK of putting my baby in danger. Amazing. I saw the clip on TV and was disturbed by it...

Safer than giving the baby a bath???

Yeah, if you're bathing him in shark infested water!

Despite his familiarity with the beasts, there was NO WAY for him to control the destiny should the croc go wild.

To think otherwise is simply foolish.

I suppose Michael Jackson had a firm grip on his kid when dangling him over the balcony, so that should be overlooked as well?

And who needs child seats in their cars?

I'm a good driver.

And besides, I only had a few beers......

Imagine the thought process at that moment:

Hold what is in the left hand.

Feed to crocodile what is in the right hand.

Hold left.

Drop right.

Hold left, drop right.

I think Steve Irwin is taking similar chances one takes by crossing the street with a baby carriage except Steve has control over the object of danger. In crossing a street, you don't.

His croc was an old, half blind, well fed, predictible animal. Steve was in control all the way. Terri was right there as well. The risk was only as dangerous as the perception given and not actual.

Next time you belt your kid in the car and go for a drive, your kid is in just as much danger if not more. If you speed, you exponentially increase tha danger. If you live in a house with stairs, there is a danger as well.

If I was a little tyke like that, I would rather be in Dad's arms when danger is present than anywhere else.

Man... I am so back-and-forth on this one...

He shouldn't have done it. Granted. He even said that if he could go back to that day, he would have gone surfing instead. Too late now, so he has to deal with it.

I wouldn't have let him do that with my kid in his arm, but there are people I wouldn't let watch my kid at all.

Would it have gotten the attention if he wasn't so well-known?

Do we get as upset at the crack-head mothers who don't take care of their children? We should, but they aren't in the media spotlight, so it goes undetected.

What about the kids who we always hear about clibimng into the cages or over the retaining walls of a dangerous animal at the zoo? Does the media crucify those parents for not paying attention to their kids?

What about the parents who know their kids steal cars for joyrides but don't bust the kids' asses and keep them home?

I guess it's a judgement call as to how we were raised and how we raise our kids.

Climbing off my soapbox now.

M

I'm sorry but there was hardly any danger invlolved. This man is a PRO at what he does. I would rather have my kids in that mans arms in the presence of a croc than anybody else. And I'd let him. And I'm not just saying that. People now days just have no concept of real danger. ARRRGGHHH I Hate the politically correct, Namby Pamby, Kinder- Gentler- Society we live in. I rasie my kids. Not Uncle Sam or there school or the nosy next door neighbor. Even if he dropped the kid and the Croc managed to eat him. So What... How in the least does that affect YOU. He would have paid the price along with his wife. A price of sorrow and pain that they would have to bear. The only reason anybody cares is because they think they are allowed to have an opinion on a Public Figure. Give me a break.

ajeroth

I guess you have to have big cahonies and an ego to match if you are going to screw around with crocodiles.

Still he might want to wait until he could ask the kid what he thinks about doing it.

divnmyk

well thought out soapbox. always good to hear from someone with something intelligent to say.

CATASTROPHE

I know there's nobody I'd rather be in a croc-cage with! Okay, maybe Salma Hayek, but that's a different thread.

At any rate, it was clearly a publicity stunt, as there's no way that kid is aware enough to appreciate or even remember the event.

Dangerous? You let your kids walk home from school? I do. That scares the crap out of me.

Haven't seen them,the videos,so I'll not comment.Now some of you would say opperating heavy equipment and or farming jobs are too dangerous for say an 10 - 12 year old.Well I wouldn't trade my experiences farmming with my grandfather and or working for my father and uncles in the various construction trades as an adolecent for anything.

Now I'd doubt I'd take my baby in a pen with a croc,but I'm not Steve Erwin either.I did teach my stepsons to respect and shoot firearms at a very young age,about 11 and 7 I believe.Just as my grand father had done for me.I think I was 8 or 9 the first time I was introduced to firearms.

I also taught them to enjoy and respect nature while teaching them how to ride dirtbikes,at an age that is considered unacceptable and even illeagal in California.Crucify me!

JJ

Another link to the Croc story:

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/05/1073267968018.html 

Yeah, he's a "Pro".

I think Sigfried and Roy are profession as well.

Would you let them take your kid into the tigers cage???

Wild animals are just that: WILD.

They are unpredictable.

But this thread got me to thinking...

Perhaps we could feed the crocs all the crack-head mommies who would rather get high then provide for their already-addicted kids.

Just a thought.