How does the father continue to go on living with someting like this in his History? what a shame.

They showed the chipper being towed away from the scene on the local news last night. They had it covered in blue tarp. Good lord, I can't even begin to imagine the red mess that shot out the other end of that thing.

journal - You went from the very top to the very bottom, good job!

That father is going to have to go through life with a very very heavy heart. Tragic accident that should have been avoided.

Its sad the little boy lost his life..but the father is a JERK..that job is very dangerous for an adult to be around forget three children. Only trained workers should be in the area.

Wtf was a 6 year old doing chipping wood? Shouldn't they be in school. WTF

Blame the father? Definitely!!!! You don't bring your 6 year old kid to work with you when it has to deal with major machinery like a freaking wood chipper!!! What a tard! That poor child. My heart goes out to him.

sure it was an accident......but the father contributed to it by bringing his kids there. Wood chippers are dangerous and deadly for adults......dumb decisions usually have bad results......

You don't blame the father-unless he threw him in there. You know back in the day before we all sat on computers-that is what kids (at least where I come from) did. Most of them are farmers and they will be taking over the family farm-they have to be out there to learn how to run the combine etc. I get so tired of overprotecting children. If we TAUGHT them-we wouldn't have to OVER PROTECT them-they could protect themselves. You know @ 6 years old I was a latch key kid-OMG-my mother should be in prison! You don't hear that phrase too much these days-as children cannot possibly be left alone for any length of time-what kind of parent would do that! A WORKING ONE! that is who! But that was also back in the day when a good whipping would come if you didn't obey your parents. I would lay $$ that that father told that boy not to touch anything and stay away from that machine-the article said he turned his back-and the boy put the branch in the chipper. (assuming that is what happened). If my father/mother had told me not to touch anything-well you bet your $**, I DIDN'T TOUCH ANYTHING!

I pray for this family-and you know what-ACCIDENTS really do just happen. That father will never be the same, I'm sure! He needs prayer, not blame/criticism.

Mandi...they blame parents for what happens to a child under their care every day...kid gets hold of YOUR drugs and eats them too overdose death levels...it is YOUR fault (they are charging a step father for endangering a child that got hold of a bag of heroin...this FATHER took a 6 year old to work with a running industrial sized wood chipper...daddy eFFed up bad, dads stupidity cost the child dearly!)

You're right, Mandi.

My father worked in a Farm Bureau Lumber Yard, filling, cutting and delivering customer orders. Everything from 2x4's, to complete Pole-Barn kits, and when school wasn't in session he often brought me to work with him. And you bet you're sweet bippy!... When I was told to stay away from something..., I stayed away!

Accidents do happen, no matter how much we try to prevent them. No doubt at all that this was one.

Nobody here can blame the father any more strongly than what the father now blames himself, and will, for the rest of his life.

Infinity- you label people crazies for blaming the father- but who else was responsible for this child? A friggen 6 year old. he shouldn't have been anywhere near a wood chipper for crying out loud!

Mandi, I tend to agree with you on the overprotecting thing but protecting your kid from being sucked into a wood chipper is not over protecting. It is plain old common sense and basic parenting.

I say you DO blame the father. If a father leaves a loaded gun within reach of a child, even if he's only turning his back, and the child kills himself, he gets charged with a crime (well, unless he's a Stanwood, Washington cop, but otherwise). I see no difference between a loaded gun and a running wood chipper.

Interesting that I also don't hear snarky comments about the "Power Tools Manufacturers' Association" (and there is one) getting it just the way they wanted it. Or about how there are "too many wood chippers" or that wood chippers are "too easy to get". Did you know that ANYONE can walk into an equipment dealer and get a wood chipper - with NO training and NO background check?

I mean, isn't it just common sense that you should have to have a permit to use a chipper?

How is it crazy to blame the father? Not suggesting he's criminally to blame, it was an accident, but come on. Anyone suggesting it's crazy must be telling me that you would allow your 6 year old to be around a piece of machinery that would without a doubt kill them and has no safety devices to keep something like this from happening. Young kids don't know any better, and they're impressionable and want to act grown up helping dad. This kid shouldn't have been ANYWHERE near a wood chipper. Perhaps some of you shouldn't have kids. Only take a bit of common sense in this situation to know it's a terrible idea.

Mandi-3355303...you are exactly right. I grew up on a farm with all types of machinery that could kill you. If we were told to leave it alone ...we did! The boy is asuch at fault as the dad. Tragic but things like this happen on a farm and MSNBC puts this stuff out here because it makes NEWS!

While we are getting on the fathers case there is one thing that seems to have been missed, there was two other children there that witnessed this. Dad may be screwed up the rest of his days but that is not going to compare to the nightmares his siblings will have.

Used to have a tree service at the corner of our street groing up. We were allowed to watch them with the chippers but from a good distance. It was so loud it was scary to get close to anyway. I do remember seeing them put in six inch diameter branches and looking at my friend saying, imagine what that would do to us.

Sorry but the people stating the father screwed up are correct on this one. I'm sure we are going to hear more on this one.

What a horrible, sad, and tragic accident. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the victim.

WTF Journal? Is this really the forum for a dumb as nails political comment? Holy crap dude.

This is tragic plain and simple. My heart goes out to the family. They are going to need all the help they can get at this point.

The father is a stupid man.

Pray for the family,,now is not the time to criticize. Their grief will be far greater than anything that could be said.

Totally agree with Mandi. As anyone in my friend's list could tell you, I'm not the most conservative person in the world, but most of my growing up years were spent in Oklahoma. When someone says, "Ya'll kids probably don't wanna go near that..." we stayed the eff away, whether it was a machine or an animal.

The Angry Guy wrote:

I say you DO blame the father. If a father leaves a loaded gun within reach of a child, even if he's only turning his back, and the child kills himself, he gets charged with a crime ...

You do know that six year olds used to use guns, right?

But you raise an interesting counterpoint but not in the way you intended.

The difference between Mandi, others, and mine's childhoods against probably this six year old's and a lot of other posters on here's childhoods, is that we as children were trained at an extremely early age to listen to instruction and taught that there were severe repercussions in not doing so (both by a whoopin' and/or sometimes by whatever it was that you did itself).

But just so some of you know, you don't have to be so overprotective of your children if you actually sit down and teach them something in regards to life lessons, even at very early ages (within reason).

So then if you are driving down the road-you and your son -and a car crosses the line and hits you and kills your child-is that your fault-you had the kid in the car-cars are dangerous things-how many people are killed in cars annually? You shouldn't have had your kid in that car-that dangerous piece of equipment!

Blame is an awful word-that father in your scenario w/the loaded hand gun-what is constituted within a child's reach. In your drawer in your bedroom-on a shelf-what was it on the coffee table? I wouldn't think ANYONE would have a loaded gun on the coffee table (unless they are mega gangsters or something?). Within a child's reach is far different today than it was back in my day is all I'm saying. Parents determined "within reach" in my day! My parents had guns-in my dad's drawer-we knew where they were-and we also knew if we got in dad's drawer we would get our asses beat! So guess what-we didn't get in the drawer! We had fear (and not of the hand gun because we were TAUGHT that handguns could take your life!-we feared DAD!)

I won't even comment on the heroin dude-but to say IDIOT! (forgive me for judging, but come on!)

You don't need a background check for a chain saw either! I bet more people are killed w/chain saws than wood chippers-I mean the wood chipper is for after you kill them right-in an attempt to get rid of the evidence

WHAT A WORLD!

Now, time to sit back and wait for all the crazies who are going to blame the father...

Who's fault do you think it is? The kid was 6 yrs old!

Geez Mandi - I work on a construction site and it is hard enough to keep fully grown men who have developed hand eye coordination, spacial ability, and ability to follow direction in a safe workmanlike state of mind. This kid has none of those tools and as such should not have been within 500 feet of that machine at any time. And - the blame almost always lays with the "responsible party," the guy who know and has the skills. If an architect jumps on piece of machinery with the operator's permission and runs over someone - its the operator who evaluated him and said "he's okay to be there," that is in deep s***. People just don't know enough to know that they don't belong in deadly situations with that kind of machinery.

Good comment Mandi,

You see the problem is that many parents these days think that being a good parent is feeding your fat little kid mcdonalds, then sitting them in front of a video game at night because the poor parent is just soooo tired from working all day. I know that this country operated for a couple years before video games came out, but it might.....it just might teach your kids what it means to work instead of being the fat lazy majority that this country has sitting on welfare blaming everyone else in the world for them being so worthless. So yes, let's blame the father because he was teaching his boys how to NOT be these little pusssies that this country is raising these days.

On the other hand - I think dad has been punished far above and beyond what anyone or any court can do. Poor choices, but sad - no need to lay any more blame here.

Great posts Mandi and Observer. What many posters who are disagreeing with you are missing is that we were taught about what was acceptable and what wasn't at a very early age and knew to listen. There are details to this story that are not in this article, just like anything else.

Prayers and condolences to this family. Very sad and tragic accident.

JH perfect right wing scum talk.

Terrible tragic, the poor father must be crushed!

Bringing your kid to work and showing a kid what it is to work is one thing, if that job is not a dangerous job that could harm an adult muchless a child. Bring the kid to the office, great. However, woring around a wood chipper can, and has been deadly. Even adults fully safety trained and knowledgeable with said heavy equipment get maimed or killed, I hear about this once a year at least. My job requires me to climb smokestacks, sometimes over 100' high and i climb a ladder to get to the top. Should i bring my fat little kid to my work to show him what its like to work? I dont think thats a good idea. And yes Mandi, chainsaws are dangerous and kids shouldnt be near them either, and adults using or renting one should be trained before using one, however a chainsaw accident is mostly and usually survivable. Sure you wont have a hand or an arm or a leg, and you can be killed. If you have an accident with a wood chipper most likely your dead, If a sleeve or bracelet or anything gets caught in the mechanism, you are done for, it sucks you in. Metal gears rotating at 1000s of rpms suck you in before you can react and even if you do they are much stronger than you. Iv heard of stories where a sleeve gets pulled in, guy screams, by the time an arm is in his friends are holding the rest of his body and it still sucks the guy in. Wood chippers are designed to pull 300 or 400 pound tree limbs into the machine while it shreds, it doesnt cut. the gears pull and the gears have teeth. Is it the fathers fault? well i would have this to say. the father was negligent on many different levels. One, dont bring children to a dangerous jobsite. Two, dont bring kids anywhere near a wood chipper. Three, If the kids are near a wood chipper, make sure they are a safe distance. Block the area off if need be, however, i wouldnt get that far, my child wouldnt be there. Four, make sure the kids know the rules and their job, "kids, you only bring the branches over and lay them down over there" and " kids' see that wood chipper? the one i taught you about what it does? the one that shreds you to death if you get near it? Ya dont go near it". he needed to put the fear into the kids. As an adult you need to respect the machinery as fearing it could hurt you, but a child needs to fear it, plain and simple. he can learn respect for it when hes an adult working with it. im also quite sure that this father is hurting more than anyone can imagine, and feeling the guilt, which makes it hurt more, im sure the father blames himself, it would be inhuman not to.

I don't think this father needs anymore blame placed on him, he probably already blames himself enough. I'm sure he'll never get over this. I'm sure he regrets deeply ever allowing his child near the chipper. It seems that the children had it off from school this week (it stated at the end of the article), so that's probably the reason they were with their father, perhaps their mother had to work & couldn't take them with. Either way, if that was the case, he should have just stayed home with them. That seems possible since he owns the business, or could have at least made sure they stayed a safe distance away. So many other options he had, but he chose & unfortunately paid the price for his decision. For all we know tho, he could have told the boy to stay away, since it said he put the branch in after his father turned his back. That could be the case too, you know some kids just don't listen to what their parents say, especially at that age when they just want to be like dad. None of us were there so we don't know what actually happened. What we do know tho is that a young little boy lost his life in a tragic accident & his poor family has to deal with that loss & will do so for a very long time if not for the rest of their lives. Especially the father who has to live with the guilt that i'm sure he's already stacked up on himself. I hope he gets counseling or help of some sort to help him get thru this, & perhaps help for the other children as they were there & i'm sure witnessed & seen things that will haunt them forever, seeing what happened to their brother. As much as people could go on & say negative things about the father (calling him stupid, irresponsible etc), I don't think its necessary as he probably is doing enough of that himself. I say we just all hope that this family gets the strength they need to get thru this tragic accident.

tomcat...., I'll pray for you, especially! Somehow I feel the family will find more comfort with the comments from those of us who offer our prayers and condolences, than yours. Where a family member to read your post, it would only add to their grief. Why would you do that? I don't go out my way to insult non-believers. Why would you use this forum to attack those of us who do? If you are really that intimidated by us, you better be asking yourself why.

Larissa, you make a lot of good points. It was not a good idea to bring the children, but it may have been an economical choice. I can't even imagine witnessing a beloved child getting so violently killed that way. It makes my stomach turn to think of what the family had to witness.

I think going forward, maybe there should be "classes" for dangerous equipment such as this. Boats and autos all have testing and safety requirements, perhaps guns and dangerous equipment should too. Heck, it's a smart way to actually make the local government collect a fee!

I think Simply Put (post 1.32) has it right. Kids love to see what "Daddy does at work", and I would probably take my boy to watch, if it was allowed. But my boy would never be close enough to where he could be in danger. He would be far enough away that even if I DID turn my back for a moment, he wouldn't have been close enough to get into danger before I could turn back again. He certainly wouldn't be throwing any branches into the chipper unless I was holding on to him while he did it.

For those of you saying you worked on farms or some such, and didn't do dangerous or stupid things because you were "told" not to, I call BS. At six years old, you ARE stupid, you simply aren't old enough yet to have respect or fear or understanding of dangerous machinery. Take fire, for example. Bet you were told to "respect" and "fear" that, and told not to play with it or go near it. I was, but at six, I nearly burned down our new house playing with fire. Forty years later, my own son nearly burned the house down doing the same. Every kid is fascinated by fire, and when you turn your back, if the opportunity is there, s/he'll play around with it. I'm sure that chipper, once he got used to the noise, was fascinating too. And he wanted to throw a branch in just like Daddy. I've worked a chipper. We were feeding in whole saplings. I started one in (trunk first like you have to) and before I could step aside, it got sucked in so fast the branches snared me and pulled me in. Even at 220, 6 foot, and very strong, I couldn't resist. But I was strong enough to hang on to the edge of the chute and stop myself from going into the blades. Besides lots of scratches and clothing tears as the tree branches ripped by me, all I got was extremely shook up. A six year old would have no chance whatsoever. If I had been the Dad, I would not have taken the chance with the speed and curiosity of a six year old. I would have said "You can watch Daddy, but you stay right here (20 feet away from either end of the chipper)." Even that is a bad idea, since keeping an eye on him would be a distraction that I shouldn't have while operating such a dangerous machine.

To sum it up, as someone else said, I would not say the Dad is CRIMINALLY responsible...it was a horrible accident. But his responsibility lies in the fact that he brought his boy there, and allowed him to be too close to a frightfully dangerous machine. This is not a lawn tractor, there are no safety devices on a chipper.

No, murder charges will not and should not be filed, all agree on that point. So who is crazy? The ones who think the father is responsible? Anyone who does not find the father to be responsible is either ignorant of shop safety and/or working around power tools and machinery; or, if they do know safety, and think the father is not responsible, then they are 'a couple short of a six-pack'.

DexhunterZ

Wtf was a 6 year old doing chipping wood? Shouldn't they be in school.

Did you listen to the report? The school were closed for post-Easter spring break.

Blame the father?

What the Hell is wrong with you people?

I worked with a guy that backed over his 6 year old son with his tractor and killed him. He was just destroyed. It was terrible.

Accidents happen.

Stop trying to affix blame to feel superior. It was an accident and this poor man has to live with it for the rest of his life.

I pray for the children of anyone who thinks this father exercised proper parental judgment.

WTF is wrong with the father? Letting a child work around a wood chipper like that...

jesus FN christ that is awful. the dad must endure heartbreak like no other. I myself am very cautious with my kids. If a neighbor is mowing their lawn my kids have to move their asses to the backyard until the air is silent again. I try to teach them to avoid anything dangerous - I hope it sticks with them.

BLS, you obviously have no idea what you are talking about.

Actually, BLS does know what he's talking about. That father was an idiot for even allowing a child that young anywhere near that type of equipment. Why wasn't he in with the others?

Derek, I believe YOU are the person with their head up somewhere not nice.... This is tragic and the Dad will have to live with this forever, but NOBODY takes a 6 y.o. around a chipper. What was he thinking???? That machine was huge... again, what was he thinking. All of that said, my prayers are with the entire family. Dad wont need any blame as I'm sure will blame himself for the rest of his life.

He won't be winning father of the year anytime soon.

That's What's Up... you won't let your kids within 50-100 yards of a lawnmower... A bit too cautious perhaps?

Do what you have to do I guess, but realize that they will be future OSHA employees or bubble wrap factory workers (watch out for the machines though)!

As a father, I daresay what other people think of his decision to bring his kids to work is probably the least of his concerns right now. This is just awful. I don't know how I'd cope if something like that happened to my son.

I wish I never read this story.

markutk A bit too cautious perhaps?

I understood the post from That's What's Up -,: Markut- You are either a very poor parent or just cant understand written thoughts. The post said he is TEACHING his children to avoid dangerous things, is it not smart to teach them when they are young the whole idea with less dangerous equipment first? Staying away from loud industrial noises IS SMART! This is so they understand, or would you just toss the yung-uns to a chipper the first time and say "be careful"?

Almost went to pieces reading this! He must have been a chip off the old block! An entire life torn apart like that-just ground to a halt. He's em-barked onto a new life now. Amen

The dad was an idiot allowing his child aroiund that wood chipper. And not to be mean or not to be uncaring, are we sure it was an accident?

This could have been done safely. That's the tragedy. I'm all for kids working with and learning from their parents. My husband is teaching our ten-year-old son to use machinery in our shop. He has driven a fork-truck, used a lathe, a drill press, and assorted other shop tools. With my husband right by his side, and expecting only age-appropriate actions/reactions from our boy, and allowing for his size and strength, it has been nothing but positive.

I trained two German Shepherd Dogs to be gentle with my toddler. I taught my child not to antagonize the dogs. And then I NEVER left them alone in a room together.

This dad might be the best dad a kid could get. But he dropped the ball. My heart breaks for them all.

Ken, I'll just ignore the last sentence of your post.

I do, however, think a six year old kid can recognize when a "loud industrial noise" is too overwhelming for them; they're not incompetent, just young. Being cautious is one thing, but sheltering your kids too much can result in negative outcomes. I'm not a parent, but I have been a kid before, as have you.

Furthermore, if you want them to avoid anything dangerous, lock them up in a padded room. You might should look into one of those... just a friendly suggestion.

...I agree with the post above me, from speeddemon. This dad made a mistake, it's impossible to always have an eye on your kids. This is just a very unfortunate event. I would bet that the six year old has done this multiple times before, seeing as his dad owns a wood cutting business. I would also bet that the victim was smart enough to realize the dangers behind this machine, however, he got to close and made a costly mistake as well.

Tough story to read...

I could have been killed as a child any number of times watching dad work on the house or a car or...

...see?

Lay off of the father, he's got it bad enough as it is, and think back to all the times YOU were near your father while he was doing something and YOU could have been hurt.

Show some compassion instead of the typical trashy American contemporary way of thinking which is to place blame! Blame! Sue! Blame! Jail him!

My thoughts (but no prayers, sorry, those don't work) and best to this man and his family.

Good posts, Derek, Machspeeddemon, Markutk, and peteMT.

Thanks for observing! (ha)

Don't you think he already is blaming himself for this tragic accident? There's no reason to dish any more on him. My heart goes out to him and his family.

I totally agree with bmc_saxman i believe the father already is blaming himself there is no need for you people to keep putting your opinions out there about talking down to the father. It is only a day this family lost there son and to keep talking "heartless" is rediculious let them be there for eachother withou having to read these rediculious posts. Yes send you prayers but dont be so heartless. I am so sorry to the family and my deepest thoughts go out to you and your loved ones through this most tragic event in you life and my heart goes out to all of you even to you the father of the little angel. Hope people stop being so ignorant and start supporting the whole family at the time. <3<3

Look, @!$%# happens. Nature of the beast; however, and this is a big however, there is no logical reason for a child to be around a dangerous machine like a wood chipper. On top of that, to not be watching the wood chipper to make sure a child doesn't come near it? Sorry, would never happen in my world-not in a million years. I feel awful for the father, as I can't imagine the grief and guilt he has to be dealing with and will deal with for the rest of his life, but I won't even let my kids near the oven, let alone a wood chipper. Hell, I make my husband turn the lawnmower/weed wacker/etc off if the kids even step foot in the garage, not just the yard. Not worth the risk. Kids are like little ninjas. Even my 10 month old gets into stuff in the time it takes me to blink.

It's unfortunate and this kids family is grieving. A 6 year old (even in their early teens) may look or help from a long distance but never that close. Sad story and hope people learn from this.

Did anybody ever think the boy was there WITHOUT permission from his father? I remember when I was younger I wanted to do everything he did, whether is was splitting logs or cutting the grass with the tractor.

How do you know daddy is grieving and not grinning up his sleeve? One down, two to go.

No one who was not retarded would allow a child of 6 anywhere near a wood chipper. Unless they hoped an "accident" would happen. I bet most of you people have never even seen a wood chipper. Let me ask you this: you've started a barbecue grill with charcoal lighter, right? Would you let a 6 year old stand next to the flames holding the can of lighter fluid?

Then you wouldn't let a 6 year old anywhere near a wood chipper.

NO ADULT WOULD DO THIS unless he secretly hoped for the obvious result. I'm telling you, no adult would do this. It wasn't an "accident" unless daddy has an IQ in the lower 80s.

People are so gullible. Tragic accident my butt.

A tragic event happened, it was an accident. Quit trying to assign blame, don't you think the father blames himself? People of all ages have accidents every day, and some of them are fatal. Pray for the family and quit telling us how perfect you are and how you would never let your child come to harm!

My 13 year old son has been riding a power mower since he was 7. He's extremely safe and very skilled. I want to protect him from harm, but he has to learn life isn't always safe.

My 13 year old son has been riding a power mower since he was 7. He's extremely safe and very skilled. I want to protect him from harm, but he has to learn life isn't always safe.

Well this kid now knows it, doesn't he?

Oops, I guess that doesn't apply. He's dead. And your kid is lucky he isn't dead, too, or at least missing a foot. No thanks to you.

It amazes me how many people believe that if they act irresponsibly, then that proves the behavior isn't irresponsible when someone else does it.

As for your remark about perfection, if having the sense to protect young children from dangerous equipment means that I'm an egomaniac, then I proudly stand accused. At least I'm not a moron. Nor am I a parent who thinks a young child "has to learn that life isn't always safe" by getting maimed or killed. Unlike you, Einstein.

Some people definitely should not procreate.

Wow I wouldn't dream of putting a six year old near that big, fast dangerous machine!!! Unfortunately he did and is paying the ultimate price!!!! So sorry for this father and family!!!!!!

bmc_saxman and Tyanna88, I really don't care if he is blaming himself or not. He should be, and there is every reason to "dish on" him. Maybe the next idiot will think twice.

If he comes here for some kind of absolution, then he would be in the wrong place...I suggest a church.

patter123

So do you let your kids outside at all? Or do they live their lives in a little bubble? Oh wait... let me guess. You're probably one of those parents who does everything for their kids and they have no chores and no responsibilities because making them do work would be so wrong :-(

Mandy, my kids are grown with kids of their own. My son is a mathematician and my daughter is a pharmacist. But what makes you think you know anything about me and how I raised my kids? You are attacking me because you stand for letting 6 year old children engage in dangerous and life-threatening activities rather than setting down your bag of potato chips and getting up off the sofa to parent?

Yes Mandy, parenting does sometimes result in missing your favorite TV episodes. Better to just let your kids grow up wild and free. If one or two get killed, well heck, a woman like you can always have another, right?

patter123, this father was not sitting on a couch eating chips while telling his kids to entertain themselves. He is a working man who is involved in his children's lives. He was, in my opinion, to blame for being tragically far from careful enough. But you are talking about a different animal entirely.

No patter, I'm just calling you out for thinking you know how diamond raises their kids.

When did tv shows come up? I dont even have cable. now who's attacking ;-)

13 year old not old enough to mow lawn on his own? Sure would have tried to use that one on my father. Ya right.

Accidents happen. Sad that so many here are too busy looking for blame rather than doing something productive.

Sad products of a culture in decline.

I keep wishing I'd said exactly what you said, peteMT.

People try to distance themselves from accidents this horrifically gruesome by coming down hard on those involved. Maybe it reassures them such an unthinkable tragedy couldn't happen to them. Maybe this dad would've said the same thing about himself a week ago.

Agreed, pete and mach. I really think that's why people get so virulent in the comments on stories like this. If the father was irresponsible or even did it on purpose, then you can convince yourself that you're safe from it ever happening to you.

If 13 is too young to drive a riding lawn mower... how is 14 old enough to drive a car?

Not everything needs to turn into a religious debate. Back off, Brian. People much more intelligent than either of us can argue this out for hours with neither swaying in their beliefs at all, if you think you will prove that god doesnt exist on an MSNBC forum, you are pretty arrogant.

At least those of us who do believe in God can accept that now, this poor six year old is in the care and protection of his God for eternity, and his existence didn't simply end as a puddle of mush shot out of the wood chipper, who will be forgotten next week when there is another tragic accident to be revealed to us by our ever growing media.

Brian, I can understand why you would think that way about God.

But whether we believe in God or not, neither side can scientifically prove what they believe! That's right, not even Science as great is it may be can, by strict scientific method, prove that there is or is no God. And, on the other hand, those of us who believe that God is, cannot prove directly that He does exist.

No matter what we believe, we must ALL go to indirect evidence to support our conclusions. That is, based upon what we see and know as we observe the universe, the nature of man, we draw conclusions. The question is, are these conclusions reasonable?

Either way, I do Pray for this family and healing emotionally for this father. Tragic.

Hey Demo, why not tell roos to back off? roos brought god into it. All brian did was add some common sense and ask an intelligent question. Yet you call him arrogant.

You're wrong bloving. First the burden of proof is on the believers. You can't prove that invisible pink unicorns don't exist by your logic yet we don't build gaudy buildings to their supposed existance. As for disproving god, it's pretty easy and can be done in 2 steps.

1) Define god

2) Hold god up to the hype and see two match up

If you can't do both, then god doesn't exist.

Alverant,

Thats YOUR thought process and you can believe what you want. I have mine, therefore it won't change. God loves you even if you don't him nor believe. I hope maybe one day that will change. Thanks for commenting...

God Bless.

B loving - you're taking the conclusion you want, and defining it as the premise. It's no different from hardcore Bigfoot believers. Critical reasoning shouldn't get a free pass when it comes to religion.

I'm so glad I'm an atheist. I can't imagine walking around plagued with these ridiculous delusions and medieval magical thinking.

Brian,

I NEVER said that the father should not be responsible for what happened to this child. You are the one who brought God up. I'm sorry you feel the way you do. I know there is a God for I have witnessed it myself. So it does make me a believer. I was like you years ago until it happened to me. I'm not arguing with you and I respect how you feel. Thanks for commenting.

Basic fact kids and power equipment don't mix. Almost everyone in my town has a riding lawn mower. I see every one of them with small kids giving their kids rides on it. With the kid in their lap. Kids should never be in a yard when the lawn is being cut. Even a walk behind mower can kick up a rock and fling it at fatal speed. Having a kid anywhere within 50 foot of a chipper is just plain crazy. It sound like they parents were trying to save money on daycare for the kids. Tragic that a adult would make such a bad decision.

O for heaven's sake-now I have heard it all!

"Kids should never be in a yard when the lawn is being cut." Do you let them out of the house-or is there too much danger in that? Home schooled r they?

Said it before and I'll say it again WHAT A WORLD!

What an absolute tragedy. I can't imagine the horror and sadness the child's family is feeling. Prayers for all involved and the little guy's soul.

WTF? why is there even still a debate its 2012 ya'll it was ok to bash non believers in midevil time and had crusades that killed with grisly horror due to weopons of the time. The problem seems to be the holy rollers did not get the memo " man and modern science has proven inaquivicly god is a belief not an entity". get yourself a teddy bear and you'll do just as well and in doing so you will help humanity along its trivial course.

problem is, you cant make a buck off a teddy bear but you can make untold fortunes in the god department. Discuss that.

I pray for this family. What a horrible thing to happen, I can not even imagine. It certainly was a horrible accident and the good Lord Jesus Christ is not to blame. Jesus came to give life and satan has come to destroy and kill. The true blessing is that all things WILL work together for HIS good and believe me at this time it is hard to see what good will come, but I know from past that God is always there and He will take care of us. God did not cause this and I am very sorry for all that do not believe in Jesus Christ. He has come to save and to heal this nation, which we are one nation under God. And please keep your foolish remarks off this as the family is suffering enough and they don't need people saying horrible things. My heart goes out to this family and I pray that they will find peace in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the almighty.

"God loves you even if you don't him nor believe."

So if god loves me either way, what's the sense of wasting time on "praising" him during my life? I'd much rather sleep in on sunday and keep my 10% of my income thank you very much.

*End completely off topic usless post*

OMG! There's nothing anyone can do to stop the pain that this man is going to go through. Imagine the pain that child went through, and pray for this man and his wife and family.

Lord have mercy on them.

@BLoving, science can't disprove the existence of the Easter Bunny either. Does that mean you spent this past Sunday waiting for him to hip-hoppety down your lane? Science can NEVER prove that something DOESN'T exist! That is a simple fact of scientific study that is usually taught in about the 5th grade.

As for this story, my heart goes out to this man and his family, but I agree with others that he was absolutely CRAZY for ever letting a 6 year old around this type of equipment! What has happened to people's common sense in the last generation or two?

@ced56: How come God is never to blame for the bad that happens, but is always praised for the good? Doesn't seem to make any sense to me and I've never been able to get a God-believer to explain it logically (although I have been told many times that I just have to "have faith" that it is true). As for God taking care of us, it seems that he has already failed to do that for this family.

Aaaand here come the hate-spewing god-bashers. Someone wishes the family well in their own way, just a simple expression of love and sympathy, and a few "enlightened" people make it their personal street-corner soap box. Not a tragedy is reported here without this happening.

Sheesh, this article isn't about whether or not god exists, it is about a child who lost his life!! Take your god/no god arguement to a different site where it IS the topic. People always so quick to shove their beliefs down others' throats as if its going to change how they feel. If someone wants to believe in god & if it helps them get thru things like this or feel that they can help someone else by offering them the comfort of their prayers, then let them have that. Also, if someone wants to believe that there is no god, & once your dead your dead, then let them believe that. Just because someone doesn't believe in what you do, doesn't mean you can insult them &/or their beliefs. Grow up seriously. New day & age we are living in. Only people I feel that have the right here to deny ppl offering the family their prayers is the family themselves. Everyone else that doesn't believe in god/prayers, offer your condolences/well wishes, just don't put down someone else for offering something you don't believe in. I, myself offer this family my condolences & prayers & well wishes in the hopes they can find the strength to get thru this. Whether that be thru god or not.

tomcat, science cannot prove god does or doesn't exist. There is no experiment that can ever be designed to test that. Trust me, I go to a research university. Religion is not science, nor can be treated as such because of that fact.

why is it a terrible thing. pulling the covers over ur head or chanting " let us pray " will never help. for we r human and face an equal or greater reaction to any action weather pos. or neg. And b loving ur smugness is proof positoive of your fear. your to old to sleep with a teddy bear, now you have god, thats cool. ALL OF YOU KEEP UR GOD THEORIES OUT OF THIS. what the hell does god have to do with this article.

A 6-year-old gets sucked through a wood chipper, and you ask "why is it a terrible thing"? SERIOUSLY?

This has turned into nothing more than a debate about religion. Freedom og religion also means freedom FROM religion. Please don't waste your time & mine trying to force your relious beliefs on other people.

@pixie

Brian and tom were the ones who brought it up and are trying to force their beliefs on us. If you practice what you preach, you should be telling brian and tom to lay off.

tomcatfixer, "My God" is just an expression, If you don't like it, too bad. Grow up!!!

What happened to the boy and what his family has to deal with hardly sounds like a "blessing".

cbawl
Sorry to tell you bible thumpers...but if GOD was going to bless that kid, he would have not allowed this to happen...stop using GOD as a means to escape your rage/anger/remorse/sorrow...If God gave a flying sheet, the kid would be outside playing in the sunshine right now...

Cbawl...It's called faith. Remember, He gave his only son for our sins.

The sufferings of unsaved men are often used by the Holy Spirit to cause them to realize their needs of salvation and to turn to Christ in repentanceand faith. The sufferings of Christians should always be the means of developing a stronger dependence on God and a more Christ-like character, if they are properly “exercised thereby” (Hebrews 12:11).

Thus, God is loving and merciful, even when, “for the present,” He allows trials and sufferings to come in our lives.

“For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28)

Sean, you are correct. He let it happen. He doesn't will anything, but He answers prayers. He gave us our free will. He is the Creator, not a dictator.

@John-2032532: So if this family prays hard enough, will God bring their little boy back? Yeah, I didn't think so.

Tisha Robbins
@John-2032532: So if this family prays hard enough, will God bring their little boy back? Yeah, I didn't think so.

and yes, water IS wet Tisha. Thank you for connecting the dots for us. Not sure I could have done it myself.

SMH, why can't people just let people wish this family comfort & strength to get thru this, the way they feel comfortable with. Unless the family personally tells you they don't want prayers said for them & to put down every person who does so, back off & let them have their faith. You don't believe in god, then don't believe in him. Doesn't give you the right to question/put down people who do believe. Don't think I ever seen/heard anyone tell a family they "offer their prayers" to a family who lost a loved one "because if I keep praying for you they'll come back." People offer their prayers because they feel it will help a family get thru their hard time. Who are you to take that from them?? You don't believe that, then have the decency to come on here & post something that has to do with the article instead of attacking everyone who is offering this family some type of "strength" "help". I swear, I think that the only reason some people read this articles like this is to wait & see who posts something about offering prayers so they can attack them for their beliefs. Shows what kind of world we are living in.

I wish the persecution of christians by the left was something new. You get used to it and simply turn the other cheek.

Go'ds not a magic hat. You don't wish for something and 'pop,' get it. However, god can help people cope, heal, and recognize what good can come of things.

Florida... This is tragic, but if this helps, it would have been over in a split second.. I pray the kid didn't know what hit him.

I was running a chipper this past Saturday and I made sure my 6 year old boy stayed in the house. It was one of the few times where I said 'stay in the house and play video games" on a nice day.

I watched a guy use one at my house. I didn't get within 20 feet of that thing.

I can't begin to imagine what that poor child went through

It was a wood chipper

Me either, john. My dad rented one after he cut down some trees and we were helping him (for mulch). I was 33 or so at the time and I wouldn't go near it. Scared the crap out of me. Some things should be left to professionals with training...this is one of them IMO.

I would hope you would have enough common sense NOT to take a kid to work with such dangorous equipment?

People excusing the dad must think it would be safe for kids to go to one of our war zones so they can work next to a parent...during bombings, gun fights, gas attacks...ya...really safe stuff for kids to be around.

My mother wouldn't even let me use the lawnmower when I was a kid.

ur mom was a good mother. mine wouldn't allow us kids anywhere near the farm machinery till we were 16. we all had chores at 12 but none using anything with moving prts. use to think she was over protective. something like this makes me gratefull i had a stern upbring. just reading these post mystifies me as to oh well another accident let us pray.

Well, the kid could have been expressly forbidden from approaching the wood chipper. He could have been told to stay in the house, that it was dangerous. I'm just saying that when I was a kid, I didn't always do what I was told. And with a little kid the urge to "help" or "be like daddy" can be overwhelming.

He should have been supervised more closely when there was dangerous equipment anywhere nearby, of course. But things happen, kids slip away. I knew a kid who I swear could teleport if you look away for an instant. All of a sudden he'd be 50 feet away, or on the other side of a fence. It was ridiculous.

we are not talking about children on the %$$#ing play ground around a swingset. if you can't see the difference turn your kids in to the nearest child protective agency NOW bfore you do anything else today. Or at least do not be around children without proper adult supervision.

tomcat, The point was that the child CROSSED THE STREET without adult supervision....

god, with that attitude kids got no chance at all, there is no whole story. Only the story of a father alowing a 6 yr. old child within a block of industrial machinery, plain and simple story to me. You don't need to pray for the guy. IGNORANCE IS BLISS.

You started off w/God-hmm?

Change of Heart????

Oh is that just an expression?? or something else??

tyanna88, Dad should get a time out huh.

Tyanna88... I think it's pretty heartless that the father let the kid near an industrial chipper. I was running a smaller one just this past Saturday and I told my 6 year old son to stay in the house... These are not the average piece of equipment you let kids near or operate.. I was driving farm tractors early (9) but that you can get killed doing too (hitting a wood chuck hole and bouncing off under the large rear wheels)...

Just plain dumb on the father...

Do you take your children in the car?

OK so you are familiar with heavy equipment. You, however, obviously are not very familiar with children. You think you can avoid tragedies by controlling people and ordering people around, and forcing yourself on others-pretty obvious by the way you have repeatedly forced your opinion onto these responses. You are a wanna-be controller. Accidents WILL still happen, no matter how much you force yourself on others.

Actually, the issue is the father should NEVER have allowed a 6 year old anywhere near this type of equipment. It is precisely because children need to be watched constantly that you do not take such risks. A child is not sensible enough to know the danger. He watched his dad use it, so he tried it too. The father was terribly negligent. I am certain he would trade places with his son if he could, but that isn't the issue. The child should not have been on that work site...

You must sit here all day and bully people..Get a life !! I'm so sorry you have to be so ignorant because thats the only way you can get your point across.. These are opinions and you have insulted me because you have inhaled too much fertilizer onn the farm TOMCATFIXER... My children are safe and sound.. Hope yours are too!!!

Fixer got Fixed?

fwalsh It is good to know that someone can see past the bs. while its a tragedy a boy has lost his life, no one wants to see what it is. for me a basic principle was ignored, keep children away fom harm at all cost. Not an accident just ignorant neglect.

Again, how to keep children away from harm at all cost. What planet do you come from? It is not possible to keep children away from harm at all cost. I can imagine having a parent like you. Oh, wait, I did have a parent like you. It really sucked.

rcsdinthehills, Yet you are here to comment instead of being dead, so show some gratitude for having a parent that took their responsibility seriously. You can't keep children from all harm, but you do everything you can to reduce unnecessary risks. This child did not need to be near this type of equipment at that age...

People should be allowed to leave their kids at home alone.

These people don't care. They don't care that a child died, all they care about is blaming people because they're arm chair warriors who think they know better than everyone else. They're self loathing @sshat haters who would rather sit on a forum and blame and spew hatred than have a shred of sympathy for a father who watched his child die.

The only hands his child were and are still partially in are those of the chipper/shredder. I imagine their Dad isn't going to be watching reruns of Fargo any time soon; fuc*ing irresponsible human being. I hope he looses all his customers as well as this unimaginable loss.

Not a big loss on Fargo really. Terrible movie.