"We're in the early stages. We just want to make sure we have all the facts straight before we talk about changing activities."

Now there's a concept. Get all the information before coming to judgment. NBC readers could learn something from this guy.

(And yes, it does suck.)

This has happened SO MANY times you'd think someone would get a clue...they use nylon ropes that stretch like rubber bands and when they are stretched too far and break they contract within the hands of the pullers...DUH!

It seems like this is impossible, if they used the standard thick as heck rope.

You cant even wrap one of those ropes around your fingers...wrist maybe, but not fingers.

guessing there will be lawsuits...it's just how america rolls now.

A couple of decades ago there was a TV show (Superstars?) that had NFL teams completing on obstacle courses. I seem to remember a tug of war going wrong/rope breaking and several guys losing fingers.

Poor kids, lives changed in an instant.

That is an intense force to do something like that. I've dislocated my thumb and fingers before and remember how hard it was for the doctor to get my thumb back in place. (which was intensely painful) I couldn't imagine what it would take for fingers to actually rip off. Hopefully they can get them re attached and be good to go in a couple months.

We had a neighbor who lost his index finger like this and only had 4 fingers on his right hand. He was a very positive guy and would always want to say gimme a "High Four"! He actually liked to be called his nickname "fingers".

It's sucks for the kids but hopefully they can reattach or move on without all their fingers......

WOW...........and I thought tug of war was a non-contact sport.

One of the first viral videos I saw was the guy who wrapped one of the thick ropes around his arm in a very large tug of war match and had his whole arm ripped off.

Tug-of-war, gotta love it! What other activity do the fat guys always win?

Both students gave a "thumbs-up" to their classmates as they were wheeled out of the gym to waiting emergency vehicles

"He told NBC News that the extra force caused the rope to snap, which then resulted in the injuries."

How exactly does a rope snapping, thereby relieving the force on it, cause fingers to come off?

Certainly the students fingers came off first momentarily leaving an amount of new slack in the line which then caused the rope to snap when it became taught again.

Obviously an attempt to shift blame to the object(rope) rather than the decisions/lack of supervision that allowed what was obviously too many/too big students to use the rope.

I wonder what kind of rope they were using for this tug of war. When I was in school they used big 2 or 2.5 inch diameter manila hawsers like the ones they used to use for tying up ships. The reason for using the manila is that unlike a lot of the synthetics, it does not stretch that much. They also have a texture that makes them easier to grip than synthetic ropes. A 2 inch ropes like this has a breaking strength of around 28,000 pounds. Even a small one inch diameter manila rope would have a breaking strength of 8,000 pounds. Synthetic ropes would be even stronger than this. For the kids to have wrapped the rope around their hands it must have been a smaller diameter, say around one inch or so. It would be hard to wrap a 2 inch rope around your hand. Even so, it would take a lot of kids to generate even 8,000 pounds to break a one inch rope.

I hope that they were able to reattach these kids fingers and that they will regain at least some, if not full use. Hopefully they will both make quick and full recoveries from this, or at least enough to have a reasonably normal life going forward. I can not imagine what it would be like to essentially lose use of my right hand, particularly as a teenager.

Artificial fiber lines have a significant "snap-back" that can easily cause this sort of damage. In the Navy, this is a serious hazard for sailors conducting linehandling activities. I agree, though, there was some sort of poor choice made about the line or the number of people on it.

@pjam09 - When a rope that has been stretched snaps there is a release of a lot of elastic energy. I have seen a ships mooring line that snapped after being stretched to its breaking point cut through a steel bulwark. Right before I got on another ship a crew member had every bone in his right hand shattered when a line parted and simply hit his hand when it whipped back. There is an incredible amount of energy that can be stored in a rope that is stretched and this can do a lot of damage if it is released all at once like when a rope breaks.

First, my condolences to the kids. I hope they can reattach the digits.

Second, I need a physics lesson to understand how this can happen. A rope snapping creates more tension on the tuggers hands rather than relieving it? Isn't the recoil force working in the opposite direction of the tugging force? Perhaps the recoil force is many times greater than the tugging force due to some elasticity in the rope (e.g. like a rubber band??)

Anyways, I'm confused. They need to explain this on myth busters or something so I can get it

@Jonathan,

Aww. there it is.

Come on, banning ropes is just not logical. However, I think we can put a limit on how long ropes can be, and possibly levy more harsh penalties on those who don't use them correctly.....that will save some fingers.

I hope the reattachment surgery goes well. If they have talented surgeons, I'm sure they can pull it off!

Here's to a speedy recovery. I'm really pulling for them!

I may be unkindly adding insult to injury, but even the students should have known better. You don't wrap a rope that is going to be under that much tension around your hand or fingers. I'm sorry this happened to them and hope their fingers can be reattached, but that was INCREDIBLY STUPID!! The amazing thing to me about this story is that someone that stupid managed to reach the age of 18 without killing or crippling themselves sooner (maybe they were on drugs). The cost of such short-sighted stupidity can be very high. I tend to think this was not supervised or condoned by the school. If it was, all hell should break loose on the responsible staff.

Sean-525709

First, my condolences to the kids. I hope they can reattach the digits.

Second, I need a physics lesson to understand how this can happen. A rope snapping creates more tension on the tuggers hands rather than relieving it? Isn't the recoil force working in the opposite direction of the tugging force? Perhaps the recoil force is many times greater than the tugging force due to some elasticity in the rope (e.g. like a rubber band??)

Anyways, I'm confused. They need to explain this on myth busters or something so I can get it

When the rope snaps under an extreme amount of pressure, it sends a coil, or "hump" from end to end in an instant. Picture when you whip a garden hose up then down immediately. You'll see a raised part of the hose travel from your hand to the other end in sequence.

This is what happened but under and extreme amount of stress, it happened almost instaniously which had enough speed to sever their fingers.

As for the guy who said they may have had it wrapped around their fingers, I can see that "only" if you're the last person in line or the person behind you would tighten the rope too much and immediately hurt you. I would also think that these kids "were" last in line because to lose fingers and be the only ones, they may have been on either end.

Being last in line, the rope would have a bull whip affect at the ends.

Some people just do not realize that if one person can tug with 200lbs of force, and you have 20 on each side, you're talking about 4,000lbs of force ripping through an instantly snapping rope.

For every action, there is a reaction..........

I feel sorry for the persons. But Im sure all the fat house wives will complain about this and it will reach Washington and pass a law of no tug of war in school.

I don't believe for a second that the rope snapping caused the fingers to come off. I think the fingers coming off caused the rope to snap. Think about it. The rope is under tension, wrapped around fingers. The fingers come off, providing a few inches of extra slack that, when taken up, results in even more tension from the momentum gained as the pullers fall back a few inches. That added tension may have snapped the rope, or may have taken off the second student's fingers, repeating the process and then snapping the rope. It all could have happened in a split second.

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it:

wikipedia*dot*org/wiki/Tug_of_war#Risk_of_Injury

I wish them well in their recovery.

Cue the parents suing the school, making it so the school has to cancel all its extracurricular stuff, and probably cut the arts and music more to get out of the hole.

All because of dumb ass kids not thinking before they do something. Yes, I feel bad for them (I play the piano, I would die if I lost my fingers). But this is the first tug-of-war "accident" I've ever heard of.

The school (and the other students there) shouldn't have to suffer because of the stupidity of a few.

Again, I hope they can get their fingers back on.

What was said:

"We'll review the activity with district administration," "We're in the early stages. We just want to make sure we have all the facts straight before we talk about changing activities."

Translation:

"We'll review the correct response statement with district administration's lawyers," "We're in the early stages. We just want to make sure we have all the facts straight before we say anything legally culpable and open ourselves up to even more liability from suing parents."

It's a sane strategy.... I'm not knocking it.

To all of you who do not think a snapping rope cannot cut fingers off. A rope under stress snaps like a whip. I've witnessed a towline (boat) take off a man's leg when it snapped. Another line cleanly cut though a steel plated cabin. Picture a whip snapping though the air, that crack you hear is from the speed of the tip, allowing to cleanly cut though light objects. Hopefully they can reattach the fingers of these young people and allow them a full recovery. I'm sure nobody arranging the events realized the dangers of using the wrong rope or the stress involved, doesn't this school have science teachers.

I had another story to share about this...I just can't put my fingers on it.

"doesn't this school have science teachers."

(snicker) or NURSES. Oh My Gosh-nurses could tell the powers-that-B all about the dangers of the playground w/bullies!!!! Must ban playgrounds w/bullies & make the kids sit inside during recess & play checkers-so the bullies can come along & flip the board & the "teachers" can continue 2 ignore the bullies. (sarcasm)

Now there's a concept. Get all the information before coming to judgment. NBC readers could learn something from this guy.

I don't know what more information is going to prove relative to stopping the game. Fingers (and a lot of them) were torn off 2 hands. Case close. No more tug-of-war, at least until they figure out how a rope breaking can tear off fingers. I'm with a lot of those who wonder how that can happen.

If I see one more boring imbecile in the comments cracking the same tired joke about "Banning" something every time there is an accident in the news, I'll scream. Enough already! We get it...you don't approve of gun control laws. Please stop making the same stupid joke--everyone has heard it. (I support the constitution, BTW)

As for Tug of War...the school is moderately responsible for providing synthetic rope that has this sort of recoil. Phys Ed teachers should be aware of these dangers and schools should stop using this type of rope. I don't care if it's cheaper--its not worth anybody losing digits. It's a fun game and I am not saying it should be entirely banned but get rid of the nylon rope. Its kind of a no-brainer.

Must ban cookies; U might choke on 1. (waiting 4 scream.....)

;-)

If Mr. Pickett is correct, and I believe he is, wrapping the rope around their hands is likely what caused these amputations. Ordinary half-inch nylon rope, about the heaviest hardware stores sell, has a safe working load rating of between 500 and 600 pounds, and an adult male can probably exert a pull of 100 pounds, which means that it is only safe to use this rope with a limit of five to six team members per side. However, the minimum breaking strength of this same half-inch nylon rope is 5,670 pounds. When nylon rope of this size parts (breaks) it sounds very much like a gunshot.

The article does not say what kind of rope, manila or nylon, was being used. Although I never heard that the sudden release of tension would cause a rope to snap, I suppose it is possible. I know that the sudden release of tension would cause a recoil which would cause injury to anyone behind it. Manila rope that is old or deteriorated would have broken under pressure, but I don't know what the chances or severity of injury are.

Injuries in tug-of-war have happened. See the "Risk of Injury" section at this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tug_of_war#Risk_of_Injury

I have heard a 3-inch nylon mooring line for a navy ship break; it sounded like a cannon going off. The deck crew was so lucky that no one was killed by the recoil of the broken end, which could have cut someone in half and kept on going.

I wish these students all the very best and hope that the surgeries are successful.

Wishing the students a quick and uneventful recovery. These accidents happen. Fortunately they are young and can adapt.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

I hate that when that happens. Let's hope they didn't lose a middle finger, because then they couldn't communicate.

best wishes for the kids , hope it all works out and they can attach the fingers. meanwhile in other news, obummer is now going to ban ropes at school......too dangerous.....he says...

School board - have your checkbooks open and the pen in your hand. This one is gonna cost ya!

Good luck to the kids (even the anxiety case.)!

People, a little common sense can go a long way... you've GOT to think BEFORE you do something.

i.e., DO NOT WRAP a rope around your hand to attain a better grip...EVER.

First of all, do not engage in tug-o-war. Secondly, if you do play tug-o-war, do not wrap the rope around any body part, your's or anyone's elses.

You do NOT have control over items that are not part of your body. When you wrap something around a part of your body, your body part is at the mercy of the physics of the other item.

I hope the kids LEARN SOMETHING from this situation. Their hands will NEVER be 100% after this thing, unfortunately.

The Anxiety Case kid: Freaked out over seeing the detached fangers and extreme loss o blood, no doubt.

I WONDER WHETHER THOSE DETACHED FANGERS WERE WIGGGLING ON THE GROUND THERE??

I had another salient point to contribute to this post... BUT I JUST CAN'T PUT MY FINGER ON IT.

Two more lefties!

The worst part is that any school should know the risks involved in any sport and all appropriate measures should be taken to prevent injury but with this school and others like it that doesn't seem to be what they did.

Using the proper rope is a must, a special rope is required for just this purpose ( I wasn't aware of this before today myself) so now these kids will have to endure the pain and suffering of having there fingers reattached if possible and months if not years of therapy to get the feelings back in them, all because someone at a "School" didn't do there homework on the required type of rope needed for just this purpose.

Here's a great link for past stories on just this topic and its history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tug_of_war

Wishing the kids all the best on a fast and full recovery.

JEssica..don't embarrass yourself with your ignorance and by being a little b**ch. Just so you know some fACTS for once in your ignorant life...The United States is NOT at the top of the list of "lawsuits per capita" for developed nations. In fact, it is not even NEAR the top. IT is rght around the middle.

So no..it is NOT "how America rolls." No moreso than the average country. It is just that stupid people like you read about more in America and think "That is becuase we sue more" when in reality it is because YOU ARE AMERICAN! And as such, you likely visit websites that are generally talking about AMERICAN STORIES! So naturally you will hear more about American lawsuits.

If it was small enough to wrap around your hand it was too small. Does not take a lot of people to put many thousands of pounds of force on a rope. Most ropes they use for this purpose are 3inches around

I just hated "tug of war" when I was in school. Really, what are the exercise benefits? It just seemed to me that certain loutish gym teachers wanted to separated the class into "winners" and "losers." Most gym teachers did not make us participate in that "game," but the ones who did were in general jerks that none of the students liked.

Yes, Tired-of-it, I'm having a hard time trying to visualize how a rope snapping could amputate fingers. It seems to me that if the rope snapped, those pulling on it would simply fall backwards.

This could happen if say the rope broke between the second and third person on the rope and the first two had the rope wrapped around their hands.

When the rope breaks it suddenly becomes two people vs a whole team.

I hope they are able to sucessfully reattach the fingers. Otherwise ,its a 'pull my finger' challenge gone horribly wrong.

I didn't know that fingers just fell off like that.

So much for those trigger fingers.

Travis -

I watched a classmate leave his finger in the basketball net in highschool - ring snagged in the netting and both ring and finger were left about nine feet in the air. Fingers can come off with adequate force.

rope is what the viking used 100s of years ago this is 2013 now schools need to use the lastest technology the Powerpull tug of war rope is 100% safe no such thing as injurys to any students but they cost $15.00 more so i guess keep useing rope and injurys to students can keep ruining lives way to go la school systems powerpullproducts.com is a company that sells these safe tug of war ropes

Anyone whose ever gotten bored on YouTube.

It seems a quite natural reaction to seeing someone have part of their hand ripped off! Yuch! Could not have been a pleasant sight.

True, but isn't anxiety and a trauma center a bit over the top? People really need to learn to control themselves a bit better.

She may have been hysterical and needed a sedative.

Tacitus86, you obviously have no idea what people with anxiety go through. You don't get to just control yourself. It's just not that easy. Stick to topics you know about. This isn't one of them.

I suppose Tacitus86 has seen fingers ripped off of people's hands and was disappointed because they stopped the game. I bet he/she thinks soldiers with PTSD from seeing their friends bloodied and missing appendages should quit whining.

She may have been treated for shock too. I had a friend who was out riding a motorcycle with her family and friends, witnessed a guy she knew in their group get decapitated after he lost control of his motorcycle. She had to be taken in to the hospital to be treated for shock and anxiety as well. Both cause so much stress on the body's system that it does become life-threatening.

I'm kind of surprised that there weren't more students who had a large, adverse effect to witnessing this event. We also don't know what her relationship to the two injured students was-were they just acquaintances? Was she related to one of them as a sister or a cousin? Were they very close friends, or even in a relationship? I would think the response to seeing an injury would be magnified the close you are to the injured person.

In any event, I hope they can reattach the lost fingers (or at least a few of them).

Honestly I wouldn't know. I'm a very calm and collected person. I understand it when someone is killed or in soldiers witnessing the horrors of war. But I've never panicked before, never had an anxiety attack or anything like that. I suppose I'm just abnormally stable, so no I can't really understand.

I am surprised not more were treated for anxiety or shock after watching 8 fingers and a thumb go flying thru the air! at lunch! I would prolly pass out! OMG who had to look for them?

Well Tacitus86, might still happen yet. Perhaps, you have not see anything, so what would you need to panic about? Or, maybe it wasn't your trigger. The body can be a funny thing. I, have no issue with being calm and collected with other people's blood and body parts and goop.. but I got a little woozy taking a out a rusty nail that went through my own hand. My own blood kinda freaks me out. I'm not going to scream or cry or whatever, but, I felt nauseated and kinda dizzy, white as a sheet. Didn't really even hurt and I knew what was happening to me and was like- "don't pass out!"

If you understand it for death and the horrors of war, you're talking most likely about blood and bits, not Romeo and Juliet romaticized death. So, this girl obviously saw blood and bits and reacted to it. How many dudes faint at watching child birth? That's the opposite of death.

It's not really a stability thing. I think that if everyone around is reacting to a really crappy situation and you're all sitting there stoic and indifferent, I would counter and think that that was a little unstable.

voxrationis

It seems a quite natural reaction to seeing someone have part of their hand ripped off! Yuch! Could not have been a pleasant sight.

You haven't watched too many R rated movies lately have you?

Tacitus86 - you sound like my husband, he looks at things I may think is gross (or at least flinch-worthy), and just seems to be interested. He was there for the birth of our children, cut the cord, the whole nine, and he was cool as a cucumber (on the outside at least). We was in training for power installation, and he would come home and show me clips of people getting blown up by arc flashes that are common when installing power, and he didn't seem concerned, me I didn't need to know that it was a possibility to happen....(cuz I need another worry?!)

He just doesn't get visibly excited and always seems to know how to take a situation and fix it without hysterics. Chalk it up to Marine trainng? (he is still active duty) yeah maybe....but he is the calm reassuring leader anyone needs in any situation, and keeps people around him calm. Even other SNCO's he works with who like to yell alot, they all chill out around him too.

I react by moving faster to get whatever situation addressed. You can call me panicky, but at least I don't shut down... I just move with a purpose... (that is what I will call it.. yeah!) So far the kids haven't driven me to immobilization/anxiety/shock. Maybe that was my Marine training too.....

TerryFromWeatherfordTX

voxrationis

It seems a quite natural reaction to seeing someone have part of their hand ripped off! Yuch! Could not have been a pleasant sight.

You haven't watched too many R rated movies lately have you?

There is a difference between seeing it in real life and watching it on screen. Part of your brain recognizes that what you see on screen is not real when concerning movies. Even if you are watching the news where it might show something graphic, you are not that concerned because you are not there physically to be in the middle of it all. Unless you are there to witness it as it happens, you can't say how someone will react. As an example, I use to watch the old operation shows on Discovery without flinching when I was little. But if you stick me in the same room while an operation is going on, I may not be able to handle it. Again, there is a difference between seeing something on screen and being there yourself to experience it.

Most kids are pretty hardened by the time they hit high school...R rated horror films and M-rated video games pretty much takes care of that.

Perhaps the fingers were moving when they came off? That might gross me out.

Severed arteries bleed like a b1tch, Tacitus. The radial artery at the base of the index finger would expel blood 2 meters or farther. Teenagers are often affected when their close friends are injured. There are those of us who can sympathise with the young girl who saw her boyfriend (or girlfriend) lose fingers before her very eyes. In any event, emotional trauma can have an effect on anyone at the scene of an accident.

Just accept that folks will react differently to blood and emergencies - and hope you are not with the "fragile flower" if you ever need emergency assisstance.

Someone with a "strong stomach" rounded up those fingers and preserved them for re-attachment. Someone of "stouter stuff" administered first aid.

It isn't a matter of Marine Training either. Lots of medical students want to work the ER - until they try.

Also agree with tthe poster who indicated that can be different when it is your own blood. Nearly severed a finger tip - tore a strip from my shirt and wrapped it while awaiting a ride to the doc. Had to do it sitting down, though. Applied first aid to others with serious trauma, blood, protruding bones and never thought about it until the emergency was past.

We are all just wired the way wey we are.

Perhaps the fingers were moving when they came off?

Hmmm... It's a Wiggly World, out there...

Can't you read? :-/ Everyone lost. Idjit.

Didn't make the team?

You never hear these things bout chess players, lodging a king into someone's skull for example.

Well, not yet, anyway.

Alexander Melnikov has absolutely shown who the dullest knife in the drawer is--but it isn't who he thinks.

I'm with Alex on this one. Hell, even band and choir concerts show more civility. You never see parents and classmates attacking each other during a state competition or following a poor showing at a choir concert. My child players soccer and signs in the choir.......choir is much more civilized.

I'm with Alex on this one too. Tug-of-war is a childish juvenile game that masquerades as a "team-building" exercise. To put it in perspective, my cat regularly goes to "war" against the dreaded string/rope. I understand why jocks would like this game. It only requires physical strength. All the smart people probably were wondering when they could leave and do something more interesting than being forced to pull on a rope for no purpose.

To all the people who have fond memories of this game and enjoy tug-of-war - You and my idiot cat have many things in common.

not the sharpest knifes in the drawer

Love the irony!

(knives)

I remember being taught in glider tow pilot training that a knot will weaken a rope by 50%.

Are you both trying to say that knots are the weak point in a rope?

Not.

I'm a frayed knot!

Basic schoolyard knowledge is as rare as hens' teeth these days. It'll be like common sense one day--so rare it's considered a super-power.

Anyone with common sense knows that basic schoolyard knowledge doesn't just materialize in kid's minds--it has to be taught--duh!

The school should probably consider having these things monitored to avoid something like this in future events. They may not ban the activity, but it would definitely be a good idea to have teachers out there to make sure that when the event takes place, the students are holding the rope properly instead of having it wrapped around their hands. Or have a thicker rope so they can't wrapped it around.

and since when has any teen listened to a teacher.

annoyedperson

and since when has any teen listened to a teacher.

Teens do listen when they are told of the possible danger of losing a body part to a school activity if they do not abide by the rules in place. And it would be the teacher's responsibility to enforce the proper handling. Otherwise, the teacher can have the students remove themselves from participating in the event for their own safety if they refuse to follow the precaution for these events.

It was in L.A.....they don't even enforce speaking Emglish, and you want them to enforce playing correctly, or following the rules?

in the middle-2260511

It was in L.A.....they don't even enforce speaking Emglish, and you want them to enforce playing correctly, or following the rules?

Site your source stating they don't enforce speaking English. That is an ill-educated statement. Considering Los Angeles has a high rate of diversity, they do require students to speak English while in a learning environment. Meaning they have to in class. On a student's break or lunch, they are not required to. Just like any other high school nation wide is not forcing it's students to speak English all the time from the time they step foot on campus to the time they leave at the end of the day.

'Common sense' is what you know that others never learned because they were not taught the same lesson. It's full of assumptions and psychological projection.

When we were taught tug-or-war in school, nothing was said about wrapping the rope around the hand or arm. Evidently the teachers in my schools were ignorant pogues. Today one learned this lesson for the first time.

Jim,

Congratulations for putting much more than average thought into your comment. However, I still see two problems:

1. The rated capacity of a rope is its tested ability to support dead weight. Since the students are tugging, they are adding force to the equation. I would quadruple the combined weight of the students to allow for that.

2. The level of mathematics required for the solution is probably beyond the capabilities of all the students and most of the teachers.

You are both partly right - and partly wrong. Working loads are given for new, unused rope. Those ratings do not necessaril account for splicing and knots. Once the rope has been subjected to "dynamic loads," or a number of other factors, all bets are off.

But kudos to you both for giving it more thought than the usual commentors on here. And, Bill, you are probably right about the math skills needed - maybe some in the math/physics dept.

I can still remember when my cousin slashed his arms up when they went through the window of a door when he was chasing his sister (she slammed the connecting door from the kitchen to the play room/porch area). His mom and dad were out and my younger sister was babysitting my younger cousin, until my older cousin came home, so my mom and I (I think I was 15 at the time) had to get there, help get the bleeding stopped, get him stable to get in the car, and then rush him to the hospital (we were new to the rural area, before 911, and we didn't know how to get the paramedics). I was able to see all the sinews, muscles, bone, and fatty tissues (and lots of blood). It was kinda cool, except I knew I couldn't sit there and look at it, and needed to help get him to the hospital.

The whole time he was worried he would lose his arms, never be able to swim again, be called stubby, etc.... They were able to stitch him up fine, no limbs lost, but yeah I kinda don't get the anxiety thing either. It doesn't help the situation get better, and causes more issues. There are times for action, then after that time is over, THEN you can let your body recover and go to your happy place. :)

Different personality types react differently to a trauma.

....because a prayer would be inappropriate or offend someone?

in the middle: Because some people prefer to send positive thoughts. Simple.

in the middle - prayer isn't everybody's style. If you want to pray, go ahead, nobody is stopping you. Positive thoughts from me to those involved as well!

Falconear, when one writes 'praying for successful re-attachment and a speedy recovery for both,' the atheist trolls come out in full force. They then derail the thread with their flamebait. It's a predictable bore.

Now Inthemiddle is trolling 'positive thoughts.' It's past time for people to MTOB.*

*Mind Their Own Business

What an horrific accident! My prayers are for successful re-attachment and a speedy recovery for both victims.

It was L.A.....probably just a future trigger finger.

OK, in the middle 90210, that's ENOUGH...

Hopefully it is. I hated this game and hated being forced to participate in these sorts of games. I'm not at school to play, I'm at school to LEARN. You know - use that thing called a brain.

Actually, and particularly in this case, the flying fickle finger of fate...

You two must be old farts - as am I who recognize and appreciate your comments!!!!

Morlack, if you read the article and the comments above, all your questions would be answered.

FINGER SAMMICHES, anyone?

I don't know about anyone else, but I am so sick of this comment being used for everything and anything. Boring and annoying! Yawn!

I agree with you AllPeopleRights. The comment has been used way too much. We got the point after the first few days, but it has become more annoying more than trying to prove a point now.

I'll tell you what, once anti-gun nuts make a rational argument for gun control, we'll stop using your type of logic against you.

I have to agree with kathy and MrBurns. Quit using the logic about guns and anything else you want to "control" so the masses are safer because no matter what side I'm on, controlling a product never keeps it away from stupid people who are the problem in the first place. Take for example this story. We were taught during tug-or-war games never to wrap said rope around our hands. And as someone else said above...it sounds as if they used a rope not designed for such a game---one that stretches and when it snapped, the rope constricted again and took fingers with it. Sad story but totally avoidable with a little brain usage.

AllPeopleRights

I don't know about anyone else, but I am so sick of this comment being used for everything and anything. Boring and annoying! Yawn!

Unless of course your Dear Leader uses it...right?

No Burns, it's not logic, at all. It's childish and shows that you can't come up with anything better than, "I know you are, but what am I?"

Just, try something new.. oh, and keep it to the appropriate articles.

TerryFromWeatherfordTX

AllPeopleRights

I don't know about anyone else, but I am so sick of this comment being used for everything and anything. Boring and annoying! Yawn!

Unless of course your Dear Leader uses it...right?

It has nothing to do with whomever's "dear leader". The comment is getting old and has no use for instances like this. It shows immaturity and lack of thought, although that does tend to cover a lot of comments left on these articles. But this comment has ran its course.

keep it cool, this is the appropriate article. A gun is used to kill someone, you say ban guns. So, now that ropes are proven to be dangerous, the same logic is being applied. This is a timely place for the same sort of argument........we need to write congress and demand tighter controls on rope. If fact, to use the liberal perspective, if you don't agree with me, then you must hate the kids who lost their fingers.......you disgust me.....all kids have a right to keep and bear fingers, but you don't want them to. Why, are they second class, are you better than them. Ohhhh, look at you and your ten fingers....aren't you something special.

Actually I do not say ban guns, you ASSume too much. And no, no matter how you psychotically insist it's so, this article still has nothing to do with guns, reform, politics or any of that.

There is an article about kids bringing guns to school each day this year. Go bring your BS there. I'm sure you'll find plenty of like minded company.

There is a different between killing and hurting. Ropes are not designed for killing only. Guns are. I am not an antigun nut as I have indicated many times here. Having citizens limited in some way in their access to certain guns is not the same as ban all guns. Limiting citizen access is not the same as limiting police. We are limited in all sorts of ways. No one is speaking out against banning sword sticks, or numchucks or other sorts of lethal weapons although they are routinely outlawed and considered more dangerous to own than a gun in many states. How can that be? The second ammendment is not a gun ammendment it is an arms ammendment which in that day included bladed weapons. Why are bladed weapons all but outlawed everywhere in this country and guns are protected? Because there is not a powerful lobby group such and the National Bladed Weapons Association. Any piece of wood with a handle is considered a deadly weapon and banned, but guns are not. How can this make sense. You can say that when THEYcome for you your gun is all you need. None of our soldiers only carry guns, they also carry knives for those close quarter moments. You can get a concealed permit for a gun but not a bladed weapon. You cannot carry one openly or concealed. In California for sure bladed weapons are more regulated than guns.

The founders were concerned about all weapons. The British didn't just take the guns they also took the swords and the cannons.

For those decrying the trite and over-worked, I would also like to add "tinfoil hat" and "anything-tards."

Let us not also forget "if it saves just one child/life/finger/etc."

Now, isn't it just as arrogant to think that because you personally are tired and bored with it, everyone else must accomodate your sensibilities?

And ASSUME that folks are using their words to aggravate you personally? - they are hoping to aggravate you and all who thinnk/post like you!

BTW -

Look at the posts above and see why some would comment on gun control as a parallel.

"It should be done away with (banned) because I always hated it."

"Athletes aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer." (Gun owners are [choose your inxult and insert here])

etc.

Hopefully, then can re-attach the actual fingers!

That would be even better.

Thanks for the laugh.

I'd rother sit on the sidelines at recess, watching all the other kidz doing their thing, whilst I dip and lick my hands from a large jarr of mayonnaise...