The Modern Version of a Slumber Party

Middle school, or junior high as some places still call it, seems to be the time for kids to achieve a small amount of independence. Often they are mature enough to be allowed to go further from home, or to stay away longer. Slumber parties where girls get together and stay (not sleep!) overnight at one friend’s house can be a fun time where friendships get cemented and then last throughout the high school years to come. Music, dancing, eating junk food, watching movies, talking about boys and staying up all night are usually some of the attractions of the party.

Some people are criticizing the parents who let their daughters go to a particular party in Brownville a while back. They are asking why the parents didn’t foresee that the slumber party their girls were going to attend was going to be problematic. They are asking whether the parents even knew the woman who threw the party.

It wouldn’t have mattered if they had met the woman who threw the party or not. It’s not very likely that Tanya Donnelly, who was just indicted on June 23, 2011 for unlawful furnishing of liquor and drugs to minors, would have said, “Oh, by the way, I plan to serve beer and other alcoholic drinks to the girls while they are at my two-day slumber party. Oh, I know that they are only 12 and 13 years old, but it’s time they learn to live a little. And guess what, I’m handing out marijuana too. And then we’re going to play a game which includes taking Klonipin – just to see who will act the craziest. It’s going to be loads of fun!”

No, the guilt belongs entirely to Ms. Donnelly. She has now been indicted for two counts of unlawful furnishing of scheduled drugs, and one count each of furnishing liquor to a minor, allowing a minor to possess or consume liquor and endangering the welfare of the child.

It’s a sad thing when a person entirely loses the trust of a whole community – no doubt that will be the first part of Donnelly’s punishment.