If the cite is to be believed…
Your link has the (partial) text of the original story from the Valley Patriot, but that source has apparently changed its text, now saying:
They’re sticking to their guns about the whole “people are calling her a liar on facebook” part of the story, but the rhetoric has been toned down.
So the story is still inconclusive, but your link does point out that the whole “She wasn’t drinking and was only there to pick up a friend” thing had been corroborated and repeated by the police, so… it ain’t like we were (are?) taking the word of a teenager.
No more so that stopping briefly to pick up a friend= “at /attending a party with alcohol”.
No one considers a person dropping by to pick up or drop off to be “at” or “attending” a party. But you are parsing “at” to mean exactly that. One semantic nitpick deserves another. But at least in my case, the base truth is on our side. She wasn’t partying. She was doing a good turn, and this is what we WANT our kids to do.
Wow. Too funny. She might have made the whole thing up? Consider me not surprised.
FYI, the author of that is Tom Duggan, aka The Valley Patriot is a local libertarian leaning news guy who reports on local issues in the Merrimack Valley. He always seems to know what the cops and firefighters are up to and his twitter feed usually has the latest news about local issues in the area where North Andover is located.
I’m not surprised to see him digging into this.
Also, to give credit where credit is due:
People have been donating money to the Cox family, through someone who set a fund up online without the involvement of the family. They have turned it down and said anyone who wants to donate should just give their money to MADD. They aren’t accepting any donations.
Classy move, that. At least we know they aren’t doing this to cash in. But hey, they’re from North Andover, so I don’t think they are hurting for cash.
So you’re only “at” where you are “at” if you are there for certain reasons, or a certain amount of time?
So she wasn’t “at” the party despite, you know, actually being there? Where was she at?
I guess I’m old school. You’re at where you’re at, and that’s that.
I’ll ask you the same question as Really Not All That Bright: How long must you be somewhere to be there? Ten minutes? More? How are the cops supposed to figure out this metaphysical pseudo intellectual babble?
You’re AT a Party if you are attending the party, guest, crasher, etc. “A Party” is more than just a place, it is a state of being/mind. If there is a Party at the White House and your job is to clean up the party after, and you arrive in the last five minutes, you can’t really say “Hey I attended a party last nite at the White House with the President!”:rolleyes: “A Party” is not a place, it’s a ‘thing”. “The party moved out of the house, down the street and into the pool area…”- how does a place move?
So, no, she wasn’t AT “the party” as she wasn’t partying, she was working. She was at the house where the party was, but she wasn’t *at the party. * No more than the cleaner at the White house was.
And you know this full well.
Officer Buzzkill: knock, knock It’s the police! Everyone come out and keep your hands where I can see them! This party is busted up. Those of you obviously drunk are going to jail. Everyone else is going to get a summons to court and your parents can come pick you up.
Erin Cox: Officer?
Officer Buzzkill: Yes, miss?
Erin Cox: You can’t give me a summons. You see, I’m not actually here.
Officer Buzzkill: You aren’t? :dubious:
Erin Cox: Yes. A party is a state of being. A state of mind. It’s not a place. I’m in another place right now, mentally.
Officer Buzzkill: You are? :dubious:
Erin Cox: Yes. You see, there’s this message board on the internet called the Straight Dope. They talked about this for, like, at least six pages. The consensus was that I’m not here.
Officer Buzzkill: unholsters taser
Erin Cox: You can just ask DrDeth. You see, he’s like, really smart and stuff and…
Officer Buzzkill: BZZZZZZSZZZZZZSSST
So when I worked security for that party of Hollywood celebrities I was actually “at’ the party, then? Wow, great.
And the police who raided that party- by your definition they were AT a party while on taxpayer payroll? That’s against quite a few codes of conduct.
So Officer Buzzkill? Time to slap those cuffs on yourself and kiss goodbye to that badge!
Contributing to the delinquency of a minor, that’s how I see it. Attending a party where children are drinking… shameful.
And I’ll bet they were even openly wearing loaded firearms while around kids and while alcohol was being served.
I’ll bet some of them even drove their official vehicles to this party. :eek:
I’m not outraged, just bemused. Didn’t the kid test 0 on the breath test?
Ooops - Kayaker’s daughter tested 0, not the kid in question, sorry. Also my boss stole my pen.
Update: It turns out the girl was lying about the whole thing.
She was at the party for over an hour. She was drinking. She has finally admitted it.
That’ll teach us to take the word of one Officer Brian Neeley.