Erin Cox is a hero

Underage people drink alcohol.

This is a reality to which countless people on the Indiana Daily Student Editorial Board have dedicated their columns.

A vast majority of the time, this is an occurrence that passes without much fanfare.

Occasionally tragedy will strike, and the repercussions must be faced.

We all must debate how we plan to go about remedying the issue of consumption by minors.

The soundest option is to educate the safest methods of drinking without condoning or making excuses for moronic kids and the dumb choices they make.

Which is why it’s disconcerting to witness the blatant ignorance of North Andover High School in North Andover, Mass.

Here, a sober 17-year-old senior was suspended after attempting to pick up an intoxicated friend up from a party.

Erin Cox has been stripped of her position as captain on the volleyball team and suspended for five games because she arrived at a party to pick up a friend when the police came.

The school feels justified in punishing Cox because of its zero tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol.

This is a case that makes me thrilled to live in Indiana, where the Lifeline Law protects intoxicated minors who make moral judgment calls when someone’s life may be in danger.

The law isn’t perfect, and Cox wouldn’t necessarily benefit from it if this had happened in Indiana.

But it shows how some factions of society are willing to compromise on educating minors about drinking culture.

The Lifeline Law shows how encouraging the safeguarding of those who may have drank too much can lead to conversation and cultivation of good habits, not condemnation.

In a country where 4,700 teens die from alcohol use every year, Erin Cox attempted to bring that harrowing statistic down just a hair.

Erin Cox didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, she did everything right by going to pick up her drunken friend from a party.

If I were Erin, I’d sleep better at night knowing I more than likely saved somebody’s life.

A few days suspension is worth that burden off her shoulders.

But shame on North Andover High School, a school system that refuses to acknowledge Erin Cox is a hero and not a delinquent.

We will never be able to prevent every alcohol related death, just like we will never be able to stop minors from procuring and drinking alcohol.

But we should not stand by idly as a school system punishes someone for doing the right thing.

Erin Cox was in the right place at the wrong time in the midst of doing a noble act.

She deserves your praise. She certainly has mine.

­— wdmcdona@indiana.edu
Follow columnist Dane McDonald on Twitter @W_DaneMcDonald.