Must have been one hell of a party.

[ZedOmega]

What a wonderful way to celebrate a kid's birthday, huh? Large gathering that goes sour when all hell breaks loose.

That's what happens when you mix booze with a jealous ex...

[crashhelmet]

Police say 150 people were attending a 3-year-old's birthday party at the Fraternal Order of Eagle's Hall when a fight broke out shortly after the ex-husband of one of the women in attendance showed up around 1:15 a.m.

This was a 3 year old's birthday party? 150 people, a bar, and past midnight????

WTF?????

CH

[Sage Blackthorn]

What a wonderful way to celebrate a kid's birthday, huh? Large gathering that goes sour when all hell breaks loose.

That's what happens when you mix booze with a jealous ex...

Did anyone else notice that the fight broke out at 1:15 "a.m"....as in an hour and fifteen minutes passed friggin' midnight? And this is a birthday part for a 3-year-old.....with alcohol.......in the middle of the bleedin' night....... WHAT THE HELL?!?! You can't tell me that the 3-year-old was AWAKE at 1:15 a.m. for his own party. Gods I hope that's a typo and it was actually in the afternoon. I'm amazed CPS isn't all over the parents for Child Endangerment. It's bad enough when people bring their 8-year-olds to a movie that doesn't get out until past midnight......and R-rated horror flick mind you where the kids scream in terror all through the film. But having a party for a 3-year-old that was going until 1:15 in the friggin' morning?

Sorry, this just touches on a pet peeve of mine. Irresponsible parents. Just my opinion, but you don't have alcohol at yer kids party until they are 21. Ya' don't keep a 3-year-old up past sunset. And you ALWAYS hire one of yer large friends to play "bouncer" to keep the X's out of a party. Hell, I'm not even that big, and I've had to play bouncer at a wedding or too. From the sounds of it the Ex' was there long enough to get drunk before starting the fight. Did they friggin' invite him to the party?

Gene pool needs some more chlorine.....LOTS MORE.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Well hold on a minute.

Nowhere in the article did it say that the kid was there for the party. In my family, he birthday party was partially for the person having the birthday, and partially for the rest of the family as an excuse to get together. Many of "my" parties went on till the wee hours of the morning and long after I was toddled off to bed.

So before we start talking about Booze at a kid's party, let's make sure one way or the other if the kid was really there or if this was a family gathering, based on the kid's party, and then extending on into the night.

Also, as for the Ex being there, you do realize that some court papers concerning divorces often stipulate that both parents can be at a child's party right? That some lawyers are that good that they can make certain that if the one parent were to refuse the other from coming to the party that they can find themselves facing "Contempt of Court" charges?

So before you call CPS into the fray and have a child removed from it's mother...let's make sure that the child was in any real danger or suffering any real neglect here Sage.

That being said...yeah these are a group of real winners for deciding to get into such a ruckus after getting that goddamn drunk. I mean the EX and a few people I could see. I can understand that. But 75 people? It couldn't have been 74 people on 1 ex husband. That wouldn't have even made the news unless they killed the Ex (which is really likely considering the sheer numbers here). No it was more likely 75 people who had grudges against other people that allowed it to escalate into the full out rumble.

My only hope is that the mother wasn't involved in the fight and that she and the rest of the party (the ones not involved in the fight) plan to not invite the 75 that were being total choads.

[Sage Blackthorn]

Well hold on a minute.

Nowhere in the article did it say that the kid was there for the party. In my family, he birthday party was partially for the person having the birthday, and partially for the rest of the family as an excuse to get together. Many of "my" parties went on till the wee hours of the morning and long after I was toddled off to bed.

So before we start talking about Booze at a kid's party, let's make sure one way or the other if the kid was really there or if this was a family gathering, based on the kid's party, and then extending on into the night.

Also, as for the Ex being there, you do realize that some court papers concerning divorces often stipulate that both parents can be at a child's party right? That some lawyers are that good that they can make certain that if the one parent were to refuse the other from coming to the party that they can find themselves facing "Contempt of Court" charges?

So before you call CPS into the fray and have a child removed from it's mother...let's make sure that the child was in any real danger or suffering any real neglect here Sage.

That being said...yeah these are a group of real winners for deciding to get into such a ruckus after getting that goddamn drunk. I mean the EX and a few people I could see. I can understand that. But 75 people? It couldn't have been 74 people on 1 ex husband. That wouldn't have even made the news unless they killed the Ex (which is really likely considering the sheer numbers here). No it was more likely 75 people who had grudges against other people that allowed it to escalate into the full out rumble.

My only hope is that the mother wasn't involved in the fight and that she and the rest of the party (the ones not involved in the fight) plan to not invite the 75 that were being total choads.

Yer right, I'm making assumptions based solely on past experiences. It does not specifically say the 3-year-old was in attendance. They could've sent the kid home with Grandma or even left them with a sitter why the parents and their 150 friends decided to use the birthday as an excuse to go out and get shit-faced. I keep forgetting that the media loves to blow things out of proportion.

And I never said that I would call CPS on them, I said that I was amazed that CPS hadn't been called and was all over the parents. CPS get's called for FAR less. There are families I know personally who live up in the mountains and get their drinking water from a well who've had CPS take their kids away solely for "not having running water." They have "running water" in fact, it's just not municipal water. They can't afford municpal water because of increased utility charges and so decided to provide water for their household in an economical fashion: a well. But because there is no record of them having a municipal water hook up, and there is a record of there being children at the address, CPS decided all by itself, without any investigation to determine the status of the household water supply or the danger to the children, to place the kids in foster homes.

But at least we agree on the main point: Those folks are idiots.

[Cats]

Also, as for the Ex being there, you do realize that some court papers concerning divorces often stipulate that both parents can be at a child's party right? That some lawyers are that good that they can make certain that if the one parent were to refuse the other from coming to the party that they can find themselves facing "Contempt of Court" charges?

I think you guys are getting ahead of yourselves here. To be clear, the article states the ex was from a women in attendance, which does NOT necessarily mean the mother, and even if it was, nor does it imply the ex was the father of the child. So unless that is made clear in a future article, I think we can call that point moot.

It appears to me it's one of those "ex stalks the other around in a jealous rage causing general trouble" sort of things. It doesn't seem that the parents of the 3 year old were involved in the initial cause of the fight.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

But at least we agree on the main point: Those folks are idiots.

Oh indeed, They are idiots for getting into such a state of drunkenness AND for letting themselves get into a freaking riot over whatever set it off.

And I'm willing to bet it was something stupid as it REALLY doesn't take much to set off a even slightly annoyed drunk who is three sheets to the wind.

Like I said. The concept of holding a family get-together at someone else's birthday party isn't all that odd. Happened in my household many times.

So I didn't have a problem with the reasons that the adults were partying. I also know about court ordered visitation (through my wife and her battles with her Ex) and I know that in some cases the Ex will be there whether or not the custodial parent likes it or not.

So I am withholding judgement on those issues. The stupidity? Well let's just say that they tried and convicted themselves in the court of inebriation.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/09/28/...awl/index.html

Ok, another source is now saying that 30 children were in attendance.

NOW I take back what I said before (now knowing more of the story) and now throw them into my "CPS needs to take a look at" pile.

[blas87]

What the hell kind of party was this? Kids up at 1 am with tons of drinking involved?

Some people need their reproductive organs forced sterilized and their children given to better suited people.

[Sage Blackthorn]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/09/28/...awl/index.html

Ok, another source is now saying that 30 children were in attendance.

NOW I take back what I said before (now knowing more of the story) and now throw them into my "CPS needs to take a look at" pile.

I feel better now knowing that my initial instincts about the situation were apparently correct Still, you were correct that it was wrong of me to jump to a conclusion without definitely evidence. But damnit if it doesn't feel good when my instincts turn out to be correct.

More later, gotta get to work......

[Hobbs]

What the hell kind of party was this? Kids up at 1 am with tons of drinking involved?

Some people need their reproductive organs forced sterilized and their children given to better suited people.

Sounds like every party on a Saturday night on the South side to me. My best friend's family throws parties like this all of the time.

[tropicsgoddess]

Jeez. I'd expect that at a mosh pit, bar, club or concert but a THREE YEAR OLD CHILD'S PARTY??!! Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. *smh*

[AdminAssistant]

Sounds like every party on a Saturday night on the South side to me. My best friend's family throws parties like this all of the time.

I don't know what part of the South you're talking about, but it's not a part of the South I'm familiar with. Did it get rowdy at the local Eagles club? Yeah. Did it get that rowdy during a 3 year old's freaking birthday party? NO. I'm sorry, but I like the old rule of number of guests = child's age. If the family wants to get trashed together, fine. But get sitters and don't tag the kids along and don't try to do it under the guise of a child's birthday party. You aren't there for the kid, you're there to get hammered.

[Hobbs]

I don't know what part of the South you're talking about, but it's not a part of the South I'm familiar with. Did it get rowdy at the local Eagles club? Yeah. Did it get that rowdy during a 3 year old's freaking birthday party? NO. I'm sorry, but I like the old rule of number of guests = child's age. If the family wants to get trashed together, fine. But get sitters and don't tag the kids along and don't try to do it under the guise of a child's birthday party. You aren't there for the kid, you're there to get hammered.

Please read what I posted. I did not say that the OP sounded like a party from the South side (denoting my town btw), I said that blas' mention of "Kids up at 1 am..." was.

If kids are up at 1 am on a Saturday, the adults are drinking, but the children are supervised (in my friend's case, she and others keep an eye on them) then what's the big deal? Everyone talks about wanting the government to stfu about butting into their child-rearing, but it's more annoying when other people do it, imho.