Responsible at Any Age

I was impressed with the behavior of the kids who competed in this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee, especially the 13-year-old winner Evan O’Dorney. I am less than impressed with the fallout following disclosure that 31-year-old Andrew Speaker, after learning he had tuberculosis, nevertheless crisscrossed Europe, potentially exposing hundreds to his drug-resistant illness. He was on “Good Morning, America” this morning to apologize – and defend his decision to travel. Now he’s just a small part of the finger-pointing that’s as all over the map as his journey. Still, as any thirteen year old could tell you, infectious disease is a serious matter. One wonders if Andrew’s father-in-law, coincidentally a respected TB researcher, might have counseled his son-in-law against hopping a plane, but apparently nobody bothers with second opinions anymore. I don’t know, maybe next year they ought to stick the word “responsibility” in the spelling bee and ask for a definition.