Do we rush our young children into life?

This question has been raised nationwide because of 7-year-old Jessica Dubroff's attempt to fly across the United States, which ended in the horror of a crash.

Well, it hit home with me. I spoke with my 8-year-old brother last Wednesday (the day before the ill-fated attempt). It was a normal conversation, with him doing most of the talking about his school, the girl that chases after him on the playground, and w hat new Hot Wheels car he got. He didn't have the thought of flying an airplane in his mind (though he would probably rather drive a Dodge Viper across the country).

So I had to see what this girl was all about and what would make her have such large thoughts. A Reuters report on the Internet said that in an April 7 interview with CNN, Jessica said she thought it was her "dad's idea" to try the feat. It is not hard to picture parents pushing their child to do things, but Jessica didn't seem like a normal girl.

She did a paper route, rebuilt a house and worked at a stable by the age of 4 (from which she gave some of the money she earned to a child in India). Jessica also was taught at home by her parents, given only tools to play with as a child, and did not ha ve a TV to watch. She spent her time building things, playing guitar, trumpet and piano; and reading some rather incredible books (including the biography of Harriet Tubman). Then she became "hooked on flying" when she went for a ride on her sixth birthda y.

So she didn't want to fly across the country? Well, obviously she must have. It would be an amazing feeling being a 7-year-old in control of that single-engine Cessna. I remember flying to Casa Grande from Phoenix with our family's friends in their double -engine, six-seat plane when I was young. That was exciting for me.

But parents can help a child think big thoughts. Jessica must have been influenced by her parents. She was home- taught and given only whatever her parents wanted her to have (as most children are). Jessica's mother has said she would have allowed her dau ghter to do it all again, and her father was very supportive of his daughter's attempt.

But in the Tucson Citizen 's Friday edition, an area psychologist suggested that this is an example of a problem in "modern parenting." He said, in the article, that parents often encourage and support a child's interest without thinking about whether the activity is of the child's age. I always wanted my brother to be able to play baseball when he was about 3 or 4 years old. I wanted him to be bigger than he was.

Yet, was flying a plane something a child should do? Think about this easy comparison: driving a car. A child is not supposed to get in the driver's seat until they are 151/2 years old (the age in most states when a person can get an operator's permit). M y feeling is, if a child cannot operate a motor vehicle on the ground, then a child shouldn't be able to operate an airplane of any kind. It is still a motor vehicle - note the engine on the front of the plane.

Officially, Jessica was not in control of the plane - her instructor was. He was allowed to give the controls over to her when he felt it safe, since Jessica was a student of flying who had logged 40 hours of flight time. The National Transportation Safet y Board reported that after investigating the crash, they believe the instructor, Joe Reid, was at the controls because of injuries he sustained.

But it's the fact that she was and could be given the controls during a flight. This is like handing over the steering wheel of a car to a child. It is an unnatural situation. Pictures of the cockpit in the Citizen showed the special seat cushion and alum inum extensions made for the 4-foot-2-inch pilot. She couldn't control the plane, or see over its instrument panel, without help. Physically, she was not ready to handle it.

And Reuters also interviewed Bill Roozee of Bartlett Aviation near Los Angeles. He said young children are "not capable of understanding the basic scientific elements of flight." I don't truly believe this, but you can teach someone something without that person having to understand the "scientific elements." For example, what about children who hit a baseball or pedal a bike and don't understand how it works? Is that really necessary? My brother understands how to do these things, but he doesn't care how it works.

I do believe there should be some sort of legislation on this subject. As much as some people may object, I think it is for everyone's safety. It should be illegal for a child to have any chance to fly a plane unless he or she licensed (which means not un til the age of 16). A period of time should be provided where a child can work on his or her permits, ranging anywhere from the child's 14th or 15th birthday - enough time for the child to log enough hours to be competent.

But this legislation should also be put into place to keep children children. If we rush our children into having the responsibilities of flying or driving, we are also rushing them into adulthood.

Keith Allen is a journalism senior and Wildcat opinions editor. His column appears every other Monday.