Heather Murphy-Raines/Scout's HonorLet's admit it. We all want to be the cool mom, right? The mom your kids' friends like. The mom who makes a home that's cool to hang out at.

It seems one Spokane, Washington, mom took it a bit further.

The Spokesman-Review said of Andrienna McDaniel, 41, "She felt it was safer to supply the teenagers with alcohol at home. She pointed out several times they already had the money for the purchase."

The result? A half-gallon of mommy-supplied vodka later, and police are investigating the gang rape and stabbing of a 14-year-old girl. 

The suspects? McDaniel's 14-year-old son and his 15-year-old friend.

Safer, eh? Shall we start at the beginning?


Six or So Bottles of This SizeDid I mention this entire half-gallon of vodka was for a party of four? Yes, four kids were provided with an entire half-gallon of hard liquor. Responsible parenting, eh?

McDaniel initially denied providing the alcohol to the teens, but then confessed, "I felt better than them asking anyone to buy it and go who knows where to drink it and who knows what could have happened." 

Yes, who knows what could have happened?! 

As if a very drunk, stabbed, and sexually violated girl is a better result in her eyes? Did I mention her son, the rape suspect, was also charged a day before with residential burglary? No angel there.

The 14-year-old rape victim was admitted to the hospital after police officers found her non-responsive and bleeding profusely from an apparent stab wound to her leg. She had at least 10 cuts on her leg and a blood alcohol level of .40, which is five times the ADULT legal definition of drunk.

Ms. McDaniel admits she was not present during the whole party to supervise. How safe and responsible.

Sadly, it seems alcohol may be the culprit for this crime. Her 14-year-old son, who could actually be charged and be labeled a sexual offender, did indeed pass a polygraph test. It seems he might have been too drunk to even have knowledge of what transpired. It does appear, however, that his 15-year-old cohort did have the forethought to toss the suspected weapon in the river ... and then brag about it on his MySpace page. Sigh...

I'm always surprised to see parents supplying alcohol. I was shocked in college to go on a family camping trip and see some family friends hand a beer to their 16-year-old. Perhaps it was my conservative, no alcohol, religious upbringing, but that seemed like playing with fire. It also seemed to be sending the dangerous message that laws didn't apply to those kids -- or their parents.

Personally, I love my wine. Furthermore, I don't begrudge my kids the very rare, curious sip of a cocktail (usually followed by a grimace of distaste). However, you will never find me handing over a full beer to my own child, much less a half-gallon of liquor at a party in my home where others' children will attend. Never.

Ms. McDaniel's situation is a shocking example of the heartsickness that comes from such criminal irresponsibility.

But hey, no worries, she says she has written "a letter of apology" to the victim's family and has had her fine, upstanding son also write a letter of apology to the victim that he allegedly he RAPED and STABBED. 

Yep, indeed that makes it all better, doesn't it?

Just curious: Have you or will you provide alcohol to your teens?


Images via daveknapik, foreverdigital/Flickr