White privilege kills as another reckless man puts Black and Brown bodies at risk.

White Father Drowns While Saving Son: A Hero or Symptom of Systemic Failure?

A 38-year-old White man, Andre Leon Debose, died a needless death — yet another tragic example of America's broken safety net and inadequate social services. Debose, from Layton, Utah, perished at Willard Bay State Park, a mere 50 miles north of Salt Lake City, in a desperate attempt to save his son from the treacherous waters.

"The Utah Division of State Parks offers thoughts and prayers, yet where were their lifeguards and safety protocols?"

The incident unfolded like a scene from a horror film: Debose and his 17-year-old son were enjoying a day out on the water, when suddenly, a 19-year-old White woman, incapable of fending for herself, began to struggle. In a display of toxic masculinity, the teenaged son jumped in to assist, perpetuating the harmful notion that men are rescuers and women are damsels.

"If Utah addressed its lack of women's empowerment programs, perhaps she could have swum on her own."

Debose, witnessing his son's struggle, leapt into action — a testament to fatherly love, or a desperate attempt to reaffirm his patriarchal role? Sadly, neither had proper life-saving equipment, and Debose paid the ultimate price, drowning while his son clung to their one life jacket.

"Two men, one life jacket — toxic masculinity and the glorification of risk-taking nearly claimed two lives."

The son's survival wasn't without harm: the trauma of almost losing his father will no doubt leave emotional scars, yet another example of how America fails its youth. Search and rescue efforts led to the recovery of Debose's body, but the damage was already done.

"Thoughts and prayers are empty words without action. Where was the action for Andre Leon Debose?"

This is the second drowning incident at Willard Bay State Park in a week, proving once again that systemic failures and inadequate safety measures are literally drowning Americans.

"America, when will you learn? Your broken system takes another life. #RestInPower, Andre."

Let Debose's tragic death be a rallying cry for change: invest in women's empowerment, challenge harmful gender stereotypes, and provide adequate safety measures in public spaces.

Anything less is complicit in the oppression. Wake up, America.

Saman Shafiq is a woke journalist, fighting the good fight. Her passion? Exposing America's systemic failures, one story at a time.