Thoughts are now being censored

[MouseWife]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

"Unlike myself"?

The single most destructive thing my high school ever did to me was try and force me into counseling (because the didn't like a decision I'd made, they decided I must be on drugs).

Writing bad things is not a sign (all on its own) of problems. And if ever there is a group of people who act on the philosophy of "if you're going to treat me like I did something wrong, I might as well do something wrong" it is teenagers.

"I think I've said before that a group of us had actual detailed plans for poisoning the French teacher." Unlike yourself who had a group to discuss this 'plan' with. That is what I meant, not judging you on any level. Or being sarcastic.

Group talks can work out problems. That is why talk shows are popular.

That is unfortunate about them trying to force you into counseling. I still say, over punishing this kid, at least attempt to see if there is a problem. If they have to do something, which, with what has been going on so frequently, they probably have to.

Did I ever mention I have 3 kids? Been there sooo done that. Wait, doing that. My son turns 13 tomorrow....

When my kids have written some off the wall things, I have talked to them. Had them explain it to me. That is what a parent is for, to help guide them in their thoughts, they don't always understand why they do and say things.

Sometimes these things have been signs of other things, sometimes not.

[Morrigoon]

It just strikes me as an overreaction.

Granted, an 18-year old should be old enough to realize how sensitive everyone is about shootings and that writing that might be a really stupid idea, however, it's also young enough to be obnoxious and actively break the rules in order to make a point.

[MouseWife]

Well. Hmm. Having kids in public school, I find they have a tendency to over react. Or, under-react when they should do something.

I could list a lot of things I've dealt with. Some being what pushed me to homeschool when I did.

They do try to control the kids, their thinking, and peer into what is going on at home. I just today had to deal with some issue that I felt unfair to my son, some of their 'rules'.

[blueerica]

Yeah, I think it's a matter of choices. They're trying to throw an 18 year old in jail, as opposed to the many other options they could pursue. Counseling is a far kinder option, IMO, if they feel like something "needs to be done." Given that, I don't think anything needed to be done, but clearly, they thought something did. I'm just surprised that they went straight for arrest.

[scaeagles]

If you don't think like the masses, you need help.

If you think things that the establishment thinks are harmful, you need help, and God help you if you put those thoughts on paper or say them.

It is nothing different than the Imus thing or a campus speech code. It makes me sick.

Words are deemed to have special power regardless of any accompanying action.

I wonder if anyone thinks the kid to be disturbed, or if they just don't want to be held accountable should he shoot someone and the media begins probing them as the why they didn't reach out to the obvious cries for help as denoted in his writings. It's a CYA.

It's this way in politics. God help you if you don't believe in man made global warming (and even if you say you do, you can go ahead and fly on your private jets to political debates because you're important, damn it, but that's another story), or if you go onto a campus with protesters who have no desire to hear what you say or even let others hear what you want to say.

What separates this from the VA Tech incident is this kid hasn't done anything illegal. Leading up to the VA Tech incident, the shooter had been detained and ruled unstable, but in an odd twist, he couldn't be stopped from going to school.

How about we start holding people accountable for what they do and not for what they think? If that had happened at VA Tech, those 32 people would still be alive.

[wendybeth]

The teacher encourages the kids to write without fear of being censored, then turns his writings over to the principal, who then turns the essay over to the cops......Judas priest. So much for not censoring. How ironic that his plans to become a Marine are now in jeopardy as a result of this little exercise.

[RStar]

First of all, I think it was wrong fro the teacher to turn the paper over to authorities. It doesn't say if she first went to the school counsler or principal for advice. But she broke the trust with her students by doing that.

Second, I don't know if that line was taken out of text. Was it a quote of some character in a short story? If not, the statement that it would be funny if he had sex with dead bodies he had just shot was very sick and demented. I never had thoughts like that when I was his age, and never will. If that is what is going through his head, then yes, he needs counseling.

[blueerica]

Oh hell, guys... I had pages upon pages in my journal devoted to how I was going to kill my stepfather. I'm okay today, he was an abusive asshole, and yeah - I probably needed help. If someone found that book, I would hope that I got help instead of a prison sentence.


Who knows what's going on in this kids life? Not you, nor I, nor likely his teachers. If it's cause enough to do anything at all (and I'm not saying it was), wouldn't it be more logical to have the situation evaluated before jumping the gun and arresting him?

[innerSpaceman]

Eh, whatever. If the incident saves the kid from his own assholery of wanting to be Marine, maybe it was the best thing that ever could have happened to him.

If he wises up a bit (sorry, but I assume everyone who wants to go to war to be either a retard or the sick fvck his creative writing assignment implies) ... he will sue the school district and be independently wealthy in a decade or so.

[scaeagles]

Some of the greatest people I've known and some of the greatest kids I've coached have gone to serve in the military and I admire them for wanting to serve and protect their country. No military, no U.S.A. Granted, that's somewhat off topic, but I had to say it.