Freedom of Speech Forum!

[mikelew007]

Originally Posted by CrazyFlamingos

I have to agree that the punishment seems to be at least adequate.

Kids do stupid things and do not recognize the consequences. If this girl (and others involved) now realizes and regrets the destructiveness of her actions then justice has been served.

At her sentencing hearing she said the incident was intended to be a joke.
"We took it too far," she told Chmiel.

About the teenage boy identified in the photo, she said, "I'm sorry for what I did to him emotionally."

I think they learned their lesson.

[nuttyjoe]

Originally Posted by mytmouse57

Not really, tristan. If anything, the world is far LESS violent than it used to be.

It's just that such things get publicity now. We're so saturated with media now, if a mouse farts on a farm in rural China, the whole world knows about it five minutes later.

I still say they went way overboad with this girl. It should have been treated for what it was.. a jealous teenage girl doing a stupid, snotty mean thing.

Do you feel the same way about Virginia Tech? I'm going to agree with Tristan. Yes, kids 20 or so years ago made jokes about blowing up schools so that they didn't have to return from vacation. But, nowadays; they are carrying out these "jokes"- as you call them. This is what is causing this mania over threats made whether joking or not and how they should be treated.

[chandon12]

I wholeheartily disagree.

Who hasnt heard of Rev Fred Phelps and his alleged "church" the Westboro Baptist something something. This idiot started waving the "God Hates Fags" banner during the Matthew Shepperd beating way back when and since that time that type of behavior and public display of such bigotry has been found to be unacceptable.

Granted, she got a suspended sentence, but I wonder what kind of mentality and " traditional family values" she is being raised under to concoct such a mean spirited and henious display of bigotry.

Yeah, kids will be kids.... Tell that to the victims of Columbine, VA Tech......

[mytmouse57]

Types of violence change. But there's still, overall, far LESS of it now than their used to be. Read up on the union riots of the late 19th and early 20th century. Or the border wars in Kansas, or forced child labor... or any one of a number of things... such as Lizzy Borden gleefully chopping her family up with an axe. There always were and always will be a few loose nuts in the system.
Columbine and VA are still very much isolated incidents. Back in the 80s, the psycotic "fad" of the day was to shoot up a fast-food resturant.. such things come and go.
But statistically speaking, schools are no more dangerous now than they ever were. In fact, I'll wager they are a hell of a lot safer.

I wouldn't hold up Fred Phelps as an expample of anything but Fred Phelps. Even the vast majority of the most hard-core religious fundamentalists detest Mr. Phelps and his methods. He is ONE way over-the-top fanatic who gets too much media attention. And he LIVES for that attention.. and we keep giving it to him. Why? People LIKE a good freak show. It sells print and air time. He doesn't speak for anybody but himself.

This girl's actions didn't come from any "traditional family values".. if that's what you're trying to imply. As much as you might like it to be, this isn't the fault of "the religious right."

They came from her being a naive, snotty, jealous teenage girl who didn't stop to think. IT HAPPENS. She was called on it and appropriatley embarassed. I think she learned her lesson.

Let's just all move on, shall we?

[Catus Felidae]

Originally Posted by mytmouse57

Types of violence change. But there's still, overall, far LESS of it now than their used to be. Read up on the union riots of the late 19th and early 20th century. Or the border wars in Kansas, or forced child labor... or any one of a number of things... such as Lizzy Borden gleefully chopping her family up with an axe. There always were and always will be a few loose nuts in the system.

Not to nitpick, but Lizzy Borden was acquitted.

[chandon12]

Originally Posted by mytmouse57

Types of violence change. But there's still, overall, far LESS of it now than their used to be. Read up on the union riots of the late 19th and early 20th century. Or the border wars in Kansas, or forced child labor... or any one of a number of things... such as Lizzy Borden gleefully chopping her family up with an axe. There always were and always will be a few loose nuts in the system.
Columbine and VA are still very much isolated incidents. Back in the 80s, the psycotic "fad" of the day was to shoot up a fast-food resturant.. such things come and go.
But statistically speaking, schools are no more dangerous now than they ever were. In fact, I'll wager they are a hell of a lot safer.

I wouldn't hold up Fred Phelps as an expample of anything but Fred Phelps. Even the vast majority of the most hard-core religious fundamentalists detest Mr. Phelps and his methods. He is ONE way over-the-top fanatic who gets too much media attention. And he LIVES for that attention.. and we keep giving it to him. Why? People LIKE a good freak show. It sells print and air time. He doesn't speak for anybody but himself.

This girl's actions didn't come from any "traditional family values".. if that's what you're trying to imply. As much as you might like it to be, this isn't the fault of "the religious right."

They came from her being a naive, snotty, jealous teenage girl who didn't stop to think. IT HAPPENS. She was called on it and appropriatley embarassed. I think she learned her lesson.

Let's just all move on, shall we?

Settle down already. The topic of this discussion is Freedom of Speech when I last read the thread..... And, the snotty jealous teenager had to have heard "God Hates Fags" from somewhere.

Rev Fred Phelps.... Could be....

[nuttyjoe]

Originally Posted by chandon12

I wholeheartily disagree.

Who hasnt heard of Rev Fred Phelps and his alleged "church" the Westboro Baptist something something. This idiot started waving the "God Hates Fags" banner during the Matthew Shepperd beating way back when and since that time that type of behavior and public display of such bigotry has been found to be unacceptable.

Granted, she got a suspended sentence, but I wonder what kind of mentality and " traditional family values" she is being raised under to concoct such a mean spirited and henious display of bigotry.

Yeah, kids will be kids.... Tell that to the victims of Columbine, VA Tech......

Now, I do agree to to your questoning on how this girl was raised and the values therein; I have to wonder this myself.
I still think that the recent spite of school violence over the last few years is what is feeding this frenzy. After all, you, I, or nobody else can really say that this was a joke, prank, or even just a bad choice on the girl's behalf. What we know for sure if that something had actually happened; and this information were brought to light, is that legal action against the school district would be quick in coming. That, I think; is what spurned the action taken against the girl.

[nuttyjoe]

Originally Posted by mytmouse57

Types of violence change. But there's still, overall, far LESS of it now than their used to be. Read up on the union riots of the late 19th and early 20th century. Or the border wars in Kansas, or forced child labor... or any one of a number of things... such as Lizzy Borden gleefully chopping her family up with an axe. There always were and always will be a few loose nuts in the system.
Columbine and VA are still very much isolated incidents. Back in the 80s, the psycotic "fad" of the day was to shoot up a fast-food resturant.. such things come and go.
But statistically speaking, schools are no more dangerous now than they ever were. In fact, I'll wager they are a hell of a lot safer.

I wouldn't hold up Fred Phelps as an expample of anything but Fred Phelps. Even the vast majority of the most hard-core religious fundamentalists detest Mr. Phelps and his methods. He is ONE way over-the-top fanatic who gets too much media attention. And he LIVES for that attention.. and we keep giving it to him. Why? People LIKE a good freak show. It sells print and air time. He doesn't speak for anybody but himself.

This girl's actions didn't come from any "traditional family values".. if that's what you're trying to imply. As much as you might like it to be, this isn't the fault of "the religious right."

They came from her being a naive, snotty, jealous teenage girl who didn't stop to think. IT HAPPENS. She was called on it and appropriatley embarassed. I think she learned her lesson.

Let's just all move on, shall we?

I just have to add this little thing-even though it may cause some ruffling of the feathers, as it were.
I like your description of Fred Phelps. I think this description might be equally (if not more) applied to one Al Sharpton. Are these two clowns related?

[chandon12]

Originally Posted by nuttyjoe

Now, I do agree to to your questoning on how this girl was raised and the values therein; I have to wonder this myself.
I still think that the recent spite of school violence over the last few years is what is feeding this frenzy. After all, you, I, or nobody else can really say that this was a joke, prank, or even just a bad choice on the girl's behalf. What we know for sure if that something had actually happened; and this information were brought to light, is that legal action against the school district would be quick in coming. That, I think; is what spurned the action taken against the girl.

And, I wonder why a 16 y/o girl would also be charged with resisiting arrest. Most 16 y/o girls I would assume would be more than happy to comply with an officers demands rather than fight with him.

And you are right, nonbody knows if the girl meant this as a prank or joke. Either way, it was still mean spirited and tantamount to a hate crimes act per its definition.

[chandon12]

Originally Posted by nuttyjoe

I just have to add this little thing-even though it may cause some ruffling of the feathers, as it were.
I like your description of Fred Phelps. I think this description might be equally (if not more) applied to one Al Sharpton. Are these two clowns related?

I'll never forget that Twana Brawly fiasco- remember the girl who wiped feces all over herself and said some white men did it?