High School Student arrested for writing violent poem!

I saw something similar happen in the mid-90's actually, only then it was to a psychiatric hospital instead of a jail cell. They have kids reading stuff like "The Catcher in the Rye" and "A Clockwork Orange" and then wonder why they end up with kids writing this stuff! If kids can't feel safe writing in school, then where will they ever feel safe to artistically express themselves through literature? We should just be happy these kids can all read! What is happening to this country?

I find this quite disgusting. Why not arrest say, for the sake of argument, Quentin Tarantino, for writing Pulp Fiction? He writes and directs a movie that depicts horrific violence, brutality, and death, and what happens? He is awarded the the Palme d'Or, seven Academy Award nominations, winning one, and many other, lessser awards [BAFTAs, an Edgar Award, for example]

He is held up by the critics, the experts, those who tell us how to think, as someone who is truly outstanding in his field. His work is judged to be a must see yet it depicts horror and death. He reaches iconic status within our culture, and many aspire to be where he is right now, the violence and bloodshed his work depicts will inspire many to follow his lead within the arts, because it is popular, because it is what the people want to see, because it is held in high regard by the experts.

What happens when a product of society emulates this example? He is arrested.

Where is the sense, where is the logic, where is the balance?

Because one sociopath recently went on a rampage, now anyone who entertains a violent thought is a suspect?

We are obsessed with brutality, destruction, and death. We pay money to watch it depicted for the sake of entertainment. It has been this way since the invention of film, and it's roots can be traced back, no doubt to the very first use of language. How on earth can you separate this one kid from the society that spawned him?

It's disgusting, it's pathetic. Everyone involved in denying this kid his dream should be thoroughly ashamed. All he is guilty of, is regurgitation of the kind of entertainment we have all been, and will all be subjected to many times over in our lives.

[edit on 28/4/07 by Implosion]

Originally posted by Griff
I agree with you TheDuckster. But, I don't agree that the student should be arrested and/or fined for speech. Red flagging someone for their thoughts...ok. Arresting them for their thoughts...not ok in my book.

Im with you on that one, What if this happened years ago? decades ago? there would be alot of book writers in lockup as we speak. Its ridiculous that they arrested him.

I think they overreacted on this whole thing. There were other students who wrote some pretty violent tales and they weren't arrested or fined. The teachers, the cops, and the principle didn't even bother trying to investigate this situation.

Plus I don't see how this poem or story (whatever it was) was threatening in anyway really. He wasn't targeting anyone in general, all he was writing about was how he felt about the school system, and the teachers. He says in his poem, "This method of teaching could lead to a school shooting." I think this is just an insult to the way his teacher was leading the class, nothing else.

So yeh, I think they overreacted to this situation. I mean, like I said, they didn't even bother investigating. It would make sense if they did that before arresting anyone.

Sometimes I wonder if schools are run by complete morons...

[edit on 29-4-2007 by Striker122]

a reply to: bestideayet

I know it has been a long time since I was a kid.

But, way back then, I remember an old saying; something about how "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me".

I was always told that words had meaning and power. So, I guess words have gotten a lot more powerful as time has gone by. Or could it be that people have just gotten softer and more easily hurt.
If the latter be the case, I truly feel sorry for the next generation. If every one continues to be so easily hurt, there may not be one.