What Would You Do?

What would you do if your child's teacher read this in class?

Marines reject recruit after violent school essay

Associated Press

Last update: April 27, 2007 – 9:01 PM


CHICAGO - Allen Lee was on the verge of realizing a dream to become a Marine after signing enlistment papers this month. But one violent, profanity-laced English essay later, the 18-year-old's future with the Marine Corps appears to be over.

Because of pending criminal charges stemming from his essay, Lee's recruiter told him Friday that the Marine Corps has discharged him from his contract, said Sgt. Luis R. Agostini, spokesman for the Marine Corps Recruiting Station Chicago.

The senior at suburban Cary-Grove High School was charged this week with two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct after the principal turned his creative writing essay over to police.

"In light of recent events [at Virginia Tech], that is part of the context of what happened that makes the reaction all the more reasonable," said Tom Carroll, first assistant state's attorney in McHenry County.

Lee has a 4.2 grade-point average and never has been in trouble before, said his lawyer, Thomas Loizzo.

Loizzo said the charges are a product of paranoia, born of the massacre of 32 students at Virginia Tech by a social outcast who then killed himself.

The essay, written Monday, reads in part, "Blood, sex and booze. Drugs, drugs, drugs are fun. Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, s...t...a...b...puke. So I had this dream last night where I went into a building, pulled out two P90s and started shooting everyone, then had sex with the dead bodies. Well, not really, but it would be funny if I did."

The charges could result in a $1,500 fine and as many as 30 days in jail if Lee is convicted.

ASSOCIATED PRESS


M's teacher has a current events reading most days when she shares something from the morning paper. This one was intended to counter some images the teacher had seen around the class - apparently some students drawing violent images. The lesson is how early things we say and do can come back to get us as we grow older.

M was very upset - shaking and crying in class. We are very upset. The school seems to think we are overreacting.

Comments

amy said…
Dang...I just wrote a eloquent response and it got erased. Basically I think it sounds like an inappropriate way to address this topic that may involve a few kids. Hmmm...let's scare the beegezus out of the whole class? I bet any social worker/psychologist would say that violent drawings done by kids can mean a whole host of things....from mere imitation of media to expression of events in their life. Not an issue you want approach lightly. SOunds like the teach owes Miss M a personal apology for scaring her.
Anonymous said…
hobbled wife says.... thank you. that is actually a big help, and I will use those words in our discussion tomorrow. Original hobbled post was much longer, so this post may have left out the fact that we kept M home today until we got the actual article that was read. It's been a day. I'm tired of having these days....
Unknown said…
Agreed. This sounds like a person with poor judgement, to put it mildly. I'm curious how experienced this teacher is. Was this an isolated, honest, but well-intended mis-step, or is this indicative of overall lack of awareness that the teacher's class is full of 9-year old kids?
John G. said…
Experience? This is her last year before retirement, so I'd say 30 or so years.

I'm so frustrated I can't see straight. I had two rather nasty posts up yesterday for a short time, before deleting them in favor of this rather short post.

The Hobbled Wife, always the example of restraint, is working closely with teacher, principals, etc to come to some sort of resolution. For my part, I've given up on the School - perhaps I'll come around.

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