Going too far...
Before I turned into an asshole, (everyone I know will agree that I am one.) I was a high school freshman.
Turning back the clock a bit... I was a freshman a couple of years after Red Dawn
I didn't get bullied much... Hell by my Junior year I had been suspended from school 3 times for fighting! ...But there were those who did. My buddy Pete for instance. He was your typical comic book geek. Bullies used to give him shit. He didn't grab grandpa's rifle and start blowing people away though. At least for real anyway.
More in a bit... but the reason I bring this up is because of an article I just read on the Northwest Herald's website...
Essay lands Cary teen in hot water
By NICK SWEDBERG
CARY – A Cary-Grove High School senior was arrested Tuesday on a disorderly conduct charge after his English teacher notified police that an essay he wrote contained nonspecific references to violence.
Allen W. Lee, 18, of Cary was charged Tuesday morning after police determined that essay references to shootings were alarming. He posted $75 bond and is set to appear in court June 18.
“The writing assignment depicted violence, was disturbing and inappropriate, but did not contain any specific locations or names,” Cary Police Chief Ron Delelio said.
Allen Lee was unavailable for comment Tuesday. His father, Albert Lee, said his son was a “straight-A” student and likely wrote the essay as a prank.
“I think it’s a high school prank turned sour,” Albert Lee said.
Lee has been removed indefinitely from the school and is facing disciplinary action, District 155 spokesman Jeff Puma said.
Puma declined to elaborate further about what actions might be taken against the student.
Police declined to release a copy of the essay Tuesday. Thomas Carroll, first assistant for the McHenry County state’s attorney’s office, said prosecutors had not yet reviewed the essay.
An English teacher read the essay while grading creative writing assignments at the school after hours Monday, school officials and police said.
“She was concerned based on things that have transpired recently,” Puma said. “It raised some flags. I think, in this case, the teacher chose to err on the side of caution and, I think, rightly so.”
They said it contained no references to any students or the school and did not reference the recent killings at the Virginia Tech campus.
Officials at Crystal Lake Central High School determined last week that threatening graffiti left on a bathroom wall was a prank. Also, rumors of someone planning to bring a gun to South Elgin High School on April 20, the anniversary of the Columbine shooting, were proven untrue.
“You can never be overly cautious with any type of these situations,” Delelio said.
A spokesman for the Illinois chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said he was surprised that police would choose to arrest the student despite no direct threats being made against anyone or anything.
“It’s not clear where the threat is here,” Ed Yohnka said, although he said it was difficult to specifically comment without seeing the material.
Disorderly conduct, which is a misdemeanor that carries up to 30 days in jail and a fine, can be charged if someone feels alarmed or disturbed by another’s actions.
Albert Lee said he was not sure what the assignment was but said his son was told by his teacher that he was allowed to use foul language in the essay.
District 155 officials have not released the name of the English teacher. They also have declined to comment on the student’s disciplinary or academic histories.
By the way, read some of the comments users have posted on that article (scroll to the bottom of that article)
I continue...
Pete was much more creative than I was in high school. That combined with his love for comics and a flair for the written word made for an excellent story. I don't recall the name of his story. I think it was something like "Russian Busters" or similar. But I do remember the basic gist of it...
It was very Red Dawn
. Russians came down ala Red Dawn and sought to invade the school and the rest of the town. Pete was the hero of the tale and most of his friends ended up helping his cause (and dying).The story was violent! Real violent! It's no surprise that every student who gave him shit or that he didn't like was killed by the Russians in a most violent (and humorous to me) way. The same went for teachers he didn't like or that didn't like him. They too, met a violent end.
The story used real names, real locations in the school, real cliques, etc.
Granted, he didn't write this for a school assignment but it certainly made the rounds in the school.
I am absolutely convinced that if a high schooler wrote that exact story today not only would he be arrested and expelled from school, it would make the NATIONAL news!
Oh how times have changed.... and not for the better!
I have no idea what the student in that article wrote but it's got to be a far fucking cry from what was written back in my high school days.
"Thought Police" and "Zero Tolerance" come to mind. Give me a fucking break! He made 'references' to violence and he gets arrested? Thank god my kids aren't going that that fucking school!
