This touches on two issues. The first one is any communication about suicide has to be taken seriously. This young man needs to be seen for a mental health evaluation. When that issue became known to someone in authority, they have to make a referral and let a professional decide the extent of the danger to himself.
Second, is the issue of privacy on computers. They aren't private if they don't belong to you. And even if they belong to you, they may not be private. I'm having trouble seeing this as a privacy issue since school computers aren't private. Troubled young people often want to be found and leaving notes, telling friends, and now, leaving messages on the computer are ways to do this. Rob Fulton Highland Park -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Andy Driscoll Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2004 1:12 PM To: St. Paul Discuss Subject: Re: [StPaul] Arrest for Violent Poetry and Humboldt Erik is touching on my views here. I believe this is a serious matter - threats can't be taken lightly, but I worry that every word written in private can be used to prosecute some law rather than catalyze this young man's mental health support system. In harsher terms, merely writing a threat does not make it one - and, in fact, threats are not assaults. This is Orwellian intrusion into privacy, even as I'm glad his troubled state has been discovered. But why the hell is he being charged?? We continue to wander into dangerously anti-Constitutional territory in our quest for "security" which no arrest of a frustrated and disturbed young boy caught writing mean things will ensure. Why does our system first prosecute rather than first examine? It's the inhumane condition of our current culture and we will never survive this if we continue down this path. Andy Driscoll Crocus Hill/Ward 2 ------ Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2004 11:58:17 -0500 (CDT) From: Erik Hare <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Naturally, I do not know the content of this kid's work. But I have trouble believing it's any worse than a lot of raps I've heard. There are a lot of troubled kids out there, because we live in a time when kids are forced to be "institutionalized" by so many different forces out there. That the mondola High Schools are part of this is a damned shame. Some of these kids think about acting out, and others do (re: Prince's new video, "Cinammin Girl"). I sense a growing Big Brotherliness that has people snooping around where they shouldn't be into these kids' private lives. This can only make the problem worse, and is a total perversion of any kind of basic values and decency, IMHO. I can't see how a High School is supposed to be ultimately responsible for taking care of this -- indeed, the structure is a huge part of the problem. There is an off chance that had I seen the work I might feel differently. I doubt it, tho. I used to read "Soldier of Fortune" when I was in High School, for example, and I turned out fine (enough). The invasion of privacy, to me, is a symptom of just what is wrong in the big meatgrinder of a prison we call a "High School" today. Erik Hare _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/ _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
