Don Gwinn
Moderator Emeritus
I didn't state any such assumption. Someone else made the stated assumption that an investigation would have shown "within minutes" that the kid was sane and no threat to anyone. I simply wanted to know whether he had evidence for that point of view, or whether it came from his assumption.Right back atchya Don. Do you have any actual knowledge that the kid isn't all right? Do you know this to be the case or are you assuming that the kid must be a socio-psychopath?
I'm not saying the kid is a psychopath. I'm saying he wrote down a threat to shoot up a school (a specific school, no matter how many times people say it wasn't) and blamed it on a teacher (a specific teacher, no matter how many times people say it wasn't.) Those facts seem to justify a misdemeanor charge in most states under various laws that make it a criminal offense to threaten people. Maybe one of our lawyer friends can chime in here and explain where I'm going wrong.
First of all, Tecumseh, aren't you the guy who posted the essay itself? So you know that it actually did mention a specific location--"CG" is obviously his school, just as most of my students would type "GMS" to designate our school. Maybe the chief meant that he didn't mention a specific hall or room in the school? We don't know, but we do know it's disingenuous to say that there was no threat to a specific location if by that you mean no threat was made.A problem to this kind of thinking is that it ignores the school officials own remarks: That the essay in question posed no direct threat to the students or the school: "It is important to stress that the essay did not contain any specific locations or names. We did not feel the safety of the students or the staff was compromised.” Spoken by Police Chief Ron Delelio.
As long as we're comparing statements and splitting hairs, the chief said their safety was not compromised. He did not say the kid didn't make a threat.
If somebody makes a threat, and is then stopped before he has a chance to carry it out, was anyone's safety compromised?
Your assertion that the chief of police thought this kid wasn't making a threat begs the question we still haven't seen answered--what were the charges?
We know he was charged with a Class C Misdemeanor, but we don't know which one. If the chief thought no threat was being intended, why was the kid charged? Do police in that state have the power to refuse to arrest on a misdemeanor (which would imply that the arresting officer thought there was something to the charge) or are they obligated to do so if a citizen (the principal) wishes to press charges? I don't know the answer, do you?
One more time, I have posted absolutely ZERO assumptions about this kid one way or the other. The only thing I've done is point out what he wrote and what he said about what he wrote. I haven't even told anyone whether I agree with what the principal did, because frankly, no one here knows enough to form that opinion very well. I have told you I disagree with the rush to declare this school and its staff the Enemies of the People without even finding out what they did or why they did it. I'll stand by that.