Well, first of all, I am not this guy. Like I said, he’s a friend’s brother. I know him, and I associate with him, but I’m not exactly writing his biography. I receive info through the sister as it happens.
First of all, though,
Why does any aspiring artist publish anything? At the beginning, they’re not getting paid, right? Establish a reputation, perhaps? Maybe he was just in it for the attention derived from people reading his work[sup]1[/sup]. And besides, he posted it on a relatively obscure site. He didn’t nail it to a school bulletin board, he didn’t announce it over the loudspeaker, he didn’t ask teachers to read it in class. His motives for posting it are quite similar to what yours or mine would be–I have posted poetry online before, and I wasn’t trying to threaten anybody.
As I said, he showed the poem to three (3) teachers, in a batch of poetry–not on its own–because he was looking for feedback. My understanding of the situation is that the vast majority of the feedback was positive.
The same reason Kafka didn’t say “Samsa wasn’t really a bug, it’s just symbolic of his experiences.” The same reason Huxley didn’t say “we’re not really living in a society governed by sex and genetic engineering, it’s just a method to analyze human behaviour.” The same reason Orwell didn’t say “there isn’t really an organization that polices your thoughts, it’s just a dangerous possibility I see for the future.[sup]2[/sup]” It was art. Admittedly, beginner art, not classic art, but art.
And, finally,
4) What do you want, names, home addresses? Educational background? I told you the relevant information: there were three teachers, they gave positive feedback, and now two of them aren’t admitting to it. One of them is standing by him. If there are any other pertinent details that you’d like to know, feel free to ask.
[sup]1[sub]I say that because I know somebody’s going to frantically run about shouting “attention, attention, attention,” and asserting that the poetry was a threat because he wanted to get on the news, he wanted to get arrested, and he wanted to get this thread written about him.[/sub]
2[sub]Although it looks like the school districts took it as an instruction manual rather than a warning[/sub][/sup]
Au Contraire, mon frere. Tinker vs Des Moines established that “students do not leave their rights at the school gate.” Minors are also citizens of the US, and as such, are granted the same rights as everyone else. Sure, people try to make students think otherwise so they shut up, but that is why we have the ACLU.
I cried for your friend last night, and I meant everything I said in that post. I’d hate like anything to find that you didn’t read it, or didn’t take it to heart. I can’t emphasise enough how important it is that the story shouldn’t end here.
Also, is this person familiar with Henry Rollins’ poetry? If not, he should be. In fact, I would recommend that he get himself a copy (probably can’t rent it) of Talking From the Box, one of Rollins’ spoken-word performances. No one can hear the last story in that show and be unaffected by it. For the better, I mean.
I did, Rilchiam, and I thank you. Sean is fortunate enough to have caring parents and involved siblings. I’ll be here for him too.
I’m quite certain he’ll be all right. He is, in fact, going to be “alternately placed,” but of his own volition. He was given the option of remaining at his current high school, but having to spend five or so hours a week with assorted counselors, and going to the other high school, and he chose the latter to avoid the hassles. I’m not entirely certain what is going to happen–I know that in his position I’d have chosen the former–but I do know that Sean will have support from friends and family as he goes along.
On his behalf, I thank you very much for your concern and compassion, and I’ll recommend Rollins to him.
On a huge tangent, I agree. Henry Rollins is an incredibly multitalented man.
Hm. Depending on how bad the alternate school is reputed to be, I might have made his decision, too. Of course, my parents wouldn’t have let me, but I wouldn’t have wanted to stay in public school with that kind of a mark on me.
Mr. Rilch says: “That’s a tough choice to give a kid. That in itself doesn’t seem fair. They’re just not going to give him a break, sounds like.”
**
Mr. Rilch again: “Fuckin’ A, man. Tell him to get Art to Choke Hearts and Pissing in the Gene Pool. Those would get you a few years if you’re not already in trouble, but since he is, they’re right up his alley.”
Me again. Maybe, just maybe, there are people at the alternate school who are sympathetic. I don’t know what kind of community you’re in, but it’s just possible that, rather than maintaining a prison for people they consider lost causes, they’re actually trying to rehab worthwhile people. Not that I think your friend really needs to be rehabbed, but he needs someone to give him a break, at least.
Maybe you should do some research on this school. I’m sorry: I guess I sound pushy, but I can’t help getting into this. People are always sounding off in threads about school shootings about what they would do and think others should do in a situation like this. Now that someone’s brought an IRL “disaffected youth” problem to our attention, I don’t just want to say, “That sucks”. I want to put these recommendations into action.
The problem isn’t bad, overwrought, angst-ridden teen-age poetry (although I wonder how the average English teacher manages to keep her sanity reading such drivel).
The problem is — FOR KEY-RIST SAKE — easy access to firearms. And no, I’m not advocating that we go and confiscate every handgun and blunderbuss. But there has to be some reasonable limits to availability and enforceable regulations that strike a balance between civil rights and community standards of safety. C’mon, now, folks. Just because someone advocates some commonsense limitations and regulations, doesn’t mean they want to chuck the Bill of Rights for the enveloping security of a police state.
When we can manage to keep semi-automatic weapons out of the hands of teen-agers with a hard-on for Marilyn Manson, then the only ones who will have to suffer will be the Mrs. Krabbapples of the world who will have to wade through lines like “hear my shriek.”
[obligatory anti-gun control tirade]
Because, of course, it’s absolutely impossible to kill someone with a knife.
And besides, this way we have angst-ridden, furious teenagers in a position where their rage will simply burgeon until they hate everybody equally, and then when we get to that point, they can legally purchase a firearm, wait the obligatory fifteen days, then shoot everybody at work.
We wouldn’t want to get to the heart of the problem, or anything. I mean, trying to cure the disease rather than the symptoms is simply unheard of. We’d have gasp happy children! Permanently safe schools! We can’t be having with that now, can we?
So, c’mon, let’s forget about the Second Amendment, it’s just there for show anyway. Constitution, schmonstitution.
I mean, it’s not like the arbitrary removal of Constitutional rights is what started this thread or anything. I’m sure nobody’ll mind at all if we just switch up which rights are being violated.
Fine. Let’s solve the root problem and pop out happy, well-adjusted teen-agers who turn into happy well-adjusted adults who find something other to do then waste thier lives in front of computer monitors.
I can’t believe I’m about to get so personal with this, but here we go…
When I was about seventeen years old, I felt all that angst, all that pure hatred for my fellow students. But instead of bringing a gun to school (I was seriously into the drug trade at the time and regularly carried a 9mm pistol) I dropped out. My gun is still sitting, as far as I know, in the bottom of a local river. When I finally figured out that i couldn’t get by without a high-school education, I went back to an adult high-school, had to beg to get in, and finished up on the honour roll, in university, and got a great job after graduation, so it all worked out for me. I’m 26 now, and perfectly happy and normal.
It worked out because there were counsellors I felt comfortable approaching with my problems. Never mind the endless debate over gun control (I’m a Canadian, and it was just as easy for me to obtain a firearm as any American), where the hell are the counsellors? That’s the problem now, some kid writes a poem, or a piece of prose, about violently doing in the perceived oppressors, and the poor kid ends up expelled instead of having some teacher who gives a damn taking time out to talk to him/her and guiding that poor soul into a more constructive way. I’d have ended up like those kids at Columbine if it hadn’t been for my music teacher and my visual arts teacher.
When I was a junior in high school I drew a really bad picture in Mac Photoshop of my teacher with his head cut off. Of course, my teacher had a sense of humor, and I don’t recall killling him. The fact that he is currently alive and well would seem to bear that out.
Today, I would be expelled.
BTW, isn’t one of the jobs of schools to help troubled children? Or are we just going to give up and send them elsewhere. Let’s assume that this kid really is messed up, which I doubt. Is it okay if he shoots 15 kids at the alternative school??
Calvin fantasied about bombing his school, if you remember. Watterson said in the 10th anniversary collection that he got some complaining letters afterwards. Today, most, if not all, newspapers would refuse to carry that particular strip. That would be if the syndicate allowed him to even submit it. (Watterson and the syndicate weren’t exactly eye-to-eye, from what he says in the collection.)
By my calculations, if you’re 26 now and you were 17 then, that puts these events approximately in 1992, only three years after the Polytechnique massacre, and a fair chunk of time before the gun control laws were finally passed.
“Some of my readers felt it was inexcusable to depict a child fantasizing about blowing up his school. Apparently, some of my readers were never children themselves.”