# RO: Somebody sends letter to neighbours telling them to kill their son **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 20, 2013, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-somebody-sends-letter-to-neighbours-telling-them-to-kill-their-son/666699 "2013-08-20T07:28:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-somebody-sends-letter-to-neighbours-telling-them-to-kill-their-son/666699/1 "2013-08-20T07:28:34Z")
[Family Of Boy With Autism Receives Shockingly Offensive Letter](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/19/karla-begley-autistic-letter-teen_n_3780378.html) Max Begley is a thirteen year old with autism who lives in Newcastle, Ontario. Apparently one of the neighbours is unhappy with that. So she wrote a letter to his family telling them that their son was worthless and was annoying people so they should euthanize him. Or move to another neighbourhood. Their choice. The letter is including in its entirety on the linked page. Even the Rhubarb Lady would find it offensive. ---
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-somebody-sends-letter-to-neighbours-telling-them-to-kill-their-son/666699/2 "2013-08-20T09:32:48Z")
The one who should be euthenised is the ignorant selfish self absorbed cowardly shitstain who wrote that letter. Fucking fucked up fucknugget she is. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-somebody-sends-letter-to-neighbours-telling-them-to-kill-their-son/666699/3 "2013-08-20T10:41:29Z")
This almost goes so far past horrible into that numb stage where I just sort of stare. Like when your hands get so cold you can’t feel them anymore. For what it’s worth, I love the level of ignorance displayed by this bit: > [@One pissed off mother!!!!!](#): > > Personally, they should take whatever non retarded body parts he possesses and donate it to science. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-somebody-sends-letter-to-neighbours-telling-them-to-kill-their-son/666699/4 "2013-08-20T10:44:50Z")
I think my favourite part is where it says something like ‘just because you have special needs doesn’t mean you should get special treatment’. Umm…yes it does. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-somebody-sends-letter-to-neighbours-telling-them-to-kill-their-son/666699/5 "2013-08-20T11:03:03Z")
Eh, the letter’s too over-the-top to be serious. I suspect some local teenagers were bored and thought this would be a clever prank. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-somebody-sends-letter-to-neighbours-telling-them-to-kill-their-son/666699/6 "2013-08-20T11:54:44Z")
Yeah, that’s the most obvious trolling since… the last obvious trolling that everybody fell for. If not a complete hoax. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-somebody-sends-letter-to-neighbours-telling-them-to-kill-their-son/666699/7 "2013-08-20T12:08:28Z")
!!! ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-somebody-sends-letter-to-neighbours-telling-them-to-kill-their-son/666699/8 "2013-08-20T12:11:11Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Eh, the letter’s too over-the-top to be serious. I suspect some local teenagers were bored and thought this would be a clever prank. I doubt that it was created by teenagers as there are no spelling errors and the text consists of whole words. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-somebody-sends-letter-to-neighbours-telling-them-to-kill-their-son/666699/9 "2013-08-20T12:13:20Z")
Even if it was a hoax, it’s clearly not a hoax on the part of the family, and that’s a shitty thing to do to them. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-somebody-sends-letter-to-neighbours-telling-them-to-kill-their-son/666699/10 "2013-08-20T12:18:28Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > Even if it was a hoax, it’s clearly not a hoax on the part of the family How clear is that, really? It’s possible that this really happened, but this stunt got them on the news. Maybe mom is just a really good actress. Maybe she’s trying to be the next North American autism spokesperson. You haven’t any idea what’s going on inside her head. /tinfoil ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-somebody-sends-letter-to-neighbours-telling-them-to-kill-their-son/666699/11 "2013-08-20T12:28:00Z")
It wasn’t my first thought, but “maybe she sent it to herself” did occur to me. I wonder what kind of history she’s got with any of the neighbors. No matter what, it’s pretty unfortunate. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-somebody-sends-letter-to-neighbours-telling-them-to-kill-their-son/666699/12 "2013-08-20T12:56:31Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I doubt that it was created by teenagers as there are no spelling errors and the text consists of whole words. Well, it does spell “wailing” as “whaling.” ---
**Author:** ![Foxy40](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9a28c/32.png) [@Foxy40](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foxy40)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-somebody-sends-letter-to-neighbours-telling-them-to-kill-their-son/666699/13 "2013-08-20T12:57:48Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Eh, the letter’s too over-the-top to be serious. I suspect some local teenagers were bored and thought this would be a clever prank. My first thought as well. What kind of noise could this kid possibly be making that would incite such rage? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-somebody-sends-letter-to-neighbours-telling-them-to-kill-their-son/666699/14 "2013-08-20T13:35:34Z")
“Reveille” on a vuvuzela, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-somebody-sends-letter-to-neighbours-telling-them-to-kill-their-son/666699/15 "2013-08-20T13:43:35Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Well, it does spell “wailing” as “whaling.” Perhaps its a nautical neighborhood. Regardless, the person who sent it (whoever that is, even if she sent it to herself) needs to be punched in the face every day for a year. Or maybe just beaten severely with all of the exclamation points used. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-somebody-sends-letter-to-neighbours-telling-them-to-kill-their-son/666699/16 "2013-08-20T14:25:46Z")
More from [here](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/letter-suggesting-13-year-old-autistic-boy-be-euthanized-reported-to-police/article13856413/). \*Max’s mother, Karla Begley, 44, who is in a wheelchair with multiple sclerosis, said police told her they had never seen a letter “that despicable.” The only hostility the family had sensed in the Newcastle neighbourhood was four years ago, she said. At the time, Max loved to throw a ball in the backyard and as he often threw it over fences, Millson had written her name and address on it, Begley said. One day it arrived in the yard tattered, she said. “They took the time to shred the ball with scissors and throw it back over.”\* ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-somebody-sends-letter-to-neighbours-telling-them-to-kill-their-son/666699/17 "2013-08-20T15:12:41Z")
> [@Foxy40](#): > > My first thought as well. What kind of noise could this kid possibly be making that would incite such rage? Have you ever had neighbors before? (Obviously they shouldn’t have said the things they did and they’re bad people who deserve bad things, but I have no doubt that the kid could be making terrible noises.) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-somebody-sends-letter-to-neighbours-telling-them-to-kill-their-son/666699/18 "2013-08-20T15:16:06Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > _Max’s mother, Karla Begley, 44, who is in a wheelchair with multiple sclerosis, said police told her they had never seen a letter “that despicable.”_ Police need to get out more. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-somebody-sends-letter-to-neighbours-telling-them-to-kill-their-son/666699/19 "2013-08-20T15:24:34Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Police need to get out more. Remember, these are Canadian police. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-somebody-sends-letter-to-neighbours-telling-them-to-kill-their-son/666699/20 "2013-08-20T15:28:10Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > At the time, Max loved to throw a ball in the backyard and as he often threw it over fences, Millson had written her name and address on it, Begley said. I agree that the letter was inappropriate but it does seem like this family is somewhat inconsiderate in putting the child’s love of throwing balls over their neighbors’ dislike of having balls landing in their yard. There is a problem of some parents of children with mental/emotional problems being inconsiderate of their childrens’ misconduct towards other people. I’m not saying that this justifies or excuses the letter (although I imagine some people will read this post as a defense of the letter). I would be interested to know the history here. It is possible that various neighbors have nicely and politely asked many times for this family to take modest steps to rein in their child. And that this family refused to do anything at all. That’s a pretty common stance of parents of children with mental/emotional problems. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-somebody-sends-letter-to-neighbours-telling-them-to-kill-their-son/666699.md?page=2)