This brings up a memory that haunts me from time to time. Not every day but it does come back once in a long while.
I was in second or third grade and a kid in the class ahead of me hanged himself.
Owing to the yawning age gulf of one year, I didn't really know him well, but I was certainly aware of him, as he was one of the most conspicuously brilliant kids in the entire school and won some kind of award (I forget for what. Not science, for sure, since I was in that same awards ceremony and was in the group photo.)
We were told that he was trying to practice climbing a thin rope as we awkwardly did in gym class with thick ropes and it was an accident.
There was a little township newspaper that used to cover local events, often six months late and with all of the names misspelled and out-of-order, and wouldn't you know, to add a last cruel twist, the picture of that awards ceremony appeared long after his death.
Years later, my younger brother remarked that he always tried to be especially kind to his sister, knowing that her brother committed suicide.
That's my brother, of course. The sweetest guy I know. Much more than I am, to be honest.
But that was the first time I realized that the official explanation attempted to spare the family.
The point of this non-comment is to express my gratefulness that you did not follow that poor boy's path.
You never know how far the ripples will extend from such a drastic and irreversible act. Here am I and my brother all these years later, old men, the both of us, and we still think about it. It must be infinitely worse for the family and close friends.
I am glad you are here and doing the Wonkette snark.
Maybe her Dad is strong and will protect her, and maybe the fact that those men are being punished-- maybe those things will make a huge difference to her. Possibly she'll get a lot of attention of the right kind now, and she'll feel appreciated in a completely new way and she'll be feeling good. You just can't tell. She was pretty smart when she said "I am a child."
In the olden days when I lived there, the mental ward at Strong Memorial Hospital was full of adolescents and I was one, that there was nothing wrong with, except that we lived there and wanted so much to get out. Out of the city, I mean.
Good news! The Rochester Police Locust Club is finally changing their name! Now they'll be known as the Rochester Police We Love Terrorizing Kiddies Club! "P-e-p, p-e-r, s-p-r-a-y! Right In Your Face, Childrens!"
That would be immoral, I do not condone torture. Just slit their throats like the rabid dogs they are so they can die (relatively) pain-free. No wait, there is no need to damage our morals. We have prisons, just put them in prison after a fair trial.
Boy if this isn't an argument for transferring funds from the cops to the evidently overworked mental health first responders I don't know what is.
The police union has now weighed in saying she could have been hurt worse.
I think I may ask whether my town's police have a union and whether it can be decertified.
We are staying with the problem of violence toward children.
I had a "teacher" throw me onto a concrete sidewalk butt-first in the position that can cause compression fractures.
This is all through our culture and is so bad it might even have happened without the racism.
This brings up a memory that haunts me from time to time. Not every day but it does come back once in a long while.
I was in second or third grade and a kid in the class ahead of me hanged himself.
Owing to the yawning age gulf of one year, I didn't really know him well, but I was certainly aware of him, as he was one of the most conspicuously brilliant kids in the entire school and won some kind of award (I forget for what. Not science, for sure, since I was in that same awards ceremony and was in the group photo.)
We were told that he was trying to practice climbing a thin rope as we awkwardly did in gym class with thick ropes and it was an accident.
There was a little township newspaper that used to cover local events, often six months late and with all of the names misspelled and out-of-order, and wouldn't you know, to add a last cruel twist, the picture of that awards ceremony appeared long after his death.
Years later, my younger brother remarked that he always tried to be especially kind to his sister, knowing that her brother committed suicide.
That's my brother, of course. The sweetest guy I know. Much more than I am, to be honest.
But that was the first time I realized that the official explanation attempted to spare the family.
The point of this non-comment is to express my gratefulness that you did not follow that poor boy's path.
You never know how far the ripples will extend from such a drastic and irreversible act. Here am I and my brother all these years later, old men, the both of us, and we still think about it. It must be infinitely worse for the family and close friends.
I am glad you are here and doing the Wonkette snark.
It would be appropriate for a stabbing, especially on in progress.
You need only one, at most, to pepper spray a child. I would argue for zero but that's just me.
BTW, what about that alleged stabbing thing?
Anybody checking it out?
Hey, I recognize that maternal behavior! Brother! (Sister!)
Maybe her Dad is strong and will protect her, and maybe the fact that those men are being punished-- maybe those things will make a huge difference to her. Possibly she'll get a lot of attention of the right kind now, and she'll feel appreciated in a completely new way and she'll be feeling good. You just can't tell. She was pretty smart when she said "I am a child."
In the olden days when I lived there, the mental ward at Strong Memorial Hospital was full of adolescents and I was one, that there was nothing wrong with, except that we lived there and wanted so much to get out. Out of the city, I mean.
I'm honestly crying here.
FUCK.
Good news! The Rochester Police Locust Club is finally changing their name! Now they'll be known as the Rochester Police We Love Terrorizing Kiddies Club! "P-e-p, p-e-r, s-p-r-a-y! Right In Your Face, Childrens!"
No thanks, I want to sleep tonight.
That's different, their kids are real people, i.e. not civilians.
WTF? That sounds like a threat.
That would be immoral, I do not condone torture. Just slit their throats like the rabid dogs they are so they can die (relatively) pain-free. No wait, there is no need to damage our morals. We have prisons, just put them in prison after a fair trial.
Okay, I laughed, too, but this is the crowd you're hanging with tonight.
Surprised?
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