My only problem with this, other than the potential threat to Freedom of Speech and the First Amendment here in the U.S., was this:
It's like internet flame wars... often it takes two to tango and people tend to toss the word "troll" at people who often times are simply BETTER at the argument than they are or lack any decent response, facing 'virtual humiliation' at the hands of their 'attacker'.
But ultimately, I feel people in our modern society are waaaaay too sensitive and thin-skinned. They act like "bullies" are some kind of new contrivance, alien to modern civilization. When I was a kid, our school had a bully that in hindsight probably would have made a damn good Viking, being that sort of 6 foot 200 lb blond haired 15 year old that knew his luck in the gene pool gave him a decided advantage. Oh sure I tried everything back then, avoiding him, tattling to the principle and teachers, and that sort of thing. My parents actually even spoke to his parents once. But then I realized looking at his home and surroundings that this guy didnt have it NEARLY as good as me. Eventually it came to a head when he took my favorite AD&D character during a game we were running in the cafeteria during lunch and tore up her character sheet. I lost it. I hit him with my lunch tray and then wailed on him, crying like a baby the whole time, barely able to scream in rage through my snot-filled nose and streaking tears.
We were both suspended, which to me was horrible because I had never been suspended before.
Surprisingly, we both ended up sitting next to each other in ISS (in school suspension) and afterwards we had to ride the "late bus" (for kids who had to stay after school) together. During that week, he and I kinda began to become friends and by time we were seniors in highschool, we were best buddies.
To this day, he's still my best friend, and I visit him at the penitentiary at least once a week.
So that just goes to show... well.. I'm not really certain what my point is anymore.
But I'm certain of one thing. Sending her to JAIL isn't going to change this girl for the better. If anything, her entire life is ruined. No school, never going to get a decent job, and will contribute little to society as an honest citizen with her record. She may even spend those years harboring a deep-seated resentment that festers in her, sustaining her on a diet of hate and pure rage until she gets free, seeks out this other girl, and exacts her vengeance like a Batman villain.
At least, thats probably what I would do.
I believe people are basically good and sometimes make poor choices. Sometimes people lack the ability to control themselves, self-restraint. From that though, it sounds like this bully at least made an attempt to reconcile things at some point and probably got mouthed off at in return. See, with Kids i've learned there are always two sides to a story though and we know nothing about the victim in this case. Sure, beating up a school-mate is not how proper people function in society, but how can we be certain that this other girl didn't give as good as she got sometimes?
It's like internet flame wars... often it takes two to tango and people tend to toss the word "troll" at people who often times are simply BETTER at the argument than they are or lack any decent response, facing 'virtual humiliation' at the hands of their 'attacker'.
But ultimately, I feel people in our modern society are waaaaay too sensitive and thin-skinned. They act like "bullies" are some kind of new contrivance, alien to modern civilization. When I was a kid, our school had a bully that in hindsight probably would have made a damn good Viking, being that sort of 6 foot 200 lb blond haired 15 year old that knew his luck in the gene pool gave him a decided advantage. Oh sure I tried everything back then, avoiding him, tattling to the principle and teachers, and that sort of thing. My parents actually even spoke to his parents once. But then I realized looking at his home and surroundings that this guy didnt have it NEARLY as good as me. Eventually it came to a head when he took my favorite AD&D character during a game we were running in the cafeteria during lunch and tore up her character sheet. I lost it. I hit him with my lunch tray and then wailed on him, crying like a baby the whole time, barely able to scream in rage through my snot-filled nose and streaking tears.
We were both suspended, which to me was horrible because I had never been suspended before.
Surprisingly, we both ended up sitting next to each other in ISS (in school suspension) and afterwards we had to ride the "late bus" (for kids who had to stay after school) together. During that week, he and I kinda began to become friends and by time we were seniors in highschool, we were best buddies.
To this day, he's still my best friend, and I visit him at the penitentiary at least once a week.
So that just goes to show... well.. I'm not really certain what my point is anymore.
But I'm certain of one thing. Sending her to JAIL isn't going to change this girl for the better. If anything, her entire life is ruined. No school, never going to get a decent job, and will contribute little to society as an honest citizen with her record. She may even spend those years harboring a deep-seated resentment that festers in her, sustaining her on a diet of hate and pure rage until she gets free, seeks out this other girl, and exacts her vengeance like a Batman villain.
At least, thats probably what I would do.
