Quote From: madeline2525I think Anna is absolutely right to pursue her case in the courts. While I respect Dr. Phil's statement that this should be handled within the educational system, what these students did, definately occurred OUTSIDE the system.
MYSPACE is an international venue and they defamed her in a very very public way. In this case, this isn't simply writing on the bathroom wall.
This is a criminal act.
This teacher/principal Anna said this law suit is about "accountability" but in reality I believe it is revenge. If these teenagers are being made to be accountable by being punished at school, through the juvinile system & at home then to me this is enough. You & I both realize that Myspace is an international venue but the fact is that a teenage is not an adult, they're not allowed to marry, vote, drink, etc. etc. and that is because they are unable to make decisions in the same way an adult is. They simply are not able on the same page when it comes to rational desicions &/or critical thinking & to you & I it may see an internation venue but to the youth of this generation the international venue "MYSPACE" IS the bathroom wall. Just like a teen doesn't really consider their own mortality (which is why they're more reckless) they may not truely have grasped the idea of this teachers info being out on the *globall internet*. As an educator who says she's well read in that area I'd imagine she'd have thought of this. In reality we are suppose to be teaching reasoning & critical thinking & these are the formative years for those skills! In regards to the other teacher in trouble for her past people here have said
" we tell our children all the time to make good choices, but if in fact you happen to make a bad choice, you can overcome it. " THiS is the time to be teaching this very thing. These young men mad a horrible decision & they should be accountable for it but they should also be allowed to over come it before the natural end of their lives or at age 60 or so.
This teacher Anna's answer to Dr. Phil when he pointed out that they will take this "FELONY" title with them be be unable to function fully as a citizen until long into their 30's, & 40's was simply "Well I'll not feel safe ever again either & I didn't deserve this or my kids or husband". Them being made felons isn't going to make her feel safer, a civil suit is not going to make this teacher feel "safer" and accepting their appologies and the remorse they feel is the teaching of reasoning. Disgusting what they will do to make retribution is the rational thing to do. Even if this teachers life is to a point where she truely feels she's unsafe in her home she has the ability to to fix that so she really is safe. If this were a law suit to say "Help her move to a new address so she can't be found" I could understand that, but to sue just because they have to be "accountable" to me is just revenge and very harsh. This problem clearly started prior to this all because of some discipline this Assistant principle gave & she'd said "I have to be allowed to do my job". The kids retaliated to "get revenge" & now (IMO) in a childish manner this teacher is going to punish them even more serverly to get the last harsh word/punishment.
When we go outside the system & start pressing charges we take away the power of the parents & other authorities around these kids. The problem in this day & age is that instead of parents being *allowed to parent* we just run to the police/court system. When I was a kid we had a little neighborhood lake/beach & 1 summer all the men in the lake association went down & built 4 new picnic table & bench sets. 2 days later a group of kids completely defaced every single one of them by writing drawing & *carving* all kinds of horrific things on them. When it was discovered the group of teens were rounded up, marched down there & made to not just paint them but *sand down each & everyone of them & then painted* because just painting over you'd still see the carvings. The filthy things that were written on those tables were enough to curl your hair & they just couldn't be left there for the younger children to see. Today those kids would have gone to juvinile detention where they would have learned things 10 X's worse & they really would be on a horrible path & just because it wa spring & they were having a case of young spring craziness. We have to give parents & adults time to react & we have to *allow them* to give a punishment.
I have 3 sons (all grown thank heavens) & I take accountability *VERY SERIOUSLY* but I also take my power as a serious one & it's butt frosting when it's taken from me. I'm sorry but this teacher is just teaching to get revenge & say she's the mighty one.
depending oh just how you look at it but,the court system is a educational system,it educates criminals to teach them to not commit crimes! so this would seem to be staying close to what Dr Phil suggested and if we want to call it school prison can be considered a school as well,it teaches people to not break laws, and teaches the outcome of breaking the laws.
