Mom Convicted In Son's Suicide

[iJon]

Originally posted by LethalWolfe
So if some kid gets picked on at school because his parents' won't buy him $125 sneakers and the latest trendly clothes they should be help responsible if he kills himself?

oh come on, 125 sneakers and latest prep clothers. you dont need the new jordans and AF clothes to not get picked on. go to wal mart and get an outfit for a total of 30 dollars or less. geez. but anywas i get your point with the rest of the thread, but that comment just seemed out there.

iJon

 

[LethalWolfe]

Originally posted by iJon
oh come on, 125 sneakers and latest prep clothers. you dont need the new jordans and AF clothes to not get picked on. go to wal mart and get an outfit for a total of 30 dollars or less. geez. but anywas i get your point with the rest of the thread, but that comment just seemed out there.

iJon

It depends on where you live. The school system I went to was in the richest part of the state. Someone getting a fresh off the lot Porsche for their 16th B-day was not uncommon. In a high school of about 2500 kids (grades 9-12) you'd find more BMW's, Benz's, and brand new SUV's than you would cars over 8 years old. At this school were some of the most superfical and self-centered people I've ever met. There were lots of kids whose parents' obviously had trouble making ends meet and they were ostersized<sp?> because they wore clothes from Wal-Mart, and/or hand-me-downs/things purchased at a 2nd hand store.

While the teachers and such were generally great at my HS I'd never want my kid to go there because, on the whole, the social environment is just too desctructive. The rich kids got away w/anything because their parents had money, while the poor kids got singled out by both the student and the administration. If there was vadalism it was definetly the poor kids. If there was a drug problem it was definetly the poor kids. If a rich kid got caught smoking pot, *in* class no less, nothing happend. If a regular/poor kid got caught smoking cigarettes they got suspended for 7 days.

Well, I think I've ranted enough now. But, like I said, it depends on where you live, but there are definetly schools where wearing last years fashion (not to mention non-name brand clothing) will get you harassed monday thru friday.


Lethal

 

[mactastic]

Sounds like more of Tazo's "poetic justice". That woman obviously deserved to lose her son.

 

[topicolo]

Originally posted by LethalWolfe
So if some kid gets picked on at school because his parents' won't buy him $125 sneakers and the latest trendly clothes they should be help responsible if he kills himself? Should the parents' of minors who die in alcohol or drug related incidents be crimminally charged because they *obviously* didn't do enough to keep their kids away from drugs and alcohol? Must there always be someone else to blame? Has personal accountabiliy gone completely out the window?

Now, if due to the uncleanliness of the house he caught some sort of illness and died from it that would be one thing. But he killed himself because kids at school picked on him. Kids get picked on for how they look, how they dress, do they have glasses, braces, what music they like, etc.,. Where do we draw the line?

I remember being 12. I remember taking showers and brushing my teeth w/o my parents telling me to. I think 12 is a reasonable age to expect someone to practice personal hygiene. I started regularly doing chores around the house when I was 9 or 10 and was baby/house/pet setting in my neighborhood by the time I was 12. The kid coulda cleaned up the house.


Lethal

What you're failing to do is empathize with the kid. Fortunately, I've never had to go through the hell and I hope no-one else here does, but I can imagine how terrible it must've been for him.

Lethal, you're comparing your childhood to his, but what you haven't considered is that your parents were probably far better at taking care of you than his mother was. They probably ingrained you with good habits like having proper hygiene and doing your chores before playing when you were young so by his age, you were already proficient with all of the necessary habits.

What if that kid didn't get any of that? Imagine not ever being taught that you should brush your teeth or take a shower. You grew up in a filthy house where you can't even see the floor because of the junk littered everywhere. What if the only way you know how to live is to live in filth?
Now imagine being picked on by all the kids at school; the teachers ignore you, strangers keep a wide berth around you and your mother is too busy getting drunk or whatever to notice you.
Would you be happy?
I didn't think so.

My point is, sure the kid did take his own life, but that was because there was nothing to cling on to. No hope. What reason would someone like that have for living? No one gave him any reasons, so he killed himself.

 

[LethalWolfe]

Originally posted by topicolo
What you're failing to do is empathize with the kid. Fortunately, I've never had to go through the hell and I hope no-one else here does, but I can imagine how terrible it must've been for him.

Lethal, you're comparing your childhood to his, but what you haven't considered is that your parents were probably far better at taking care of you than his mother was. They probably ingrained you with good habits like having proper hygiene and doing your chores before playing when you were young so by his age, you were already proficient with all of the necessary habits.

What if that kid didn't get any of that? Imagine not ever being taught that you should brush your teeth or take a shower. You grew up in a filthy house where you can't even see the floor because of the junk littered everywhere. What if the only way you know how to live is to live in filth?
Now imagine being picked on by all the kids at school; the teachers ignore you, strangers keep a wide berth around you and your mother is too busy getting drunk or whatever to notice you.
Would you be happy?
I didn't think so.

My point is, sure the kid did take his own life, but that was because there was nothing to cling on to. No hope. What reason would someone like that have for living? No one gave him any reasons, so he killed himself.

I can empithize w/the kid, I just don't feel that his mother should be held responsible for his suicide. IMO, it sets a dangerous precident<sp?> and is another glaring example of a society that ignores personal responsibility and must always find someone else to blame.


Lethal