School Shooting They Didn't Cover

**Ariya** · 02-25-2008

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/158...221/id_0.jhtml

Thank you major new medias for ignoring the school shootings that involve gay Americans. Truly you are doing such wonderful jobs.

**Corwin** · 02-25-2008

It doesn't sound to me like they didn't cover it just b/c he was gay, in fact, it sounds like ppl are trying to make more of an issue out of the fact that 1 admittedly gay student was shot out of 21 victims, isn't the tragedy here more that these kids were shot, or if you have to be a step removed from that sentiment, that the other 20 children weren't covered in the article, the whole article revolves around just the one gay kid, and the fact that they are going to try and prosecute the shooter as if it's a gay hate crime rather than just a criminal act in which 21 children were injured, it seems to me that most of the news outlets see if as the latter and didn't feel the need to immediately give it coverage in a world where there have been enough school shootings that it wouldn't garner them ratings, now if the shooter had come to school and only shot gay kids, then it could be considered a hate crime and would have been more than likely picked up by the major news agencies immidiately, and if it hadn't at that point then your comment about them not reporting it b/c it involved a gay american would seem more relevant

**leerock89** · 02-25-2008

they probably didnt want to make it major because they didnt want another ruckus. sure the kid was gay. sure another kid shot him in school. but that kind of publicity is not something u or anyone should want. and it freedom of speech. if they didnt cover its cause they chose not to. thats why polls forums and other such public opinions exist.

Crymson · 02-25-2008

While it is sad that a person is dead, a 14 year old could be tried as an adult. the article made it sound like he was guilty, but still. a 14 year old being tried as an adult. This is a story with the possibility of two tragedies.

**Corwin** · 02-25-2008

while I admit that trying him as an adult might result in a tragedy that most of us would not want to willingly participate in, ie. sitting on that jury, but let's face it, as more and more of this kind of thing happens, perpetrated by children of younger and younger age, we have to find a way to divine if they truly understood what they were doing and the consequences to others of their actions, namely injury and death, b/c if we continue to try them as children the penalties are lenient enough that they are not a deterrent, and it becomes a large enough issue that trying them as adults and sentencing them as such seems the only way to get their attention and show them how wrong their actions are, and even then, prison life gets romanticized so much by rappers, and especially gang members who want these kids to act this way, that most of them don't seem to understand that going to prison isn't going to net them a recording contract, or lots of loose women, so the question becomes, do you want to try them as children and have them out in 2 or 3 years w/o very little understanding of their actions, or treat them as adults and in 2 or 3 years of living hell in a state penitentiary find that they understand their actions and will never do something so heinous again

Crymson · 02-26-2008

I understand what you're saying Corwin. but this kids 14. Junior High/Middle School. this isn't like a 17 year old highschool junior or senior. this is a kid. we need to be proactive not reactive. Instead of more kids-tried-as-adults we should be teaching in school that killing, fighting, hurting people is always wrong.

silkshadow · 02-26-2008

i dont know if you just slap them on the wrist theyll do it agian and others will see that they can get away with it also.

Crymson · 02-26-2008

but is an 8th grader (i think) really responsible for killing someone in the way that any of us 18ish+ people are?

**leerock89** · 02-26-2008

it depends on the kid. if he felt nothing from the killing he needs an adult sentence. if hes in shock and feeling severly depressed i think the whole entire incident going through his head over and over is punishment enough. i mean killing someone in this day of age isnt something a normal person in the more civilized world would want to think about. and usualy when it happens its from serial killers and monsters who dont understand the value of a life. if this kid has a heart at all this is going to haunt him for the rest of his life.