As you recall, I previously blogged about Allen Lee, the Chicago area student arrested for his homework. I want to keep following this story, because it’s absolutely ludicrous that the school’s administration has decided to ruin this young man’s life.
While I will say that what he wrote is ill-advised, the concept of arresting someone for turning in a school paper which did not implicitly or explicitly threaten anyone or himself drives me nuts.
Here is a copy of Allen Lee’s actual essay, as released in the Chicago Sun-Times.
Blood sex and Booze. Drugs Drugs Drugs are fun. Stab, Stab, Stab, S…t…a…b…, poke. “So I had this dream last night where I went into a building, pulled out two P90s and started shooting everyone…, then had sex with the dead bodies. Well, not really, but it would be funny if I did.” Umm, yeah, what to wright about…… I’m leaving to join the Marines and I really don’t give a F… about my academics, so why does the only class that’s complete Bull Shit, happen to be the only required class…enough said. The model citizen would stay around to vote in new board member to change the 4 years of English policy, but no one really stays around to vote for that kind of local crap, so whoever gets there name on the Ballet with a pretty face gets to do what the F… ever they want with local ordinance. A person is smart, but people are dumb selfish animals. We can’t make rules for ourselves so we vote others to do it for us, but we can’t even do that right, I meen seriously, Bush for President? And our other option was John Kerry who claimed to parktake in Vietnam Special Forces missions that haven’t been declassified…. F…… Bull Shit. So Power Flower Super Mario. Pudge, hook, rot, dismember “Fresh Meat.” Mostly new/young teachers are laid back, and cooperative with students as feedback and input into the curriculum and atmosphere. My current English teacher is a control freak intent on setting a gap between herself and her students like a 63 year old white male fortune 500 company CEO, and a illegal immigrant. If CG was a private catholic school, I could understand, but wtf is her problem. And baking brownies and rice crispies does not make up for it, way to try and justify yourself as a good teacher while underhandedly looking for complements on your cooking. No quarrel on you qualifications as a writer, but as a teacher, don’t be surprised on inspiring the first cg shooting.
The context of the assignment was to write “speed of thought” and “uncensored”; which he seems to have fulfilled. While something like might recommend the student for counseling, or perhaps a conversation with his parents, I don’t see the justification for the arrest.
However, and this is the one thing that sticks out in my mind. The essay as it’s reproduced here appears to also include material which does not portray the teacher in a very positive light. I just wonder if his teacher, Nora Capron, decided to capriciously ruin this young man’s life because he was critical of her teaching style.
I wonder if she’ll try to have me arrested for airing my theory?
