Yes, I am being a post-whore today, thank you very much...

[winneganfake]

Ok, consider this a meme (in my opinion, it's justified.) If you're at all annoyed/frustrated/pissed by the current situation going on in Prosser, Wa (see here for details) just copy this into an email and send it off to the superintendent there. Post any reply you may get from them to your journal. Who knows, maybe we can get a cafepress shop set up for this kid for a legal defense fund if nothing else.

Anyways, here's the email, as provided to me by brother_che

To: ray.tolcacher@prosserschools.org
From: XXXXXXXX
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 09:07:02 -0700 (GMT-07:00)
Subject: Your famous local artist.


Dr. Ray Tolcacher, Superintendent
Prosser School District Administration Office
823 Park Avenue
Prosser, Washington 99350
(509) 786-3323
Fax (509) 786-2062


Dear Dr. Tolcacher,

A number of my friends and myself are interested in having the drawing of President Bush as a devil firing a rocket launcher (as designed by the most famous student in your school system) on our tee shirts, and we'd like to talk to the artist about getting and using his design. We regard him as an American hero and a first-rate patriot.

Please let me know how I can contact him, or pass along my e-mail address to him so that he can contact me.

Thank you,

XXXXXX

Comments

[kaomera.livejournal.com]

Done. Although I did change the body of the message to read: "DIE IN A FIRE!!!". Short and to the point, just like Yahoo says...

Oh, and the order for the EP is on my credit card records (plus, it's a pre-paid so that's even more suspicious ~ I might be -[i]gasp[i]- poor...), so you'll know why when [b]they[/b] come to drag you off...

[kaomera.livejournal.com]

LOL... I put in ex-tags. Look at me, I'm a dork.

[winneganfake.livejournal.com]

{insert golf clap} Yeah, I've been going through some crackboard withdrawls today....

[kaomera.livejournal.com]

Me, I've just been going through stupidity.

[winneganfake.livejournal.com]

Heh. Well, if they take you, then they'll probably have me in custody already at that point.

[brother-che.livejournal.com]

yea, well, I'll save you a spot in the camps. Hope they're big...

[winneganfake.livejournal.com]

Same here- I need enough room for my Barca lounger and mini-bar.





What, you did say camping, didn't you?

[jgreywolf.livejournal.com]

So - did the school overreact? Possibly - but that is their choice. Just because this kid was so stupid as to turn in drawings that are filled with hate (no matter who it is directed at), does not absolve the authorities to deal witha situation when reported. The Secret Service had no choice but to follow up as they did, because that is their job. They have to follow up on these reports, no matter the circumstance. Now - again, did the school and police over react? Yes. Could they just have talked to the kid? Yes. Still - could the kid actually take some responsibility for the choice he has made? The kid is an idiot - and I cannot feel sorry for that.

[winneganfake.livejournal.com]

Exactly what is your basis for judging the kid an idiot? The fact that he should've thought about the potential for arrest from doing a drawing that, while I'm sure may be crude, can't be different from hundreds of others out there (probably including a few political cartoonists)? Yes, the drawing was "filled with hate" as you put it, but that makes it no different from plenty of others turned in by children the same age on different subjects. Hell, I did those kind of drawings on some assignments- mostly to wig out teachers, but still- being treated as a criminal for it is a massive overreaction and is, in my opinion, in no way justified.

[jgreywolf.livejournal.com]

Being treated as a criminal? Where did you get that? I got that the secret service came to investigate. Ill bet they talked to him, and were satisfied he was not a threat - and now you are left with what the school is going to do. Anything else is over reactive.

Yes, drawing pictures just to get that reaction - I think that is idiotic. Does he need attention that badly? :)

[winneganfake.livejournal.com]

"treated as a criminal" is, I'll admit a verbal overreaction on my part.

One- according to the same article it has been known that the school did discipline him.

Two- the police and secret service shouldn't have been called in in the first place. What was the justification? These were drawings that were found in the kid's notebook.

Throw in the fact that he was already pretty much ostracized by both community and peers before this, and yeah, I'd say the kid got set up for a bunch of hurt- especially if he stays in Prosser after this.

[jgreywolf.livejournal.com]

Again, the secret service being called in - over reaction on the part of the sheriff. Course, if you are going to be the lone punk in a hick town - you are just asking for it :)

[winneganfake.livejournal.com]

He probably didn't realize he was "just asking for it." Hell, let's face it a principal going to the cops with a drawing isn't exactly a "normal" reaction to this kind of stuff either- usually it's the school counselor, followed by the parents, and then the cops if there's further issues from it.

And of course, at age 15,I'm sure he's got a hell of a lot of choice about what town he lives in. At least, if he doesn't want to live on the street.

[jgreywolf.livejournal.com]

Sorry - I was not saying he had a choice of where he lived. I was saying, it was his choice to affect this persona. The whole, Im gonna be a punk in a hick town thing. Not sure if they moved there or what... Oooh, look out for the rebel. :)

[winneganfake.livejournal.com]

True enough. Admittedly he should get the kind of treatment he probably does get for it though.

[jgreywolf.livejournal.com]

I am going to assume that you meant that he shouldnt get the kind of treatment he gets. And you are right.

In the end, you can only be responsible for your own choices. If you choose to put yourself in a situation where paranoid individuals with facsist leanings are making decisions about you - then thats on your own head :)