AikiDale Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 AP CARY, Ill. - Allen Lee was on the verge of realizing a dream to become a Marine after signing enlistment papers this month. But one violent, profanity-laced English essay later, the 18-year-old’s future with the Marine Corps appears to be over. Because of pending criminal charges stemming from his essay, Lee’s recruiter told him Friday that the Marine Corps has discharged him from his contract, said Sgt. Luis R. Agostini, spokesman for the Marine Corps Recruiting Station Chicago. “Basically, he is no longer an applicant to become a Marine,” Agostini said. The senior at suburban Cary-Grove High School was charged this week with two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct after the principal turned his creative writing essay over to police. Prosecutors cite Va. Tech Lee initially faced just one charge, but an amended complaint filed Thursday cited a second passage. “In light of recent events (at Virginia Tech), that is part of the context of what happened that makes the reaction all the more reasonable,” said Tom Carroll, first assistant state’s attorney in McHenry County. Lee, who has a 4.2 grade-point average and never has been in trouble before, is being tutored at administrative offices while school officials decide his future, said his lawyer, Thomas Loizzo. The charges are a product of paranoia, born of the massacre of 32 students at Virginia Tech by a social outcast who then killed himself, Loizzo said. “Once the dust settles, once they look at this through clearer glasses, we think that the state will do the right thing and dismiss the charges,” Loizzo said. The essay, written Monday, reads in part, “Blood, sex and booze. Drugs, drugs, drugs are fun. Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, s...t...a...b...puke. 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.” Assignment: ‘Be creative’ The teacher told students: “‘Be creative; there will be no judgment and no censorship,”’ Thomas Loizzo said. “There was never any warning from the teacher that if she determined the paper to be offensive, she would then pass it along to the authorities.” School district spokesman Jeff Puma declined to discuss the specifics of the essay or Lee’s future, citing privacy concerns. “The essay was inappropriate in that it caused a question about safety,” Puma said. The charges could result in a $1,500 fine and as many as 30 days in jail if Lee is convicted. Lee hopes to re-enlist if the charges are cleared and he’s allowed to return to school, said his other attorney, Dane Loizzo. Lee wrote in a statement provided by his attorney that he has completed military entrance exams, including a psychiatric evaluation. “If I’m qualified to defend the country, I believe I’m qualified to attend school,” he wrote. © 2007 The Associated Press. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowlands Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 The charges could result in a $1,500 fine and as many as 30 days in jail if Lee is convicted. For an essay? That's just SICK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Stoeger Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 And yet it's majorly OK to produce the mega-quantity of horror/terror/mutilation/misery MOVIES for the general public to go and see. And THAT'S o.k....? Jeez. Gimme a break. Something is lopsided here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriss Grube Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 Ok try and defend it anyway you want this kid is f%^%ed up! I'm about the most unPC guy you will ever meet but the kid has some issues. I guess just because he was going to enlist and had a 4.2 GPA that mitigates it all? BS this kid is either a time bomb waiting to go off or he has really piss poor judgement....just the type I want in a combat zone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Di Vita Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 When I was in school they tried to expel me for something similar. It was a Spanish class and we were assigned to write a children's picture book. So I wrote one about a cat and a dog. And as a joke on the final page the dog ate the cat (the tail was hanging out of the dog's mouth). I thought it was hilarious (given the context of the rest of the book), and they tried to expel me for it. This of course is the same school who literally had posters in the hall promoting communism. No, I'm not kidding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatland Shooter Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 They need to keep it in context. Was this the only time he exhibited this type of behavior or is it an escalation of potentially dangerous emotions that could lead to disasterous actions? The teacher opened the door with the "no holds barred" assignment. Possibly this resulted in a bright and normal student stepping out of the box. It was an assignment that he completed within the guidelines given by the instructor. It was not something he wished to get published or passed around to incite others. It was an assignment, period. Two thoughts come into play. 1) What happened to freedom of speech? and 2) Would the marines prefer he wrote the childrens book about a cat and a cat eating dog? Or is it time to swear out warrants to each and every "action movie" writer, actor, director and such? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 Assignment: ‘Be creative’The teacher told students: “‘Be creative; there will be no judgment and no censorship,”’ It's exceptionally unfortunate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDRODA396 Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 (edited) Deleted because it would probably be considered a rebuttal, and ... In a nutshell - Rebuttals are not permitted. Edited April 28, 2007 by CDRODA396 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBF Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 One would have to wonder if the kid was speaking for himself , or as a fictional character in the essay . If it was an attempt to be creatively inflammatory and creepy , instead of a genuine homicidal necrophiliac sharing dark fantasies , maybe it's just being taken out of context. If these are his own real thoughts , he's very sick . Travis F. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dunn Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 In this day and age an essay like that should lead to an investigation, but only hard evidence of intent and ability should lead to anything further. Otherwise, Stephen King would get the death penalty for his imagination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 It is difficult for all of us to judge this incident accurately without all of the facts. Which we are unlikely to ever have. First no holds barred assignments are never a good idea for a teacher. I can say that as I am a teacher and have a good idea what such an assignment would yield. Certain pupils are going to try to shock the teacher and under the umbrella of such an assignment, and someone will likely succeed in doing it. My gut tells me there must be more involved. I could see how the Marines would want to back away from the situation. If some of things written about in the essay were performed by Marines in a combat zone they would be facing a court martial and rightfully so. The other part of this is the first amendment portion. We are all for writing and speaking without penalty. However, such as right is always accompanied by responsibility. I have a right to say and write many more things than it is right or proper to say or write. It is also enitrely possible in this day and age for schools to be over-reacting. Terrorist attacks and school shootings pose a danger to our liberty that is as dangerous as the physical danger these type of attacks pose. Because many are for limiting freedom in order to have someone protect them. This idea is replusive to the real Americans who populate this forum but it is out there in society, and government officials seem to be saying it on the news more and more all of the time. I have seen many students over the years with very good GPA's who do not register on the character scale. I do not know if this is true in this incident or not, and I am not applying it to the example here. I am just saying a good GPA is not equated with good character. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 "They need to keep it in context*. Was this the only time he exhibited this type of behavior or is it an escalation of potentially dangerous emotions that could lead to disasterous actions?The teacher opened the door with the "no holds barred" assignment. Possibly this resulted in a bright and normal student stepping out of the box...." Exactly. I, too, wondered if this kid had already shown 'signs' of dementedness or was this the very first occasion for this ikky display...?However, I'm personally suspicious of people who DO make light of clearly violent acts, even on paper or in casual conversation. There may be SOMETHING nasty brewing in there...... maybe. I need more information. * (emphasis is mine) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriss Grube Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 Well after dealing with the "best" society has to offer for pushing 20 years, I'm sure this isn't an out of the blue incident. People don't write or think such screwed up thoughts without some form of progression. Look into any of the recent whackos and you will see the progression. Columbine, VT etc. the signs were there and ignored. You can use the freespeech issue but just because you have the right to be a whack job should you? And if you put things out there that even the FBI would consider a clue you can bet your ass somebody better look into it. This aint Mayberry anymore. The biggest problem is the total lack of that long forgotten thing called personal responsibility, now days some Ahole does something stupid and one of the "causes" for either side want to make them a victim of the system. Oh come on he's just a kid that's misunderstood.....until the sick little bastard kills YOUR family member! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 Be careful what you ask for. Free Speach means Free Speach. No limitations mean No Limitations. If there are limitations you should state them. If you want the assignment to fall within the "accepted boundries" - say so. If you invite the dogs into the house don't be pissed when they mess on the floor. Lets not get the "wacko" mixed up with a kid doing the Hunter S. Thompson routine to piss the teacher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 Be careful what you ask for. Free Speach means Free Speach. No limitations mean No Limitations. If there are limitations you should state them. If you want the assignment to fall within the "accepted boundries" - say so. If you invite the dogs into the house don't be pissed when they mess on the floor. Lets not get the "wacko" mixed up with a kid doing the Hunter S. Thompson routine to piss the teacher. You make several good points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AikiDale Posted April 28, 2007 Author Share Posted April 28, 2007 (edited) We don't know the kid. We don't know the situation. WORST CASE the kid maybe gets an invitation to speak with the school counselor. You don't charge someone with a crime for a High School English Paper!!!! Could it be a cry for help or a clue of a tortured soul that bears watching? Could be. Could it be a kid having adolescent fun when the adults opened the doors to be outrageous? Could be. Should the police be involved in the classroom evaluating the criminality of English Class assignments? Not in this country. Not even after 9/11 or Columbine or Virginia Tech. You think people were outraged because a comedian insulted some college girls? We should all be outraged because of this. I wonder if Rod Serling or Steven King ever wrote a disturbing class paper. Lucky for Franz Kafka he did not have to have the police proof read his material, he may have been in on The Trial. Everyone go to your window and shout "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!" (sure hope the folks in Carey Il. don't see this rant) Edited April 28, 2007 by AikiDale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 We really need to get re-focused on fact the we are finite, mortal beings, and that our choices in life may have consequences that we can scarcely imagine. Our society has embraced violence and sexual perversion as a form of entertainment for most of the past 30 years. It doesn't surprise me at all that our kids are having deviant thoughts and sometimes act out on them. What surprises me is that we stubbornly cling to our "right" to persue this steady diet of garbage under the guise of freedom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AikiDale Posted April 28, 2007 Author Share Posted April 28, 2007 Our society has embraced violence and sexual perversion as a form of entertainment for most of the past 3000 years. That does not make it acceptable, nor to be encouraged. I'm okay with it not being welcome in polite company. I am fundamentally opposed to police state censorship however. No matter how vile a teenagers writings may be, they in and of themselves, in the context of an English class assignment, ought not constitute a crime. This young man was charged with two misdemeanors. He did not threaten anyone. He was not charged with terroristic threatening because he said he wanted to carryout these rantings on little Suzie next door. He was charged with disorderly conduct because he wrote about things which are awful and the police were called. With any luck all charges will be dismissed and expunged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFlowers Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 I think some enterprising lawyer is going to end up enjoying a very fat paycheck signed by the school system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted April 29, 2007 Share Posted April 29, 2007 In this day and age an essay like that should lead to an investigation..." For those of you who aren't current with the state of affairs in public schools, we now have a position called "resource officer". Chances are the essay went to the resource officer and the rest is history. The content of the essay forced the hand. It's just that simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Posted April 29, 2007 Share Posted April 29, 2007 Our society has embraced violence and sexual perversion as a form of entertainment for most of the past 3000 years. That does not make it acceptable, nor to be encouraged. I'm okay with it not being welcome in polite company. I am fundamentally opposed to police state censorship however. No matter how vile a teenagers writings may be, they in and of themselves, in the context of an English class assignment, ought not constitute a crime. This young man was charged with two misdemeanors. He did not threaten anyone. He was not charged with terroristic threatening because he said he wanted to carryout these rantings on little Suzie next door. He was charged with disorderly conduct because he wrote about things which are awful and the police were called. With any luck all charges will be dismissed and expunged. I think it should have led to an investigation, but a crime is too much. Particularly if this is the Only problem. But without an investigation we just don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Di Vita Posted April 29, 2007 Share Posted April 29, 2007 I totally agree with Dale and Merlin. Free speech is free speech. Full stop. End of story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriss Grube Posted April 29, 2007 Share Posted April 29, 2007 Dale, Maybe you would like him going to school with your kids? Me I'll pass and be happy that they grabbed him before we are reading about another nut over the edge. We freedom comes responsibility and there are some restrictions included. Somewhere along the line somebody came up with the idea that freedom means you can do anything and say anything you want...sorry but that isn't the way it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dajarrel Posted April 29, 2007 Share Posted April 29, 2007 Just my thoughts. They might change if and when all the facts are out. Kids have always wanted to know where the limits are. You set them for your children as I have for mine. When one of them crosses over the line they know there will be repercussions. The English teacher erased the line and this kid apparently decided to see how far he really could go. Should he be seeing a councilor now? You bet. Find out if he really is Whacko. Should he be facing criminal charges? Not in my opinion. FWIW dj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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