[ale] taking over the world!

[jester1 at mindspring.com]

On Sun, 02 May 1999 09:28:57 -0400, "Glenn R. Stone"
<gstone at mediaone.net> wrote:

> > And the whole Colorado thing could have been prevented if some parents
> > would take notice of what their kids are doing and give them a smack
> > upside the head when they saw them being stupid.  More people in this
> > country could stand to have some sense knocked into them.  Bill Gates
> > included.  I think this was the point of this animation.
> 
> Here I object, partly.  These kids weren't stupid.  They were probably 
> smarter than most of us.  V excepted. :)  They were, however, showing 
> a total lack of common horse sense, and _therein_ deserved the LART.  
> 
> Suicide at that age is the ultimate cry for help.  These kids were being
> ignored by their elders, parents and teachers alike, and tortured by their
> peers.  I don't have to ask, I've been there.  Most of us (meaning probably
> most of the people reading this) have too; we just managed to keep our
> sanity intact until we got to college, with the help of some subset of
> parents, teachers, other positive outside influences.  Littleton is what
> happens when that help is totally absent.  
> 
> (Just for completeness, I agree that a goodly majority of folks could use
> a Clue-By-Heavy, Herr Gates included.  From my point of view, this society
> seems to be deliberately selecting for the shallow end of the gene pool...
> a move which in itself is suicidal.  I'll leave the rest of this rant as
> an exercise... you guys are smart; you'll get it.)
> 
> Meanwhile back at the ranch, it's pretty much up to us geeks to try to counter
> such cluelessness, to make sure the species doesn't die off due to
> overwhelming
> stupidity.  As for me, I don't have kids yet, but I've made my own commitment
> of time and energy to try to help the situation.  Watch this space for an 
> announcement Real Soon Now.  
> 
> Enough rant for a Sunday morning.  Besides, y'all are smart.  I'm just going
> to go do my thing now....
> 
> -- Glenn

I agree, Glenn.  When I said, 'And the whole Colorado thing could have
been prevented if some parents would take notice of what their kids
are doing and give them a smack upside the head when they saw them
being stupid.  More people in this country could stand to have some
sense knocked into them.' I meant that they need someone there to
guide them and help them.

I didn't mean that the kids were unintelligent.  But, to be thinking
of mass murder as a viable option to solving a problem IS STUPID.  If
someone had intervened the first time these kids were being
destructive and got involved, I don't think this would have happened.

These kids WERE ignored.  When I said 'give them a smack upside the
head' I wasn't just meaning it literally, but figuratively as well.  A
'smack upside the head' could take many forms.  It could be as simple
as someone asking them how their day was and listening to them; really
listening to them when they had concerns or just needed someone to be
there for them.

Like you said in your response to my first email, 'you guys are
smart'.  Because of this fact I was a bit lazy in my email and didn't
spell out more of what I meant.  I hope I have clarified it somewhat.

Have a great day everyone,

Jester
/*
 ****************************************************
 *    if (( OS == "Microsoft" )) {
 *       alert("Captain, we have been scanned by a hostile entity!");
 *       alert("Shields!!!  Arm Photon Torpedoes... FIRE!!!");
 *       destroy_it( );
 *       alert("He's dead, Jim!");
 *    }
 ****************************************************
 */

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