May. 17, 2003 - 21:00 MDT

THE WONDERING JEW

Rome

The first time I really became aware of the reality of things was when I transferred into the high school in my new neighborhood. It drew kids from the upscale mansions east of the school. Many of those kids had been kicked out of private schools so alit in public school. They had pocket money out the ears, had everything, been everywhere and tried most everything too. Mean, callous terribly ornery disturbances they were -- always trying for whatever privilege they wanted.

So I guess it is not something new, I expect that the rich folk managed to lawyer their kids out of trouble back then just the way the parents are stone walling and referring law enforcement officials to their lawyers today. Seems like no one in their community will give any hint as to where the alcohol came from either.

It says here in the paper that the 12 girls and three boys who were charged began turning themselves into police Friday. They were not expected to be jailed. Huh !

The kids were charged as adults and face up to a year in jail it says in the paper. Uh HUH.

What little was shown on TV film clips demonstrated the cruelty of the "PERPs" and utter disregard of any and all human rights. In other articles I have read one person had to have a bunch of stitches taken in their head. It seemed to have turned into a beating of girls kneeling on the ground -- completely defenseless. And it was done by other girls no less.

Heck, I don't want my great grandchildren exposed to that sort of treatment.

So they have been suspendeed for 10 days, oh what sore wrists they will have from that. The principle of the school is recommending expulsion of the offenders, which would bar them from the Prom and graduation ceremonies. But they would still get their diplomas. Big cotton pickin' deal.

The thing that really gets to me is that some of those students, through their lawyers I assume and with their parents consent (of course), have sued to overturn the suspension, seems to me that no one would have the gall to show up at school after being videotaped in the act of putting the hurts on defenseless girls. Physical harm to some of them and the possible disease that might ensue from the feces smeared on some of them. I think those things should make those kids ashamed to stay out in the public eye. Pray for their trial, do their time and leave town. On one video tape I saw gunk being smeared on a girls face to the extent I wondered how she could even breathe.

In our group of boys it was understood by us all that if we got into trouble with the law, our folks would visit us in prison and that would be about all. I expect the law was laid down to the girls too. I am sure that if one or more of us had done something like that, physical harm would probably have been done to us by our own parents.

Sometimes I wonder if we are approaching the society of Caligula's Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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