Mom Tries to Rationalize Prodigy's Death (Child Prodigy 14 Yrs Old Kills Self)

AP / Lexington Dispatch ^ | 3-19-05 | SHARON COHEN

[Bonaparte]

"...but how the h**l did he get his hands on a gun?"

Given his intellect, I see lots of possibilities, such as cracking the combo on Dad's gun safe or simply making a gun and some reloads.

Prayers for Brendann and his family.

[Mike Darancette]

He seemed to have little or no religious grounding.

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

–Mark 8:36,37

[the invisib1e hand]

`Sometimes we wonder if maybe the physical, earthly world didn't offer him enough challenges and he felt it was time to move on and do something great,''

Holy smokes! The poor kid had to listen to this drivel all the time? Move on to what, might I ask?

Didja say things like, "ok, honey, we know you're bored..someday you can move on and be really great..."

creepy, jellyfish-like comment.

[tallhappy]

``Sometimes we wonder if maybe the physical, earthly world didn't offer him enough challenges and he felt it was time to move on and do something great,'' his mother, Patricia, said from the family home in Venango, Neb., a few miles from the Colorado border.

This unadulterated psycho poppycock hype is all one needs to hear.

These child prodigies usually aren't and they are the manifestation of some ego/pshological issues of one of the parents.

One mother of such a "prodigy" was even found to be doing the little genius' work for him

It is sad. The kid was probably always thinking "why don't you just leave me alone."

[The Duke]

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the sholder of Orion. I watched sea beams glitter in the darkness at Tan Hauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time like tears in rain.

[jazzlite]

"Sad story. But it appears that it turns out that the kid was not as smart as people thought."

Or, it could be that he was smarter than people thought. I once read that children this intelligent often become very depressed even by the age of 6 because they understand human nature and become very disillusioned by what they observe in people. Also, the ability to learn all these things automatically shoves a child into the adult world while his emotional development is still normal for his age. It is also possible that experiences he had with adults in his life, hurrying and scurrying to get a piece of him, depressed and discouraged him to the point where he took his life. In any case, it is a sad thing and should be a red flag to any parent with an exceptionally brilliant child. The best thing such a parent can do is to relieve the incredible pressure on the child and try hard to give him a normal social life appropriate for his age. Let him set his own pace and choose his own interests. CLOSELY monitor all his interactions with other adults..Perhaps these parent did that..We do not know..

[jazzlite]

"I'll open the worm can and say it... "home-schooled".
What in the AITCH would that have to do in this instance; with this over-the-top gifted child?"

These parents had no choice but to home school or privately tutor this child. First of all, public or private education with other children would have stunted and bored him. Our educational systems are not equipped to educate children like this. Even a gifted program would not have met this boy's need. The other side of that is that he would have been mercilessly bullied because of envy and jealousy..He would have been smarter than the teacher which, in many cases, even when the teacher tried hard, causes jealousy and resentment in the instructor. Some try to label such a child as mentally ill. No, you should never expose a child like this to a failed bureaucracy like the public school. In fact, this child's intelligence probably made him and his family a lightening rod for envy which isolates people. Perhaps that played a role in his suicide.

[dennisw]

That Harry Potter stuff is no good. I'm not joking. Too much dark side pretending going on for young impressionable minds.

[dennisw]

good take

[jazzlite]

You are right. Anything that makes us very different from others will isolate us. Human beings have a hard time with differences. And, for some reason, people are particularly intimidated by very brilliant folks who are multi-talented as well. Child prodigy's of all kinds are exploited by others for money, when possible. Right now, look at what has happened to Michael Jackson..Another who comes to mind is Judy Garland. I suppose Shirley Temple was the most normal one. Even Donnie Osmond has written about his childhood as a musical star and of the anxiety attacks which he experienced as an adult. Of course, Marie, also, has suffered some depression. These individuals were identified as musically talented from babyhood and all were exploited to one extent or another by the adult world. We need to take good care of our geniuses..They could hold a better future for all of us in their heads..

[jazzlite]

A chilling thought..Surely they would have investigated foul play..

[hershey]

Suicide is the second highest cause of teenaged deaths. It shouldn't be a surprise, considering the crazy bing, bang, boom of hormones and the feeling of alienation. And if you're 'different', then surely it's worse. What teenagers don't realize is that they're all individuals and thus, different. They think the most popular kids in school have it made, their lives are golden. When they see those same kids a few years later, they discover that everyone thought they were the only one going through stress and unhappiness.

[Nataku X]

A relative had an IQ of over 170. He always had a very active social life, none of the weirdness your friend's son exhibited, and he's now happily married. Well, he turned liberal, so that might be a mental illness into itself.

[finnigan2]

I have a sense that he had thought of this for a very long time. He left because he was bored.

[Rebelbase]

My thought too.

[Rebelbase]

"Maybe that's what Heaven is about? We all get to be as smart as this kid was supposed to have been."

I have the hope and belief that "everything" will be revealed to us when we meet the Lord.

And I tend to believe that the entire collection of man's acquired knowledge here on earth is less than a dust speck of what really exists that is too phenomenal for a human mind to comprehend.

[Ghengis]

Very sad, but how the h**l did he get his hands on a gun?

I owned a .22 rifle and a 20 gauge shotgun when I was the same age, as I suspect many Freepers did. There's nothing wrong with a 14 year old having his hands on a gun.

By age 10, I had access to every firearm in the house. I also knew the punishment from my father if they were misused.

I never missused them.

[texpat72]

I agree. I also noted the New-Age religion reference.

[lepton]

Puberty?

[bigsigh]

I didn't post an article. I posted a link to an earlier thread so that those who were interested could see the comments there. Thanx for the critique anyway.