Posted on 05/22/2003 8:59:25 AM PDT by The Rant
With the mainstream media moving on to other things the school officials at Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, Illinois decided to offer a resolution to a very disturbing problem. This problem led to 15 senior girls being charged with misdemeanor battery charges following a “powder-puff” football game that turned into a scene from Platoon.
It would seem that the school officials have offered a deal to the 31 suspended students who are awaiting expulsion for their involvement in the melee. The deal would allow them to graduate with their class and have their grades frozen at the level they were prior to their stupidity in return for the students not fighting the expulsions, attending counseling, performing community service and agreeing not to profit from the event by exploiting it in the entertainment media or the press. This sounds like quite the coup for a group of haughty children who thought it was okay to beat and kick their fellow schoolmates while smearing mixtures of entrails, feces and garbage over them, all in the name of tradition. In light of the fact that some of the victims received stitches and treatment for broken bones it would seem that they would want to accept this offer and slip quietly into the night hoping their actions don’t follow their transcripts to the colleges of choice.
But that isn’t what is happening for many of the little beasts. They would rather defend their right to lash out at others with violence that is mired in a vile contempt for their fellow students.
Larry Kaplan, the attorney for Marnie Holz, one of the senior monsters that perpetrated this crime, indicated they would reject the school’s offer stating that the expulsion would cause “irreparable harm” to poor little Marnie. He said that his client is suing for complete reinstatement and would not sign the deal as a matter of principle.
A matter of principle? It is very obvious that if young Marnie had any principles to begin with she wouldn’t be in this situation. It is the lack of principles that has led her to the courtrooms of the Cook County judicial system. If she had any principles she would have realized that beating and kicking other people is wrong. If she had any principles she would have known that providing her schoolmates with stitches and broken bones was wrong. If she had any principles she would have realized the error of her ways while she was gathering feces to store in a bucket so it could be later smeared onto the skin and into the hair of other human beings. The fact is she has no principles and no concept of right and wrong. This stands as testimony to the failure of her parents, who are clearly paying for this legal action, to take an active roll in Marnie’s life. They have failed their child by allowing her to grow up with no sense of morality, no principles and an arrogance that can allow her to believe she has done nothing wrong in this situation. Marnie should have to go to counseling. Her parents should have to go to jail for child abuse.
But that won’t be the case because Marnie’s parents (it should be noted that no media outlet has published their names…I wonder why?), along with some others, have hired lawyers to get them out of it, to get them all out of it. Mr. Kaplan asserts,” For one thing, we believe the school exceeded its clear authority. We believe Marnie was punished for conduct which the school has accepted and tolerated for 23 years."
Exceeded its authority? When is a school exceeding its authority when it suspends and/or expels a student for beating another student to the extent that broken bones happen? Would they believe that the school exceeded its authority if they suspended and expelled a student who shot another student outside the sanctity of the school building? School, although a place where socializing occurs, is a place of learning, not beating or killing. To allow any student, regardless of social stature or wealth, to bring violence into the school community is reprehensible. There are those who will question whether or not the school sanctioned the event, of course it didn’t. But the event did take place within the community of the school. It took place under the semblance of the school structure i.e. seniors and juniors battling it out on the gridiron. If it weren’t for the fact these children attend Glenbrook North High School this never would have come to pass. So, to say the school is exceeding its authority by punishing members of its community for unacceptable conduct is a joke.
I would be remiss if I didn’t point out the hypocrisy of Mr. Kaplan’s statement. If the school exceeded its clear authority in the matter how could it have tolerated that type of conduct for 23 years? As twisted and in need of repair as the legal system is in this country I know that you still can’t have it both ways. Either the school had no authority and then no liability at all or they have tolerated the conduct, which means they would have the choice to impose punishment or not to impose punishment. Either way, his hypocritical statement is proof this is just an attempt to get a spoiled little brat off the hot seat so she can continue to smear her brand of feces into other people’s hair later in her arrogant shallow life.
This entire situation boils down to this: the students were wrong to do it, period. Instead of taking their punishment the way everyone else would have they are performing “The Crying Elitist” to their enabling parents who will spend as much as it takes to keep their little darlings out of trouble. It teaches them nothing more than if you have enough money you can smear your own feces in other people’s faces and get away with it. It’s pathetic.
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Frank Salvato is a political media consultant, a freelance writer from the Midwest and the Managing Editor for www.TheRant.us. He is a contributing writer to The Washington Dispatch. He pieces are featured at OpinionEditorials.com (Guest Writer), Etherzone.com (Regular Contributor) and Townhall.com.
The problem with these hazing traditions is that each successive year's hazers feel compelled to outdo the treatment they endured. This continues until someone is hurt physically.
In my opinion, the juniors should be punished as well, for tolerating that kind of abuse, all in the name of "fitting in."
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