The Journal Times Online - Racine, Wisconsin

Posted by: xanthia on December 5, 2008 3:35PM CST Am I disrespecting the young man about whom the original story was written? Yes - leave it alone.

Posted by: Attached Mommy to 4 Kiddos on December 5, 2008 4:13PM CST GinaB, I am one of those that requested the comments on the article be locked down. I am not a new member and I post on topics that interest me or which I feel I can be of some help. I do not flame posters nor am I a troll looking for a thrill out of upsetting others with inflammatory comments. The news did not go away. The paper printed and it is still available. I have a different feel about the message boards here on the JT. They are entertainment for me, but in reality it is a revenue generating opportunity to draw hits to the JT website to increase advertising revenue. Unfortunately, message boards are another part of the computer age that brings out the "ugly" in people...The fact that the comments went away is probably a good thing...yellow journalism and sensationalism is a quick draw and it is a way to sell more newspapers (or to draw people to this site). The Journal Times allowing the posts to continue was unacceptable and unprofessional on their part...and I think it was their professional responsiblity to bring down the article. This practice should continue in the future when posts get as out of hand as they did yesterday. Family members should also be able to request comments on an article be locked or brought down. It is probably an administrative nightmare for the JT, but again, their professional responsibility to do so. thank you for allowing me to post my comments on this topic. Have a glorious weekend and stay warm!

Posted by: Multimedia on December 5, 2008 4:16PM CST Editor's Note from the Journal Times: in the process of attempting to close off the comments sections in this particular story, the two stories we published got inadvertenly erased from the archives. They have been restored and can be found here: http://journaltimes.com/articles/2008/12/03/local_news/doc49373fd6a7278336722564.txt http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2008/12/03/local_news/doc4935a9dbe660f926664673.txt The comments section for these stories are now closed.

Posted by: EvenKiel on December 5, 2008 4:17PM CST There is an opportunity here for JT and others in the healthcare industry to reach out to young and old alike who suffer from depression or have thoughts of suicide. Too many people make this decision each year who could have been helped by professionals if only someone had been able to reach them in time. I hope the schools and their counsellors are also making use of this opportunity. Suicide is a problem that cannot be hidden away.

Posted by: my2sense on December 5, 2008 4:20PM CST GinaB i couldn't agree with you more. I too found it a bit disturbing that because several people asked that Ben's story or more aptly "Glorification of a selfish (yet depressed and confused) young boy" be removed. It actually was! Like you stated what about other stories in which friends, family member and the community has asked the same? Do I detect a bit of racism? (Don't ANY of you DARE call me out on that comment either because I DON'T play the race card like many of you do) But in this case something smells a bit fishy. And I feel it unjust and unfair! Personally I didn't feel the second story "Gifted teen helped others" appropriate AT ALL! As I had stated in the blog/story for as much as Ben may have helped others...he hurt countless others by his actions. Like I said before, I like you GinaB! Must be name ; ) wink I think you are very intelligent, down to earth...a bit like myself...you seem better able to articulate your thoughts in paper/on screen than myself though. Maybe you can be my "Ghost Writer" as we are on same page but I just come across as a superficial cold b^tch most time though

Posted by: shamuplease on December 5, 2008 5:40PM CST In my opinion the reason suicide is probably worse for the family and friends is because they have no one to blame except for the person they loved who has died. When someone is murdered it's awful, but in those cases the person didn't actually chose to die. That's not the case with suicide. I imagine it does magnify the pain. I don't know why the JT took down the comments, but I don't think it was the wrong decision. In a homicide there is always someone to blame - and the most offensive comments usually place some blame on the victim. She made a bad choice in men, he chose the wrong lifestyle, etc. It's a debate far older than these blogs. But every once in a while - through the blogs - people from the community actually come together to try and change things. For example (whether you agree with them or not) a group formed to support Adrial White after he was arrested and charged. And a group of bloggers held an impromptu vigil at Brian Hawes' house after his death. I usually cringe at any of the comments I think are insensitive to family and friends of any murder/suicide victim. But the reality is that the newspaper can't stop covering homicides. It's an event, albeit tragic, that the community should be informed about. In suicides the victim and suspect are the same person - whose gone. If their death is in public, it probably should be covered - as in this case. But I don't think public comment that can only hurt the child's family and really don't serve any other purpose should be allowed. Thanks for bringing up the topic - it's an interesting debate.

Posted by: JMan88 on December 5, 2008 7:37PM CST GinaB, I very much respect the way you chose to address this issue. I just want to clarify two points that you made: 1) "We are talking about business owners, policy makers, CEOs, executives, etc – people who have “pull” in our community. It looks like they may have “pulled." - This is definitely a very legitimate thing for you, and other readers, to assume. However, I can assure you that it was the students at Prairie who persisted until those comments were removed. A letter-to-the-editor writing campaign (I guess you could call it that) was started by the students on a website when they discovered what was happening. As far as I know, it was grieving children's voices that appealed to The Journal Times. As someone who has no racial bias toward white people, I sincerely hope that The Journal Times would have done the same if those students had persisted about another hurtful comment section. 2) "If erasing the news can happen once, then it can happen more than once." - As you now probably know, the news was no erased. The comments were erased, so only the original copies of the articles were deleted.

Posted by: Hard Working Lady on December 5, 2008 10:47PM CST my2sense, I agree! Not only do I agree a lot of people from Racine that I have talked to agree that that article should have never been written. There was a kid I went to Horlick with who was killed mistakenly in a drive by. The dudes thought he was somebody else and shot him. There was never an article the next day about how smart, caring, and kind he was and somebody else took his life. Maybe it was because he had a different skin color, or maybe because he went to Horlick instead of a private upper class school. This is absolutely absurd. There is no denying that this is a tragedy, I have said that before. But every young person that dies should get the same type of treatment that this young man got. Everybody keeps attacking me calling me heartless and insensitive when there are several other people making the same points I am making. Is it because I'm going to school to be a doctor that I can't have an opinion on suicide? There are plenty of doctors that don't believe in things like abortion, birth control, suicide, God, etc but they still practice medicine. I love people; that is the one thing I do love about my job. I get to interact with patients. I even go to work a half hour early (not on the clock) sometimes to go get patient menus so I can conversate with them. And you would be surprised at how many of them open up because they dont have anyone else to talk to or anyone else that comes and visits them. That is sad!

Posted by: Is What It Is on December 6, 2008 12:59AM CST The original article printed on Dec. 3rd is back up for reading, but no comments allowed. I believe the comments were pulled for several reasons. First of all becaue of Ben's age (only 16) and the way he died. Yes, we all know the blog comments are what they are. Some were to give comfort, some were just comments, some were rude, and some were just nasty. Adults have a hard time reading written blogs about their family and friends. Now think about how children between the ages of 14 and 18 are going to react. Right now the tragic lost of Ben in their world is larger than life. Remember they are still children. Some of the written comments from Ben's friends/classmates were very well written. And yes I could very well see them collectively getting together and putting in a request for the JT to shut down the comments. And if that is what happened, GREAT FOR THEM. GinaB the BLOG FOR BEN that you put up yesterday was a very nice and kind gesture. But I think the friends/classmates were in too much pain to understand how you were trying to help them.

Posted by: greenWindow on December 6, 2008 5:40AM CST Its mostly just ridiculous that some of you are still on about this. Let's all be honest here, none of you are looking for "justice" or "fairness" in this or any other case. You use this site and its stories to "blog" and vent for one reason or another most likely to fill your own insecurities and inadequacies or maybe just to satisfy a severe need for attention because of the lack of attention or love in your real lives. You do this by attempting to turning a serious and terrible event in your community into a trivial debate with your insincere comments. Others, like GinaB, attempt to satisfy a whole different need by feigning sincerety to help soothe those hurt by this tragedy. The fact is that if you really wanted to make people feel better you would view this as a step forward in that JT should start taking down comments from these stories all the time. It is a sick joke to think that you all are discussing at this point whether or not this child who took his life by laying in front of a train is now getting preferential treatment. You all are more upset by the fact that your own comments, which you deem intelligent and scintillating, were taken down and dissappeared. And if that happens once then it can happen again, and then where would you turn to fill that biting void in your lives? Really, any point that you make that even would have some semblance of validity to it is made moot by the fact that you are doing it as a casual reference to a real and raw event that happened to people near you. When people close to these situations are clearly hurt by what is written in the comments of stories on this website that are referencing victims of tragedies; they should be taken down. The only reasonable reference to how JT dealt with this previously is that this should have been happening sooner. And it should stay this way for all stories of this nature. Please, make an attempt to move on with your own lives by choosing a hobby that doesn't involve an impact on other people.

Posted by: Lulu on December 6, 2008 10:43AM CST Green Window: *APPLAUSE* Well spoken, especially: "You use this site and its stories to "blog" and vent for one reason or another most likely to fill your own insecurities and inadequacies or maybe just to satisfy a severe need for attention because of the lack of attention or love in your real lives." and I almost snorted when I read: "You all are more upset by the fact that your own comments, which you deem intelligent and scintillating, were taken down and dissappeared". Hear! Hear! Thank you for the first intelligent discourse I've read in quite a while on this site.

Posted by: Freedom of speech = just my opinion on December 6, 2008 11:52AM CST well said greenwindow

Posted by: beejay on December 6, 2008 2:59PM CST Excellently phrased, GreenWindow...Thank you for stating so eloquently what a lot of us are thinking.

Posted by: Poor child on December 6, 2008 3:57PM CST My only hope is, from now on JT blocks comments for ALL articles regarding death whether it be homcide, suicide, natural, or accidental. Writing "appropriate" comments on these sort of articles runs a thin line which can easily be crossed. While any sort of death can be hard for family and friends, I can't for the life of me understand why, when a person chooses to die, certain individuals act as though it is more tragic than the unchosen homicide of minority A, gang banger B, misguided youth C, and poor D . I hate to bring race or financial status into this, but in my opinion, it seems the comments regarding low income, minority, homicide victims, have been a heck of a lot worse in regards to sensitivity and what I think is inappropriate than what I read about the young man who committed suicide. Family members and friends of those victims also come on this website, read the disturbing, heartless comments, and begged JT to close the comment section down, yet I have never seen it happen until now. I guess I am feeling a bit bitter in regards to JT deciding to close down the comments on this article because I have read articles in the past about people I knew who were murdered and they were shown no sympathy by JT or it's bloggers. Some bloggers even take it apon themselves to judge whether a person's murder is justifiable based on their CCAP record. Like I stated before, I hope they close the comment sections for all death related articles. If not, I would like this one question truthfully answered: Why, in this case only, was the comment section closed?

Posted by: Hard Working Lady on December 6, 2008 4:27PM CST Exactly @ poor child! And that is why people are leaving the comments they are leaving on this case. It is because everybody is quick to judge and say,"well that kid got into trouble with the law two times so I dont feel sorry for them." Umm excuse me? Have you ever heard of kids getting caught up with the wrong crowd and straightening their lives out? Like I told my mom earlier today, yeah the boy at Horlick that was mistakenly murdered in a drive by shooting got into trouble with the law, but he hadn't been in trouble with them in nearly 2-3 years! There was never any article about him complimenting what a smart and helpful young man he was. My only guess is because he lived in a not so good area, he was black, and because he went to Horlick High School instead of a private school. Poor child you made fantastic points!

Posted by: Toad on December 7, 2008 12:31AM CST I have experienced situations re: suicide twice in the last 18 years. Neither experience was pleasant. Both have FOREVER changed the lives of my family. My suggestion for the future would be. If you DON'T have anything GOOD to say, DON'T say anything. A memorial section exists in the OBIT. section of THIS online newspaper. I would suggest people express their SINCERE sympathy to families of these people that die (for whatever reason) to possibly comfort the family, not disturb them further.

Posted by: Blogometric Pressure on December 7, 2008 3:24AM CST One of the reasons the blog was taken down was the remakes by Italian Chick who works in the cafeteria in the hospital. Tasteless, inconsiderate, truly uneducated garbage. I think the JT was right to take the blog down and should monitor them more. Since the JT is in financial straits, they don't have the manpower to babysit the blogs. I think for the JT's survival, the blogs should disappear completely. The negative, insensitive, crude, disgusting commentaries have hurt the image of Racine.

Posted by: Toad on December 7, 2008 9:54AM CST Blogometric, Your correct that some folks are just PLAIN awful but, to eliminate all of the Blogs, would be a SAD day. Those that use this forum to spread extremely negative thoughts TEACH the majority of us exactly what WE don't want to be. I use these Blogs to temper my BAD attitude. It has caused me to ALMOST never lose control of my good sense. IF, just a couple of the highly negative thinking people try to change their ways because of the conversation that evolves from this forum, than it is a REALLY good thing. Generally speaking, conversation, and debate are good things. As for the Journal Times being in DIRE STRAITS? I HOPE NOT. In an attempt to help. I will subscribe on Monday morning to have the paper mailed to my home. (Even if, it is a day late)

Posted by: Hey! Look at that squirrel! on December 7, 2008 11:37AM CST Like you, I read the blogs for entertainment. A week or so there, you can figure out who's in it out of boredom and which people like to stir the pot, and well, which individuals here are just purely deluded. Sadly, ALL get a chance to have a say-so, often at the expense of friends and family of the deceased. And, don't just say "Don't read-" because it's impossible for some of us to stay away. Media has a responsibility here - to report the "news", but to also remain impartial. It sounds a lot easier than it is. We all bring our own crap to the table. As for the article, I have to respond from two angles: one, there IS a copycat factor to suicide. In my line of work, I've seen it. I am frightened for another depressed kid to think this is a good/smart idea. From the other side of the fence, (I am assuming the parents were consulted about this article) our city needs to understand what it has lost. There is a great kid GONE, there will never be another one like him. And that is horribly, horribly sad. The guilt the family feels over a death like this is immeasurable - and compounded, in my opinion, when the kid was a "good" kid. We all ask "why", but it becomes even more pronounced when the reason is not immediately apparent. There is a loss here to all of us, because this kid could have done something terrific for the world - we should all grieve his death - and I think that was what the JT had in mind. And that's not meant to make light of other deaths, equally as important. I'm glad the parents (and Racine) got the article, but I do fear that it has potentially glorified things for another person. Most suicides happen because the individual just sees no way out, they think this is the last option available to them. Many are in such pain that this is all they see- a way to make it stop. And sadly, there is an underlying message to the grieving families that they did something wrong, did something to deserve this. Again, I think the JT's article took away that blame - and made it what it honestly is - a rash decision by a kid who was hurting. I'm just so sad that his decision not only ended his life, but will have ripples of effect on others for years to come. A loss like this isn't something you ever get over, you just learn to live with it...

Posted by: Blogometric Pressure on December 7, 2008 12:53PM CST Yes, Lee Enterprises is in trouble, they own the JT and YES, the JT is in financial straits. As with many of the daily newspapers, advertisting is down, subscriptions are down, afterall, most can read the news online. I do think the blogs have portrayed a nasty view of what Racine is to those who consider moving or relocating to the Belle on the Lake. The constant negativity, racial overtones, wacked out blogs and pure hate blogs are something that should not be allowed to continue, it will destroy the JT and be the final nail in the coffin of our daily paper. Did you know that people don't want to be associated with Racine because of the blogs on the daily newspaper? Yup. Right.

Posted by: Hard Working Lady on December 7, 2008 2:28PM CST Blogometric Pressure, for the 4th time I do NOT work a cafeteria. Keep thinking that though and keep telling me all about myself.

Posted by: Hard Working Lady on December 7, 2008 2:35PM CST Guilty as charged, I know you and I have had disagreements but I agree 100% with what you're saying. What about that 2 year old who was murdered by the boyfriend and mother. Look how many horrible things people were saying about his father and grandmother. Was that article ever taken down? No. I already apologized greatly for the first comment I made on the article. People make mistakes and I made one. You cant tell me that there isn't anybody here who hasnt said something they shouldn't have. I am only human and humans make mistakes just like every other creature on Earth.

Posted by: Prime Time on December 7, 2008 5:02PM CST The Racine Post censors comments. Do not call them out on any errors or else they will delete your comments. Real men running that site I tell ya!! I pointed out to them that the link on their "website" to this tragic suicide article was not working and their reply was "Some links die, get over it". I believe that was an insensitive remark regarding this suicide. When I then pointed out to them that I thought their comment was classless and tasteless(using the word "die"), they deleted their insensitive remark and all of my posts. If you people in here think the JT censors people like crazy, think again. Pathetic!!!!!

Posted by: Prime Time on December 7, 2008 5:06PM CST The Racine Post censors comments. Do not call them out on any errors or else they will delete your comments. Real men running that site I tell ya!! I pointed out to them that the link on their "website" to this tragic suicide article was not working and their reply was "Some links die, get over it". I believe that was an insensitive remark regarding this suicide. When I then pointed out to them that I thought their comment was classless and tasteless(using the word "die"), they deleted their insensitive remark and all of my posts. If you people in here think the JT censors people like crazy, think again. Pathetic!!!!!

Posted by: Prime Time on December 7, 2008 5:09PM CST Sorry for the double post.

Posted by: greenWindow on December 7, 2008 5:18PM CST Unbelievable, TLK why don't you go up to his family and say the phrase "that mess" in the context that you used it in your post. People come to the site for news, and to see the crap that some of you spew attached to the stories is not ok. You all seriously need to read my last post and think hard about yourselves. Its sickening to think that people actually think the way some of you do. And Italian chick does not work in a cafeteria. She is clearly in high school.

Posted by: JMan88 on December 7, 2008 5:21PM CST You people need to get a more constructive hobby. The comment sections on Ben's articles were taken down because 30 saddened and outraged students wrote to The Journal Times. If the same happened with another article about a death, The JT would have done the same. So stop trying to say that Ben deserves to be insulted and torn apart just because other people have been treated that way in the past. Those people did not deserve it either. Two wrongs don't make a right. If you believe that The Journal Times should disable comments on all stories related to deaths, then how about you stop bitching anonymously and write them a damn letter. Get off your ass and do something nice for the world.

Posted by: Hard Working Lady on December 7, 2008 5:30PM CST greenwindow, I am NOT in high school! I said a young man was mistakenly killed in a drive by when I WAS (keyword: WAS) in high school. I am a 4th year college student.

Posted by: Hard Working Lady on December 7, 2008 5:40PM CST Jman, obviously you havent been on the JT for a long time. I'm pretty sure there have been complaints on other news articles where there were unnecessary comments. They never deleted nor disabled comments from those articles. Prime Time and I'm sorry you had to go through that!

Posted by: greenWindow on December 7, 2008 6:09PM CST TLK you are truly unbelievable. You have no idea why this happened and I am almost positive that the parenting is not the thing to be blamed. There is an extremely high depression rate at Prairie and combine that with the fact that he had immense personal and sociatal pressure from the fact that he was intellectually gifted too. I cant help but wonder if you would be talking like this if one of your close family members committed suicide. I know for a fact that what he did was not to gain public attention and you are insane for talking about how he "should have performed this act in the privacy of his own home." I feel bad for the people who were affected by it too but they still have their lives intact. To talk like this about someone who was so miserable in their life that they ended it is not merely insensitive, it is unbelievable. You are the one who is selfish. You talk about how people should just stop scrolling, well those people who were in the train should have closed their eyes and ears then I suppose? And the police and firefighters should have taken different jobs? You don't even talk about how the family will be affected a lot more than these strangers, you actually blame them? I am incredulous to how people can actually talk of a tragedy like this with such indifference. TLK I apologize for whatever is in your life or was in your life that made you like this. You clearly have some immense deep seeded pain. And Italian Chick it wasn't that comment that made be believe you were in high school. I suppose Gateway is coming well, no?

Posted by: my2sense on December 7, 2008 7:31PM CST Maybe TLK had to witness someone commit suicide and that is why he has so much pain greenWindow. Although some of your comments do make sense and are clearly well written you are completely off base on others...oh and I'm sure Prairie LOVES the great 'plug' you gave them "There is an extremely high depression rate at Prairie" Boy I sure would want to send my child there! See, greenWindow even you aren't as smart or perfect as you think.

Posted by: JMan88 on December 7, 2008 8:33PM CST TLK, You know nothing. Poor parenting is not to blame for clinical depression and Asperger's syndrome. You are a selfish, self-righteous bastard and I feel sorry for you.

Posted by: Hard Working Lady on December 7, 2008 8:46PM CST greenwindow, I do not have to explain anything to you or tell you about my life. Keep judging and thinking you know me when in fact you don't know shit. My2sense has the same view points as I do. I have met her in person and she is a very down to earth and genuine person. And from what I could tell watching her with her son that she brought along, she's a wonderful mom. You are criticizing me about my comments? You just gave Prarie a bad rep by saying, ""There is an extremely high depression rate at Prairie." Well MAYBE that school needs to hire a professional of some sort so the kids have the resources of somebody to talk to. And I guarantee you some of those kids that complained to the journal times about the "heartless" comments that were left on the article are the same kids who were making his life at school a living hell. They want to call people like my2sense, realistically speaking again, and I heartless and insensitive when in fact some of those students COULD have what caused that boy to kill himself? I mean get real!

Posted by: Hard Working Lady on December 7, 2008 8:47PM CST Could have been*

Posted by: JMan88 on December 7, 2008 10:09PM CST I am honestly revolted and disgusted that I live in the same town as some of you people. I can see you, hunched over your computer screens, reveling in anonymously insulting other members of your community... you get off to this, and it's sickening. I've only been on here for a few days and I've had more than enough. Now that the comments on Ben's articles have been deleted, I have far better things to do than to read your uninformed speculations and hurtful attacks. I bet you're all flabby white people who grew up in Wisconsin and didn't get enough love from your fathers. Why don't you take a look at the enormous universe around you and realize that there are better things to do than talk shit about people you never knew? There is so much beauty in this life, and you choose to spend your time dissecting the horrors and making them worse. Maybe inside you are really incredible people, but what you're writing on this site is poison and I'm sure it's changing you for the worse. You cannot fully separate who you are from what you write on here. Go be with the people you love instead of degrading yourselves online. I'm sure most of you won't listen to me, and you'll go on defending yourselves and the nonsense you stand for on this site, but regardless... I'm done here.

Posted by: Poor child on December 7, 2008 10:27PM CST JMann88, if your comment "If you believe that The Journal Times should disable comments on all stories related to deaths, then how about you stop bitching anonymously and write them a damn letter. Get off your ass and do something nice for the world. " was directed towards me I am going to politely let you know about yourself. You have been blogging here for.... oh, that's right, all of .... well, since it looks like you denied everyone access to your profile, I really can't tell. However, I can not recall you commenting on any other articles, so I am going to ask you one question and in turn, answer it for you, because I already know what the response will be. JMann, how do you assume to know I have not already written a letter to the journal times (with my real name on it, not that is really matters, since this IS the JT website so I'm sure that little thing called a log in registration gives them access to our names)? The answer is, you don't know. I suggest you take a deep breath and attempt to understand that no one on here knows you, or has your identical point of view. Go to another website if this topic of conversation bothers you, because honestly, your comments are not doing you, the young man who committed suicide, or the family and justice. After all, this blog was created with the intent that civilized adults and even minors (if they can handle it) could discuss their feelings about closing the comments section of the related article.

Posted by: greenWindow on December 8, 2008 4:02AM CST ItalianChick, my2sense, TLK, you three actually write at me as if you have any clue. I don't pull my statements out of my ass like you guys. The only reason I say that Prairie has a high depression rate and that he had immense pressure there cause he was a gifted student, is because, guess what, I know firsthand. I am only a few years removed from being there cum laude. I know the depression rate because I knew basically every single person there and had a lot of conversations with a lot of people about a lot of things. At times Prairie can be almost too intense to handle. Like I have said before it can be like a high school pressure cooker for different people. I really don't want to go back through all your statements that are pulled directly out of your asses because I would continue to come back here for every single witty retort you people come up with. The fact is that my "stupid school of thought" is one that can understand concepts like the human psyche that you all clearly cannot. ItalianChick why don't you get a little more angry when I hit a nerve, eh? my2sense, I know definitely that TLK never had to witness someone commit suicide, or at least never was emotionally involved with one. And I don't even know what to say about you, TLK. You think that this boy was not being treated? What a wrench that would be thrown into the three cogs you have working your thought process if you knew that he had been treated. Do you honestly think that children treated for depression don't commit suicide? Did you know that depression medication can actually increase rates of suicide? Did you know that he had a social medical disorder? Do any of you honestly know anything? No, you merely type on your computer on your local news website. I particularly enjoyed the comments of how TLK doesn't know where I get my information, and I am off-based because I went to a "school of stupidity." How ironic that the school that I previously attended was the school involved in this situation and the one I am currently attending most definitely has better educational standing than Italianchick's.

Posted by: Hard Working Lady on December 8, 2008 8:56AM CST greenwindow if they could understand the human psyche then they would have a professional there talking with the students if their depression rate is so high. What did Horlick, Case, and Park do when the crime got too high in the schools? Well they brought police men in them. What happened when kids from other schools or those that were skipping were getting into the school? Well they locked all except for one set where hall monitors were at to check everybody that came through. And from what I've heard they even locked the one set of doors so those who come in can only stand in the foyer. I would hope if Prarie is having problems with depression at their school that they would do something to help. "you three write at me as if you have any clue." Well you are writing to all of us as if you have a clue about our lifestyles or what we do. How about you practice what you preach.

Posted by: Hard Working Lady on December 8, 2008 8:57AM CST they locked all the doors except for one set*

Posted by: Attached Mommy to 4 Kiddos on December 8, 2008 9:41AM CST Italianchick, Prairie has a school psychologist. He is a CROCK! Prairie would not admit to having problems...they have the ability to dispose of and "throw away" their problems. As someone will point out, that is their right as a private school. If they admitted their problems publicly, they would hurt their enrollment numbers. They deal with their problems internally and quietly...depression, bullying and drugs all are very common problems at Prairie. Prairie is not ALL that...my family knows first hand.

Posted by: Attached Mommy to 4 Kiddos on December 8, 2008 10:04AM CST TLK, I am one of the ones that "ran" to the JT requesting they shut down/pull the comments. I am a mother whose children used to attend Prairie and I have nothing kind to say about that school, but as a mother, I was extremely put off by the direction the comments took. I am generally one that can take the comments being posted and say, "Oh well"...but this one just would not end and it got worse as the day went on. I enjoy the banter and debate of the boards and generally post when I have something informative to add or if it is of a topic which I have an interest. I do not follow all articles and/or comments posted on topics of death, homicide, child mollestation and incarceration, so I may be off-base when I say this, but this seemed much more ugly than my prior experiences on this board. jmho Have a glorious day!

Posted by: Hard Working Lady on December 8, 2008 11:24AM CST Attached Mommy, I understand where you are coming from and I respect you for your comments. However, people commented the things they did because its unfair. Like I said earlier, there was a boy who went to Horlick High that was mistakenly killed in a drive by. There was NEVER an article in the paper about what a nice young boy he was. I can only assume it was because he went to one of Racine's public schools, he was black, and lived in a bad neighborhood. Every kid that dies deserves the same treatment that the JT gave him. The 2 year old boy who was killed by his mother and stepfather; people were saying aweful things about his father and grandmother. And some of us complained to the JT about it, they didnt take those comments off. People keep saying that this kid was bullied or given a hard time at school because of how smart he was. There are too many teachers, principals, and other school authorities who will ignore a bullying complaint. IMO there needs to be stricter consequences for bullies. Look at what happened at Columbine. Those kids were bullied and bullied and bullied until they had enough. Instead of killing themselves they took it out on innocent human beings.

Posted by: Ruth on December 8, 2008 12:18PM CST The Journal Times is not a publicly funded business. If you don't like how they handle news reporting, stop reading the publication. They can run the business however they like, and they don't owe you, the public, anything. I usually ignore TLK, but his attack on the parents upset me. My heart aches for the parents. I'm positive they did the best they could. I would guess some posting here have not had contact with exceptionally gifted individuals. They are rare, so it might behoove you to educate yourself. Leta Hollingworth has done extensive research on highly gifted children and her findings are available by searching google. You may read about William Sidis at Wikipedia. He is an example of how not to raise a highly gifted child, but experts are still not positive what the right way is. Howard Hughes was exceptionally gifted. "Showing great aptitude in engineering at an early age, Hughes erected Houston's first wireless broadcast system when he was eleven years old" "Hughes is also remembered for his eccentric behavior and reclusive lifestyle in later life, evidently caused in part by a worsening case of obsessive-compulsive disorder. " David Wechsler was a leading American psychologist. Wechsler said quite plainly that those with IQs above 150 are different in kind from those below that level. He is saying that they are a different kind of mind, a different kind of human being. "The feeling of estrangement, or at least detachment, from society at large is not merely subjective illusion. Society is not geared to deal effectively with the exceptionally gifted adult because almost nothing objective is known about him." If anyone has an exceptionally gifted child in this area, please consider Walden. Walden teaches the students to respect those that "march to the beat of a different drummer". I'm not saying kids don't tease, but my experience has been that they tease more like siblings where at the end of the day, you are still siblings and will laugh together another day.

Posted by: Attached Mommy to 4 Kiddos on December 8, 2008 1:35PM CST Ruth, thank you for your comments. Perhaps my interest in the original story was the fact that this child attended Prairie and he was, academically, a high achiever. My son is gifted and he attended Prairie. He was asked to leave Prairie because they did not "understand" him. They indicated to us that his failure to meet their exceptional demands were emotionally and behaviorally driven and suggested that we institutionalize him or at least seek out a good program for emotionally disturbed individuals. Many people, educators alike, including Prairie, do not understand gifted kids. They also don't understand that being gifted goes hand in hand with other learning opportunities; social, communication or otherwise. My son also has an asperger's diagnosis; many gifted students have this dual diagnosis. My son is now in a school that "gets" him. He is now succeeding and thriving without any references by the school staff about behavioral problems...My favorite saying...we were told to institutionalize our child; we were thinking Harvard!

Posted by: Stinky on December 8, 2008 2:47PM CST I agree with the decision to pull the comments. Sure the people that wrote the comments had the "right" to post public forum comments. But should human decency and compassion be thrown aside just because someone has the 'right" to express their lack of class. The news article was not the proper forum. Create a seperate blog to discuss your thoughts and feelings regarding suicide or those who commit it. Much like how this blog was created. Although I do not know this young man or his family I send my condolences to them all. Friends, family and classmates. As someone who was profoundly affected by a friends suicide, my prayers are with you.

Posted by: Carol on December 8, 2008 3:57PM CST May this blog, Rest in Peace, just like the young man. Someone has lost a Life, and Family Member. Lets respect this, and leave it alone. As Always, As Carol Let"s just pray for the Family.

Posted by: Leighton on December 8, 2008 4:07PM CST Along with a few others, the last three entries on this blog are like a breath of fresh air. While we can't understand genius, at least to recognize that it exists a all is an accomplishment. And how we flounder in life with out having human decency and compassion... it creates very mean world!

Posted by: Rees Roberts on December 8, 2008 5:17PM CST I will not comment about the comments provided but instead provide some insight into the media itself. It was said by GenaB: "Why do I care so much? If erasing the news can happen once, then it can happen more than once. When power and privilege can dictate what news is accessible to the general public, then the objectivity of a news industry is compromised. It is the obligation of a news source to offer accurate, objective information, untainted by the influences of the more powerful in the community – and regardless of the tension that it may cause." Those are the words that the media lives by in today's world. However, if you look beyond that you may begin to understand the root of many of our problems in our society if you start to understand "the other side". It assumes that these ideals are the only motives which journalists live by. If they lived in fantasyland maybe. But in the real world the motive is self interest. Anything which creates readership, ratings, or viewers, to any media is good according to the media. Cloaking this with the 1st amendment defies good judgment in many cases (this one for sure). People's feelings, the consequences to our sense of right and wrong be damned. What must, at all times, be remembered is ultimately controversy will be a gain toward those readership, ratings or viewers. So it is with this situation. We have seen policy dictated and judgment be damned. This whole story should have been handled with much more care, if at all. That it wasn't is just another example of what we see so often in today's media. That this blog continues just helps the media with their goals. Think about it. To the family whom this is all about my sincere condolences for what happened in addition to the insult beyond injury provided by the local media. Folks please just let this fade away. Let the family begin the hurtful process of grieving. It is hard enough without all this going on in public. To the Journal Times, consider that the institution of the media might need changing. The media can no longer justify it's actions based on the policy of "the readers need to know". It might help to understand the consequences we are already starting to see with the lowering of readership and business viability in newspapers across the country. Sincerely, Rees Roberts

Posted by: greenWindow on December 9, 2008 12:05PM CST Well it looks like this blog has been put to bed and that's swell. Its nice that the editor took the time to address you guys directly.