http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0404/142544.html [A] pencil-and-ink drawing portrayed Bush as a devil launching a missile, with a caption reading "End the war - on terrorism." The 15-year-old boy's art teacher at Prosser High School turned the drawings over to school administrators, who notified police, who called the Secret Service. "We involve the police anytime we have a concern," Prosser Superintendent Ray Tolcacher told the Tri-City Herald newspaper. Secret Service agents interviewed the boy last Friday. The student, who was not arrested, has not been identified. Absolutely rediculous, IMO. What threat does a 15-year-old in Washington pose to the President of the United States? Honestly? What's he going to do, shoot spit-wads at the sky hoping to hit Air Force One? BTW, in case you feel like shooting some e-mails (no pun intended)... Prosser Police Department Prosser H.S. Principal And I'm working on resolving the email address of the art instructor... They removed it from the website, but I think I figured it out, just have to wait for the error email...
And yet the drawings my son does of Mech's crushing people are "Artistic" (according to his teacher), not warped at all..... Although he probably got that from me.
This is truly ridiculous. I can't even express in words how ridiculous these people are. I'll bet that drawing was a real piece of art tbh.
Hmm...made me think of my mate, who at 15 drew a picture of saddam holding a sign, and a peace symbol on his t-shirt! It was top stuff as well, i even took it home and drew it into a flash cartoon! I just have to find it now... Ps. please dont tell anyone in authority.
Homework assignment for the school principal and art teacher: write an essay on the following topics: "Why is freedom of expression important in a democracy"? "When Good battles Evil, can it resort to the same means?"
I have to take the other side in this. A 15 year old may or may not have developed those ideas about Bush on his own- but in all likelyhood - they are from his parents. If a child draws a picture asking people to kill the 'terrorist devil G.Bush' then there is a chance he got that idea from his parents. Everyone involved did their job and i am glad of it. Funny people use violent drawings to try and dissuade people from committing violent acts. Or draw a picture of the President's head on a stick held by an arab-looking man holding a rifle to show dissatisfaction with the war.
But at that the Secret Service is STILL not the proper "they" to contact! The FBI would be more appropriate. Flags could be checked or raised then...
President+Select other few = Secret Service Rest of Population= FBI I think the Secret Service were exactly the right organization to call. There is no way to know other than an investigation, if that childs parents were plotting an assasination on Bush. I agree the odds of it are super-slim, but glad to see they are taking no chances. Regardless of WHO is president, they need to be protected and incidents like this tell me that at least this time, precaution was taken. EDIT: added bold emphasis
That's where this REALLY falls. It's not under a serious threat to the President, it's under could-be fanatics. If it was PROVEN that they WERE fanatics, THEN the Secret Service should be involved. If the family ALREADY had flags in the FBIs system, THEN the Secret Service should be involved. But if this is just the case of a 15-year-old doodling in his art notebook, the Secret Service SHOULD NOT be involved. I would be surprised if less than 50% of the members here DIDN'T do something like this kid did when they were young. I know I did! (though my art probably wasn't as good, and I didn't turn it in, I just showed it to my friends) There are varrying levels. I feel that this went too far up the ladder too fast.
I see, then I misunderstood you the first time - apologies. However, without seeing the photo myself, I have to give the benefit of the doubt to the police in their decision to call the SS.
The only people, if any, which should have been contacted, are the child's parents. Everyone involved overreacted. I could even understand taking it to the School Administrator, if the kid had a history of violent behavior, but the description of the drawing makes it seem pacifistic. To me it's just a drawing by a 15 year old that stands a chance in hell of getting close enough to Bush to do any harm.
this makes me laugh. overreaction seems to be the norm these days. people have become so thin-skinned and paranoid....
...and I have to take the other (you know I would...). 15-year olds frequently have a habit of taking points of view diametrically opposed to their parents'. His could be staunch Republicans for all we know (or were... ). Teenagers also have a way of being rather black-and-white, radical and unsophisticated in their views, and to express these in radical and unsophisticated ways. I think the whole thing was blown out of proportion. If anything, his beliefs have now been reinforced, not mollified. But this seems to be the government tactic these days: working towards a tragic outcome. As has been said: The best recruiting Sargeant for Al-Quaida is George W. Bush.
