Interviewer -- "yes, can you tell us a little about your job experience?"

Interviewee -- "ummm, yessir. Well, my last job involved strapping men's genitalia to sophisticated electronic devices and....."

Interviewer -- "Excuse me, we are not allowed to enquire about your hobbies, only your work...."

Interviewee -- "But I was Paid!!"

Interviewer -- "Paid? How Much?!!"

Interviewee -- "eight dollars an hour, sir."

Interviewer (muttering under his breath) eight bucks? I usually have to pay three hundred......

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I've had a perfectly wonderful evening......... but this wasn't it. -- Marx

Incidentally,

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"Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain"- Iowa state motto
-Proof-hunter

Ventura/ Paul '12

Wow. Seems like I read a completely different article. I blame the school after reading the article though neither of the boys had one decent parent between them. I got the impression that Brandon was stalked and harassed by Larry and the vice-principal encouraged Larry's behavior. The entire school was being disrupted and the staff was too worried about being PC to do anything about it. They are supposed to be the grownups. Y'all act like a 14 year old should be adult about this kind of thing. Some 14 year olds could be grown-up in this kind of situation, but I doubt that most could. If Brandon was 16-17, I'd say execute him. But 14? Come on.

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"Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves." ~Ronald Reagan

Thats truly a really sad story.

I definitely felt the article slanted a bit towards blaming the victim. I also think the teachers and the victims parents who want to blame the gay vice pricipal is really outrageous.

It almost felt like they were siding with the idea the kid and others like him should go back into the closet instead of teaching the rest to learn to accept people as they are and even enjoy everyones differences. The message that the REAL problem was kids being more comfortable to come out was quite evident.

What was nice is that it seemed there were a few teachers who really did accept Larry and I cant see why encouragement would be BAD. Sure you want to help a child learn not to cross lines and help them understand what sexual harrassment is and that its not a "gay issue", just a boundries issue. He just needed some more help and guidance on how to express himself and how to better cope with the way many people respond to him and the fact that he was so different.

It sounds like something really bad happened right before he was killed and he knew he was in real danger. Its even possible that he and the kid DID date secretly and the kid was scard Larry would tell and maybe doing that valentine thing in front of people hit close because it is what was actually occurring.....he may have met with the guy and was violated, beaten or threatened...or all of the above. Brandon did grow up in a home with an abusive relationship and his dad almost killed the mother a few times...not that strange for boys that grow up in such circumstances to also act out in the same way in their own relationships.

Larry sounds like a handful, but he also sounds like a very colorful character and we need more of those, not less.

He brought a sidearm to school and blew the kid's head off. At least in my state, the only justification for deadly force is in response to deadly force.

Surely 14 is old enough to know not to
?

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"Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain"- Iowa state motto
-Proof-hunter

Ventura/ Paul '12

I am deeply saddened by this story. It's interesting that someone could read this story and think the staff couldn't have prevented this murder by being 'less PC'.

The only way to have prevented this murder would have been to make sure that children aren't carrying weapons in school.

Brandon was a troubled young man, with few resouces in his environment that would have helped him work through his inner conflicts.

I am so sorry this happened. I pray that Brandon is not tried as an adult, and that he gets the mental health services he desperately needs.

My heart aches for the loss of two young men, the trauma for the parents and families, school staff and students.

It's interesting how a tragedy like this serves to illuminate our biases and politics.

Brandon acted inappropriately and should be punished, as a minor.

Larry also acted inappropriately, and should have been reprimanded by school officials for wearing distractive clothing and harassing students, all of which is forbidden in most, if not all, school districts, in part for this very reason.

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WARNING: In the unlikely event of an accidental agreement with any or all points made in the above post, contact a clinical psychologist immediately.

The views expressed in the above post are not necessarily those of Joker and/or any of his affiliates.

. "You have found the secret message. Do you have too much time on your hands? ...Let it go."

the poor boy who was shot was also troubled and was acting inappropriate in school , I do say it did not mean his death should of occurred . There is much blame to go around , none of which will bring the kid back, may he rest in peace

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Aint but three things in this world thats worth a solitary dime,
But old dogs and children and watermelon wine.
Tom T. Hall
http://www.politicalforum.com/group.php?groupid=43

No age is old enough to know not to shoot someone in the face when you have a father who resolves conflicts with his wife by shooting her in the arm.

__________________
WARNING: In the unlikely event of an accidental agreement with any or all points made in the above post, contact a clinical psychologist immediately.

The views expressed in the above post are not necessarily those of Joker and/or any of his affiliates.

. "You have found the secret message. Do you have too much time on your hands? ...Let it go."

A horrible story. And thanks to everyone for not making it partisan. Sexuality is not partisan. Gay is not just left and straight is not just right

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Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have ... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases.
-Thomas Jefferson