Witch hunt at my kids school

[cphilip]

Seems last November one of the kids wrote a poem when he was mad at the ROTC instructor. It wasnt so bad but it did end with the sentance "I wish he would die". That probably is uncalled for but I am certain it was just written when he was mad... I read it today as it was called to my attention because my kid was called in because he commented on the Poetry site that he liked the poem. Several other kids also did. Now they all got pulled out of class and not only was this poem cited but all of Calebs poetry was also printed out and every single time he had commented on anyone elses poetry was also printed out. All of the kids had similar print outs where they had hunted down all of what they wrote and commented on. Calebs is not that bad. Well as a matter of fact there is nothing bad! I have read it before. Some of its dark and gloomy about his mothers suicide and such as that. And feeling alone. Things like that. Nothing bad. All emotion release kind of stuff. So was this Poem by this other kid. Seem now there is a Poetry witch hunt and about five of them are tagged and thier creative writing is being looked at as if its something sinister. Now I realize that Administrators are sensitive these days with Columbine and all thats sort of thing. But I just dont see anything like threats or anything in any of this Poetry. Its a site where each Poet writes and recieves feed back and such. I been all over it and have read most of my kids stuff before. Went back today and looked again. Nothing that should involve me having to go in and talk to the Vice Principal about. In fact I am glad he writes and has a release for things like that! I know this other kid and he is a great kid and never really any trouble. Always very involved in ROTC and a top notch student. All of these kids I am hearing of are. Its not the dark broody trouble making kids at all. Now one thing that interests me is why would someone point this old poem out to the ROTC Director now? And why would the Administration pull these kids out of classes with what was obviously a very prepared set of print outs like someone spent many an hour looking for something sinister and yet thats all they found? And yet they reacted this way by interupting their classes? I wish I could see what it is they were thinking here. And of course they are about to get some real tough questions from me about this. I am a bit concerned that they are FAR overreacting with little to work with. But we shall see. I have everything they have now. And as much as I generaly like to take authorities side I am very disapointed in them on this one. I mean its poetry for heavens sake! Its a way of releasing your emotions. Thier English teacher is a member of this site! She encourages them to use this method of expressing emotions and releasing them. And it was five months ago and all the other kids did was comment of the quality of the poem! And yet thier stuff is under a microscope too! I have to think someone in the school (another student) presented this to them in a different light in order to cause them trouble.


Ah well... I shall get to the bottom of it. But if we have no meeting of the mind I will pull my kid out of there or something. I am not going to stiffle his creativity nor allow them too. He needs it. He deserves to be able to write poetry if he wants to and no one take it seriously. It's his emotions and feelings and he has a right to them. Within reason. And so far I see absolutely nothing wrong with any of it.

the site is allpoetry.com and Calebs name there is Demosthenes. Search under the 18 and under or SC poets. Go read his stuff and see what you think...

Am I that out of line here guys and gals?

[Python14]

His stuff is good. Nothing I would worry about.

A few years back, I wrote a short story that to say the least was very dark. To me and my friends, it was tongue-in-cheek and most people who read it understood where I got the idea from(if anyone wants to know, it was a story based losely on Half-life and Quake). Regardless, when I turned it in, not much happened. However about a week later my teacher calls me to her office and asks me about it. I explain it and not much else happens. Then about 2 weeks after that, I get called to the guidence counselors office. Apparently the entire faculty was given a copy of the story and asked to "assess" it. None of them understood the background of the story or anything, so to them ofcourse it was wierd for them. Well, it took me most of my sophomore year to get things squared away with the guidance folks and to convince them I was infact NOT going to kill myself.

Moral of the story: It happens. But don't just sit down and let it happen. Give em hell phil!

[cphilip]

Well as for this other kids post I can maybe see a little bit of where they might have been coming from. But hardly can. But then all the other kids being pulled into the mess (my kid included) then all the hunting down everything they wrote and THEN calling them out of class and all... Seems from what they found its all a bit over dramatic to me. I seen all of it. There is nothing there! It should have ended with the one kid being talked to quitely by guidance first to see if there was any more too it.... then maybe I could see it. But they launched a whole mess over so little... and at no point tried to asess the situation up front until they did. And I suspect they have yet to go back and question the motives of the source... that might be very interesting. I suspect it would be. There is no reason to go overboard before you got all your facts is all I am saying.

[tony3]

A similar thing happened to me, I had a reference to suicide in a story I had to do for English class and I had to go to the couselor and a note was sent home to my parents about it....The counselor was convinced I was going to comit suicide, maybe I should watch how I use that next time, suicide is a very powerful word.

[RoadDawg]

So far I haven't seen anything terrible or anything that should be even looked deeply into. Writing is a good way to express. Hell it helped me get through High School and MY great depression of 2k1. If Caleb see's this he does a good job. I'm sure it's even better when read by the writer as they truely show the reading with their emotions.

EDIT: I will never forget how my then g/f felt/looked when I read my rather dark short story about being buried alive. Maybe that's why she left me.

[painTech]

im a poet, in creative writing class. its more of a, we supply you with paper pen and a rhyming dictionary now work fool, enviroment. i was hoping it would be i go write some poetry and work on it, but no, its a fast paced ride to nowhere. I got into it on my poety skills and we have done 1 poem. just 1. Thats the WHOLE reason im in there is because my poetry is awesome. I really don't think the school has anyright to persecute a kid for having "nice" thoughts. When I say nice i meanthings you want to read about, sing about, and vaguely breath about. not "I like chocolate couse its soft and fuzzy" Thats what they want form a kid. and it freaks em out when the sayotherwise. Whenever ifreewrite i write as morbid and dreaery as a I feel. It's just sick to see them confining ones creativity to just a small opening of crappy goodness that can't possibly be true writing.

[CodeMA]

well, speaking from the POV of Caleb there...

I have a lot of friends that write dark poetry...last year there were some issues... namely with our Wiccan/Neo Pagan guys/girls...most of which were my friends, ultimatly it reflected on me, and I wasnt accepted into the NHS here... though I had the service/grades etc...

in the end one girl got kicked out, two more sent to AEP... wasnt cool at all...

there was no reason too really in the end, they just dont like anyone diffrent, the schools very redneckish...if you will...

but ya, deffently stand tall, back your boy and his friends and go from there

[cphilip]

Well his stuff is certainly not Wiccan or anything. In fact some of it (lately more so than not) is Christian and his new experiences in that area. And some of its love and some of it deals with his mothers suicide and that loss (only one). You need to read it to get an idea of what I am saying.

[MayAMonkeyBeYourPinata]

It was a situation, that the school handled horribly.

They should have just talked to that one kid, just to assess, his well being. And left everyone else out of it, unless of course he had expressed some signs of depression.

But really, if they looked at the nature of most poetry, escpecially in teenagers.

They are just venting, and most of the feeling they express are not the ones they are feeling in every second of every day.

[Morally0Confused]

I wonder what would happen to the dark authors of today if they had to go through this in school. It seams to me they are telling the kids that this is wrong and very bad to write about. But at the same time i bet they read Edgar Allen Poe in english class gotta love school systems

[cphilip]

OK.... I going to put up some copy and paste stuff so you can decide and it will be easier.

Here is the Poem the other kid wrote that started it all. this is not my kids poem its the one that started the investigation. Another of his ROTC buddies wrote this one.

I have so much anger inside
built up by a twisted old man
who nets a twisted web of lies
He's put me against my friends
one to many times
and now,
I hate this Full Bird
who once knew how to fly
because all his false words
which he gives me eye to eye
he wears his long sleeves
nonmilitary shoes and tie
if he could only encourage me
but,
the Full Bird's heart is dry
and now,
I'm just as cold as the Full Bird
wishing that he would die

[cphilip]

Now here is my kids comment on that poem. (there are other kids too that commented that got called in)

Hell yeah! I know what you mean, brother, I know what you mean. "Where's my powerpoints!?" Hehe... I stand beside you brother, we'll get through this year. For the empire!!! AWESOME write, bro, AWESOME write.

-Demosthenes

FYI: power points are something the ROTC instructor coined a phrase of dealing with instruction in ROTC. All these kids are Senior officer Cadets. Its an inside joke not a threat or anything.

[MayAMonkeyBeYourPinata]

That poem to me, has nothing at all to do with suicide.

He is just expressing how he is angry at being forced to conform, and that he has lost some of his self-identity, and independence.

[cphilip]

Here is a link to my kids poetry that also under "investigation". As well as any others that commented.

http://allpoetry.com/poets/Demosthenes

[cphilip]

Originally posted by MayAMonkeyBeYourPinata
That poem to me, has nothing at all to do with suicide.

He is just expressing how he is angry at being forced to conform, and that he has lost some of his self-identity, and independence.

You didnt follow the situation explanation well... reread and it will become clearer. I know I was kind of long winded and need some puntuations but its all there... your not following the entire situation correctly.