...and infuriated. Maybe it's the geographic proximity, or the similarity in age and name, or because I've seen my daughter hurt. I don't know. All I do know is that I feel for this family. Sympathy has an odd way of sneaking up on you, especially for someone like me, who tends to maintain emotional detachment from all but my family and friends. But then, so does anger.
There are two sides to every story, and in some sense, I could make an argument for either side. That's the danger of becoming a lawyer. You find yourself willing to consider positions you find repugnant simply for the sake of argument. There are limits, though, and this is one of them. "But when adults are involved and continue to screw with a 13-year- old, with or without mental problems, it is absolutely vile." I can't argue with that.
Mom: MySpace Hoax Led to Daughter's Suicide
[Edit]
I agree with Professor Turley, although in some way it was better not knowing. Now that the real identity of "Josh Evans" is known, the net is lashing out with its own brand of frontier justice. I admit that some part of me thinks "well, it sucks to be them," and that they deserve whatever grief they've brought upon themselves. But another part of me recognizes that there's another 14 year-old girl who is hating life now because of what her mom did. Maybe Lori Drew's daughter was complicit in the scheme, but lashing out at her strikes me as another line crossed.
The problem with frontier justice, in whatever form, is that it lacks the objectivity and dispassion, which are key ingredients to American jurisprudence. Of course subjectivity plays a part in deliberation and jurors and jurists may be outraged by the crimes of the accused, but the legal system works because of its rules that are carefully designed to obtain a fair outcome. There are no such rules to regulate mob mentality; consequently, the result is vengeance, not justice.
There are no criminal penalties for what Lori Drew did, and I can't even envision how a workable criminal statute could be drafted to address something like this. You can't outlaw meanness or mean words. But, I hope the Meiers file a civil action. It obviously won't bring their daughter back, but if successful, it would set a legal precedent that establishes a much-needed line that shouldn't be crossed.
Friday, November 16, 2007
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4 comments:
You are correct. It's repugnant. And really, if your 13yo is being treated medically for mental problems, would you be so willing for her to strike up relationships online? It slants that she could have been pushed over the edge quite easily. Or what if he turned out to be a child predator? I hope they had no other kids.
They apparently have another daughter. I bet that how this was handled in the family probably had something to do with the divorce. Not hard to imagine the finger-pointing that went on in the days that followed. Still, I reserve my anger for the perpetrators the hoax.
I heard about this on the news the other day, and it made me instantly nauseous. Please, please, please, someone slap me upside the head if I ever behave like this. Ugh.
Behave like what?
I only caught an initial glimpse of the interview with the girl's mom. It sounded like she tried to do the right thing. In hindsight it was a bad idea to allow her to strike up a relationship with the "boy," but given that mom was monitoring it and it was having a positive effect on the girl's depression, I really can't blame mom.
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