guns dont kill kids, kids plot to kill kids......

BUNNYMAN · 05-16-2007, 05:57 PM

this story happened less than 5 miles from my damb house......

look what my daughter has too look foward too.......

Pupils to face charges in alleged plot to slash classmate
By Paul Kirby, Freeman staff

SAUGERTIES - Criminal charges are expected to be filed soon against five sixth-graders accused of plotting to cut a classmate's throat on an elementary school playground, Ulster County Attorney Joshua Koplovitz said on Tuesday.

Koplovitz said paperwork will be filed in Ulster County Family Court charging the five Mount Marion Elementary School pupils with conspiracy as juvenile delinquents.

Meanwhile, Saugerties Superintendent of Schools Richard Rhau confirmed on Tuesday that the weapons alleged to have been found in the accused children's book bags were not razor blades, as initially reported, but blades from disassembled pencil sharpeners that were attached to pipe cleaners.

Rhau would not comment further on the would-be weapons but said that, either way, it's a serious matter.

"It is the intent that we are concerned about," Rhau said. "It concerns me."

District residents voiced concerns about the alleged plot during a Board of Education meeting Tuesday evening at Saugerties Junior-Senior High School.

Frank Rea of Saugerties said the incident was telling of the way school life is headed. He said school metal detectors are next.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the threat is here," Rea told the board. "You people better get on the ball. The warning lights are blinking."

Koplovitz said his office has obtained a court order of protection against the five children accused in the plot, requiring that they stay away from Ethan Travis, the 13-year-old sixth-grader who was the alleged target. Koplovitz would not discuss the case in detail but said the charges stemmed from the plot first reported publicly by Ethan and his family.

Cindy Travis, the boy's mother, said she was "relieved" about the order.

"I am happy that this has happened, and I think now my son will be safe," Travis said on Tuesday. "I am hoping that this is going to be a way for my son and the other kids to feel safe in school settings."

Travis, her son and his father, Rankin Travis, had reported that the five youngsters plotted to slit the boy's throat with razor blades on a playground during recess last week. Ethan reported the incident to Mount Marion Elementary School Principal Timothy Farley on May 8.

The family said the suspected plotters were suspended, but they argued that the five - three girls and two boys - should be expelled.

The plot was hatched, the family said, after Ethan asked a girl to go out with him, angering the girl's ex-boyfriend.

Rhau said on Tuesday that it was unfortunate the five youngsters had to become part of the criminal justice system.

"I am very sad that this had to happen to such young children," he said. "Nevertheless, I think all parents and kids have to understand that when (children) plan these egregious acts, there is a penalty to be paid for it."

At the school board meeting, Cindy Travis told trustees she was angered that she did not receive a telephone call or any sort of apology from board members. She implored the board to re-examine its policies and stiffen the penalty for such acts.

She also questioned whether other children would be safe going to school.

Board President Michael Brennan said that while school board members could not comment on the specifics of the case, he was emphatic about the safety issue.

JoAnn Van Buren, whose daughter attends the elementary school, said it didn't matter whether the weapons were razor blades or dangerous implements fashioned from pencil sharpener parts.

"It is the thought of it," Van Buren said.

Dredly · 05-16-2007, 06:02 PM

yeah cause that kid will be plenty safe from now on!

time for him to relocate to a new school!

This kind of thing is just scary... makes home school look better and better every day

Holy Smokes · 05-16-2007, 06:19 PM

Get her a permit ta carry and teach her ta aim and tha vitals. Smokes

BUNNYMAN · 05-16-2007, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Holy Smokes

Get her a permit ta carry and teach her ta aim and tha vitals. Smokes

gotta be 21 smokes......she will be 2 in july.....

kbohunt · 05-16-2007, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BOWMAN

gotta be 21 smokes......she will be 2 in july.....

The bad thing about it bm is the world isnt gonna get any better its only gonna get worse in the next 10 years she will be 12 what will it be like then!
Ive got a grand-child commin & im already worried.

BUNNYMAN · 05-16-2007, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kbohunt

The bad thing about it bm is the world isnt gonna get any better its only gonna get worse in the next 10 years she will be 12 what will it be like then!
Ive got a grand-child commin & im already worried.

dont remind me....if we still live here that will be the grade school she will be going to....

Holy Smokes · 05-16-2007, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BOWMAN

dont remind me....if we still live here that will be the grade school she will be going to....

A gun in tha hand is worth a cop on tha phone!

papito · 05-16-2007, 09:28 PM

I read about this today in the paper. Five of the kids in his class were planning this, three girls and two boys, they were going to cut his throat with a blade that was taken from a pencil sharpener. Hearing about this makes me sick, and these kids arent even 12-13 years old. All of this started because of a girl the boy liked.

Wheely · 05-16-2007, 09:46 PM

wow, I don't even know what to say. All we can do is teach our kids to be attentive of their surroundings. this scares the crud outta me.

STRO · 05-16-2007, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Holy Smokes

A gun in tha hand is worth a cop on tha phone!

I need to argue that point. I feel a gun in tha hand is worth more then a cop on the phone. If someone has a gun pointed at you, you have two options: you can defend yourself with your gun or you can call the cops so they can bring a body bag to put you in. I like option 1

Holy Smokes · 05-16-2007, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clover & Oats

I need to argue that point. I feel a gun in tha hand is worth more then a cop on the phone. If someone has a gun pointed at you, you have two options: you can defend yourself with your gun or you can call the cops so they can bring a body bag to put you in. I like option 1

I see that you have gotten tha point as I exactly intended.

Sammy PSU · 05-16-2007, 11:01 PM

Not to start some epic debate, but the bottom line it's the breakdown of the family that is causing this. Failure of parents to teach them simple moral values. With that being said, I believe at some point parents are going to have to be held accountable or this kind of stuff is going to spiral out of control.

clemenlp · 05-17-2007, 10:51 AM

No, it doesn't take a community to raise a child. It takes parent(s) willing to teach a child the right thing, even when it's harder for the parent than the child. Don't know how many time the punishment that was warranted was harder on myself than them, but still had to be done so that a lesson was learned.

Had a similar problem up here last year. Some type of turf war between community kids and military children (live near Fort Drum). Someone posted on "myspace" than a group was bringing guns to school to settle a score. 175 kids absent that day, which is a lot for our SMALL community.

Like the superintendant said, the warning lights are blinking and it's time for something to be done about it.

brokenarrow · 05-17-2007, 06:32 PM

WOW!!!???!!!

I missed this one in the paper...

Our society only getting worse...I was raised to say yes sir and no maam, Please and thank you...to every one not just my folks...These kids today can't even keep a civil tongue when they talk to their parents...

But I guess it's always been this way...all the way back to Cane and Able...There's just more of us and news travels faster....

BUNNYMAN · 05-17-2007, 07:39 PM

metal detectors at every entrance.....

papito · 05-17-2007, 10:10 PM

its like that in the city now!!!

MO.HICK · 05-18-2007, 05:22 AM

The parents need to teach their kids good from bad. I was very strict with my kids as they grew up. I believe that they turned out pretty good. I also agree that the parents should be held accountable. I have grandkids and it scares the heck out of me thinking of what it will be like as they grow up. Parents need to start to disaplin their kids more today instead of letting them do what they want. When I was growing up when my parents said to do something I did it or pay the price for not doing what I was told.

Mo.Hick

BowhuntnHoosier · 05-18-2007, 10:15 AM

This is some very scarry stuff. My kids have been homeschooled or in christian schools now for 8 years. I seen on CNN the other day a father applied for a handgun permit for his 11 month old son and he recieved it, not sure what state. Somebody was very mixed up. I pray we can get control of our public schools very soon.