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  LiveWire / Teen Forums / World News & Current Events / Viewing Topic

Cover: Young, Gay and Murdered in Junior High
MSNBC Newsweek Jul 20 2008 3:58PM GMT
Replies: 21Last Post July 26, 2008 10:11am by JeanClaude
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exceedinglyrare


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Quote: from xlovexmex at 3:09 am on July 21, 2008

by the way he was killed like 5 months ago. and the media refused to do press coverage.

What media are you talking about? I'd read about this story back when it first happened, on several different sites and through several different periodicals.

Anyway. My feelings on this issue are mixed. It's horrible that this kid was shot, but when you read about the stuff he was doing to other blokes in that school, particularly the one who shot him, I can't help but wonder...if he'd been told to stop harrassing them, would things have ended differently?

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4:52 am on July 21, 2008 | Joined Oct. 2005 | 918 Days Active
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allsmiles


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51 years to life, at 14... christ, that's barbaric. The kid will be a totally different person in 4 years. Yes, what he did was wrong, but 51 fucking years is ridiculous.

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10:44 am on July 21, 2008 | Joined Aug. 2007 | 390 Days Active
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HarrySunderland


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Quote: from allsmiles at 1:44 pm on July 21, 2008

51 years to life, at 14... christ, that's barbaric. The kid will be a totally different person in 4 years. Yes, what he did was wrong, but 51 fucking years is ridiculous.

He's lucky they didn't execute him.

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11:15 am on July 21, 2008 | Joined Mar. 2008 | 234 Days Active
Join to learn more about HarrySunderland Pennsylvania, United States | GLBT Ally Male | 2108 Posts | 4861 Points
Sudo XE


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This is a tragedy. Both kids were let down by society. Brandon witnessed his dad shooting at his mom when he was angry, and didn't have any good examples of how to deal with the anger and fear he was feeling. Larry was searching his boundaries and doing what he felt in his heart, but did not have any real examples of relationships or friendships to base those on, so pushed them as far as the rules would allow.

The teacher is not at fault. As any good mentor would, she encouraged him to be himself, but within the confines of the school rules. Larry had a right to dress and act as he pleased as long as it was within the rules of the school and the law. She did not encourage him to flirt with straight people and taunt them. She encouraged him to act himself, and as any other normal person would, when they are interested in someone romantically Larry talked about it.

The tragedy is that they did not know how to cope with their feelings. What we need is a movement to start from this. Children at this age are experiencing emotions, and hormones, and feelings they've never felt before. They are also starting to develop their own sense of morals, and rules, and behaviours aside from those of their parents or peers. Most parents don't have the time, don't know how, or just don't talk to their kids about this. What we need is community involvement. People of all backgrounds should come into schools and discuss their views on life so the kids can start to develop and understand their own feelings and beliefs. Parents should be key in this process helping their kids understand what they believe, but also allowing the kids to hear other points of view and develop their own feelings so they don't feel so allienated all the time. Whatever you think you are not always right, I am not always right, but what is right is probably somewhere in between everyone, so we should all have the opportunity to hear from everyone and maybe we won't be so scared of everyone other then ourselves.


^ this was pretty smart

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4:26 pm on July 21, 2008 | Joined Feb. 2007 | 571 Days Active
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Bacon


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Quote: from HarrySunderland at 4:15 am on July 22, 2008

Quote: from allsmiles at 1:44 pm on July 21, 2008

51 years to life, at 14... christ, that's barbaric. The kid will be a totally different person in 4 years. Yes, what he did was wrong, but 51 fucking years is ridiculous.

He's lucky they didn't execute him.


They still do executions?

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5:06 am on July 26, 2008 | Joined Sep. 2004 | 492 Days Active
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Wakeupcall


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Quote: from JeanClaude at 7:47 pm on July 20, 2008

As bad as I feel about it you have to keep in mind how he was mercilessly taunting the wrong people and he knew this was going to happen to him someday because of it.

That's an awful thing to say.
There is NO reason to murder anybody. Ever.

You're actually defending Brandon?

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7:49 am on July 26, 2008 | Joined May 2008 | 109 Days Active
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JeanClaude


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Quote: from Wakeupcall at 10:49 am on July 26, 2008

Quote: from JeanClaude at 7:47 pm on July 20, 2008

As bad as I feel about it you have to keep in mind how he was mercilessly taunting the wrong people and he knew this was going to happen to him someday because of it.

That's an awful thing to say.
There is NO reason to murder anybody. Ever.

You're actually defending Brandon?


I'm not saying I excuse it, I'm just saying he was a troubled kid who knew something like this would happen if he sexually harassed the wrong people. As much as my heart goes out to him and his family it should not be read as a random act of violence against someone just for being different, which many into this article.

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10:11 am on July 26, 2008 | Joined June 2007 | 159 Days Active
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