MySpace Suicide: No Justice For Megan

At a news conference today St. Charles County Prosecutor Jack Banas said there will be no charges filed against those involved in the Megan Meier Myspace Hoax case. Bana said there were no applicable statutes to file charges against Lori Drew and her 18-year-old employee who has been hospitalized for psychiatric treatment.

Banas said he looked at laws related to stalking, harassment and child endangerment, but found no repeated incidents of threats to someone's life or health, and no organized conspiracy. [1]

There seems to be a discrepancy between the police report and what Bana proffers as evidence.

A police report said that a mother from the neighborhood and her 18-year-old employee fabricated a profile for a teenage boy online who pretended to be interested in Megan before he began bullying her.[1]

In today's news conference, Bana stated that it was the 18-year-old employee who was "responsible" for creating the MySpace profile. That the employee was now hospitalized in a psych ward.

Outrage from Missourians over what happened to Megan and Megan's family prompted the Governor to speak with lawmakers as to whether there were any laws on the books that might be applicable to this case.

The city where Megan lived passed its own ordinance against cyber-harassment.

DARDENNE PRAIRIE • City officials declared online harassment a crime Wednesday, fewer than two weeks after they learned of a 13-year-old girl who killed herself after receiving hurtful messages on a popular social networking website.

The Board of Aldermen unanimously passed an ordinance making online harassment a misdemeanor in this city of about 5,500.

"It is our hope that by supporting one of our own in Dardenne Prairie, we can do our part to ensure this type of harassing behavior never happens again, anywhere," said Mayor Pam Fogarty. "After all, harassment is harassment regardless of the mechanism or tool." [2]

Some have argued that what Lori Drew and her cohorts did to Megan was a criminal offense. Others maintain that what they did was immoral but not illegal. The discrepancy between the police report and the prosecutor's statement is interesting. Investigations are tools used by authorities in order to make the decision whether or not to file charges and what class of criminal charges would be applicable to the case.

The prosecutor relayed two separate pieces of information. One, that the county has no laws that they could use in this case. Does this mean if it had the right sort of laws on the books that they could move to prosecute?

Bana said that it was 18-year-old employee who set up the MySpace profile and he seemed to infer that the mother was somehow less involved.

Why would an 18-year-old employee of Lori Drew want to set up a profile of a fake boy in order to taunt and harass a 13-year-old ex-friend of Lori Drew's daughter? We find it quite strange that an employee of Lori Drew, someone who was peripheral to Megan at best, would be the instigator in the hoax.

The recourse left to Megan's parents, at least in the courts, is a civil suit. Lori Drew would have to sit down and answer questions in a deposition. Under oath. Perhaps the "truth" about who was behind the instigation of the fake MySpace profile might be revealed.

No criminal or civil suit will bring back Megan but they could be used to get at the truth. To shed light on what Lori Drew hoped to achieve, what her intent was, the actual plot revealed.

The story of what happened to Megan festered behind closed doors for over a year. Not until the whole truth has been revealed can Megan's family and community begin to heal.

By LBG
Source - [1] - Associated Press - No Charges Filed in MySpace Suicide Case
Source - [2] - Megan Meier Myspace Suicide: Town Cracks Down On Cyber-Bullies
Image [AP Photo]



Back to Front Page.

Teacher Pardoned; Unbearable Punishment Averted

Another group joins Sudan protests
The 'teddy bear named Muhammad' story gets more unbearable by the day.

Thankfully, the stand-off in Sudan--on whether it's proper to lash a school teacher 40 times or imprison her or both--is over. Kevin Sullivan, in the Washington Post, relays this uplifting news from a place that could use all the uplifting news it can get.

Gillian Gibbons was pardoned by the Sudanese President, Omar al-Bashir, who shortened her sentence from 15 days to two weeks and there will be no lashes. Her crime: allowing a toy bear in her classroom to be given the name Muhammad.

The entire episode sparked conversations and comments worldwide. Among the comments were the following.

"This case has done quite a bit of damage to how the Sudanese government will be perceived; they have done their country no favors." --Inayat Bunglawala, spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, the county's largest Muslim organization. He called Gibbon's release "wonderful news." Gibbons was part of a western plot against Islam. --A leading group of Muslim clerics in Sudan "...delighted and relieved" --U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown "This is a case which is unfortunate, unintentional, innocent misunderstanding," --Nazir Ahmed, Muslim member of Britain's House of Lords "I have been in Sudan for only four months, but I have enjoyed myself immensely." --Gillian Gibbons, British schoolteacher "There's no pic-a-nic baskets in Sudan, Boo Boo." --Yogi Bear (through a spokesman)

Okay, the last one hasn't yet been verified.

Any hopeful comments from victims in the Darfur region of the country went unrecorded; but then, it's hard to organize one's thoughts while being gang-raped.

As Sullivan points out:

Western governments accuse Khartoum of backing violent militia groups that have killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced more than 2 million from their homes in one of the worst humanitarian crises in African history.

Britain wasn't the only source of outrage over the affair.

Members of B.A.I.R. (Bruins Against Islamist References) protested Gibbons' light sentence.

“This is an insult to ALL bears everywhere” said T.D. Bear, spokesbruin for the group, adding, “We’re a species of peace and to associate us with this nonsense is very offensive."

"Bad enough that we're given human names, but this is an OUTRAGE and we demand satisfaction! Those guys just want to beat her to pieces; we feel she should be eaten."

"And, we'll clean up the mess".

Yogi Bear stated "It could be a regular pic-a nic, eh, Boo Boo?"

This last statement, once again, has not been verified.

President Omar was most likely relieved to be done with the mess; after killing and maiming for years in a Mainstream Media vacuum, all of this unwanted attention over a school teacher had to have caught him by surprise.

BAIR's members may want to check out Darfur: they might find the militia thugs, who've preyed largely on unarmed civilians, to be good eating.

A group member, only identified as Pooh, growled approvingly.

"I hear they taste like chicken".

by Mondoreb
[image:RideAPaleHorse; preventgenocide]
notes: RAPH

Sources:

Washington Post - "Sudan's President Pardons British Teacher"
B.A.I.R. - Press release & interview



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Past Media Darlings McCain, Dean Might Warn Huckabee: The Press Is A Fickle Lover

Any candidate that is the media's darling ought to start looking over his shoulder.

Mike Huckabee has joined the ranks of such early campaign 'Media Next Big Things' as John Dean and John McCain. Both fascinated the media in early campaigning.

They fascinated the voters to a lesser extent.

Candidates should beware when journalists trot out that Pre-Primary Label of Doom--"groundswell". As in what reporters think they'd hear, if they had put their ears to the grounds anywhere other than the in press tent.

Also, unlike Iraqi War strategy, this is one "surge" they can get behind.

Huckabee is the latest groundsweller. The word usually signifies the support a candidate suddenly receives from press regulars tired of writing about nothing.

At least the NY Times' ADAM NAGOURNEY had the good sense to dampen some of the recent enthusiasm showered on the former Arkansas governor in the press.

Nagourney started out upbeat.

“We’ve been waiting a long time for this to happen,” Mr. Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas, said by telephone Sunday as he prepared to board an airplane here. “It’s everything we’ve been working for.”

The article showcases some concerns of the Huckabee campaign.

The biggest concern should be the one that journalists point to while touting Huck as the Next Big Thing.

The Des Moines Register’s poll found that support for Mr. Huckabee had gone from 12 percent in October to 29 percent now. That and other recent polls suggest that Mr. Huckabee and Mr. Romney are in an extremely tight contest. That showing came despite the fact that Mr. Huckabee has been hugely outspent by Mr. Romney on television and has not campaigned in Iowa since Nov. 8.

All the breathless reporting of Huckabee centers around the fact that his poll numbers are up to--29%?

In Iowa.

In December.

This Huckabee press spin is nice; be reminded though, the attention showered today can quickly disappear when another candidate starts looking "sexier".

Still, one can't begrudge the attention Mike Huckabee's been getting lately: he's a likable fellow and the news people do need something to write about. It's really harmless fun when you think about it. Still, Mike Huckabee might want to cast a backwards glance over his shoulder.

Just to see if anybody other than the press is back there.

Source:

New York Times - Mike Huckabee, Lonely No More

by Mondoreb
[image: New York Times]



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Guns: An Individual Right Given by the Founding Fathers

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

--2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Such importance was placed on the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, that the Founding Fathers placed it second, only behind freedom of speech, assembly and the press.

The U.S. Supreme Court is going to hear a case that will decide if that right, given to every free citizen of the United States, set forth in the Bill of Rights and reaffirmed throughout American history, can be taken away.

For more, Red Planet Cartoons has some background and information to get a discussion going - "An Individual Right"

If the Founders were alive today, there's little doubt they'd be troubled by the infringements on basic individual rights and the erosion of the freedoms they left us.

About one thing, they would breathe a sigh of relief: citizens still have the right to bear arms. That right is a last guard against tyranny which many countries lack.

No matter what anyone tells you: a Republic never outgrows the need for its armed citizenry.

by Mondoreb
[image:redplanetcartoons]



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Baby Grace, Riley Sawyers: Memorial Service in Ohio, But Riley Was Known Worldwide

Mourners left wooden crosses, angels and other reminders of a 2-year-old girl that made headlines worldwide as "Baby Grace".

The memorial service, held in Mentor, OH, previously the home of Riley Sawyers and her family, before she and her mother moved to Texas.

Riley, whose body was identified as that of Baby Grace, was beaten and tortured by her mother, Kimberly Trenor, and her husband/companion, Clyde Zeigler II.

"Hundreds came Sunday to the Brunner Funeral Home to remember Riley Sawyers and other loved ones as part of the Brunner's Annual Tree of Remembrance Service. Those who honored their family also took a moment to comfort family and friends of Riley, whose body was found floating in a plastic container in Galveston Bay this summer."

Riley's relatives are touched by the support and telephone calls they are receiving from around the country, said Laura DePledge, the Sawyers' attorney. Relatives are raising money to help bring Riley's body to Ohio to be buried.

Donations can be made in her name at the FirstMerit Bank, 7800 Reynolds Road, Mentor, 44060.

Though the physical memorial service was held in Ohio, Riley Sawyers and "Baby Grace" will be mourned much further away.

When it was speculated that Baby Grace's body might be that of Madeline McCann, a missing English girl, papers all over the United Kingdom and Europe carried her story.

In Texas, after the body of Baby Grace was found, people volunteered time and information hoping to help identify her. Tips from all over the world poured in. Police worked around the clock to sift through these bits of hope.

People sent in money to raise a reward fund. Candlelight vigils were held. People prayed.

One man in England wrote President Bush, asking why more wasn't done to find out why more wasn't being done to identify Baby Grace.

Letters and comments from Scotland, England, France and elsewhere speculated who this small girl might be.

Now the world knows: it was Riley Sawyers.

People gathered in Ohio to mourn Riley: some had known her, some had not, but all were saddened by her story.

Sunday, hundreds of people in Mentor, OH said prayers and honored the memory of Riley Sawyers.

Thousands upon thousands elsewhere, from all over the world, sent their thoughts and prayers to join them.

by Mondoreb
[image:rocksaltplum]

Source:
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Mourners Recall Riley "Baby Grace" Sawyers



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

BCS Bowl Games: Schedules, Match-ups, Early Predictions

COLLEGE BOWL ROUND-UP:
Who plays who and some early predictions.


HOW THEY GOT THERE

Ohio State will take on LSU in the Bowl Championship Series title game on January 7 in New Orleans.

The Buckeyes finished atop the BCS regular season standings and will play for the national championship for a second straight year after losing to Florida, 41-14, in Glendale, Arizona last January.

LSU (11-2) beat Tennessee, 21-14, Saturday in the SEC championship game, the same day Tigers coach Les Miles announced he's not going to take the Michigan coaching job, but instead will remain in Baton Rouge.

The Buckeyes (11-1) seemed shoo-ins to make it to the title game following losses by Missouri and West Virginia on Saturday. The Tigers were No. 1 in the BCS, but lost to Oklahoma, 38-17, in the Big 12 championship game, and the Mountaineers were second, but were shocked 13-9 at home by Pittsburgh.

"Very fortunate, and we enjoy where we're at," Miles said.

Ohio State's lone loss came at Illinois, 28-21, on November 10, the week before the Buckeyes went to Michigan to win the Big Ten. Before that loss to the Fighting Illini, Ohio State had won every game by at least 16 points, with the exception of a 24-17 home win over Michigan State on October 20.

The Buckeyes will be able to play for their eighth national championship, last winning the title in the 2002 season, beating the Miami Hurricanes at the Fiesta Bowl.

LSU will play for its third national championship in football, last winning the title in 2003 from the coaches with a Sugar Bowl victory over Oklahoma.

The BCS system uses a pair of human polls -- the Harris Interactive and the USA Today -- as well as six computer rankings. Each poll counts one-third toward the overall score, while the average of the computers completes the formula.

HOW THEY FINISHED Ohio State and LSU were 1-2, respectively, in the Associated Press and the Coaches' polls on Sunday. The Buckeyes were third in the BCS last week, while LSU was seventh. The latest poll had Ohio State with a BCS average of .9588, just ahead of the Tigers (.9394), while Virginia Tech was a distant third (.8703). Oklahoma and Georgia were next in the standings, followed by Missouri, which was left out of a BCS game. Southern California was seventh, followed by Kansas, West Virginia and Hawaii to round out the top 10.

WHO PLAYS WHO While the BCS title game will be played on January 7, the other top bowl games -- Rose, Orange, Sugar and Fiesta -- will still play their traditional games on New Year's Day or soon after. The BCS title game rotates among the four traditional sites -- Pasadena, Miami, New Orleans and Arizona. The other BCS games were also set up Sunday. Hawaii (12-0) the only unbeaten team in the nation was chosen to play Georgia (10-2) in the Sugar Bowl, at the Superdome on New Year's night. The Rose Bowl will pit Pac-10 champion Southern California (10-2) against Illinois (9-3) on January 1. The other contests pit ACC winner Virginia Tech (11-2) against Kansas (11-1) in the Orange Bowl on January 3, and Oklahoma (11-2) versus Big East champion West Virginia (10-2) in the Fiesta Bowl on January 2. Georgia didn't win the SEC East, being edged in a tiebreaker after losing at Tennessee, 35-14, on October 6. For the first time since the 1983 season, Georgia will face an undefeated team in its bowl game. That season, seventh- ranked Georgia upset second-ranked Texas 10-9 in the 1984 Cotton Bowl. The Warriors were last in a postseason game on the mainland in 1992, beating Illinois at the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. Hawaii has won its last three bowl games, all in Honolulu. The Trojans won their final four games of the season after a 24-17 loss at Oregon on October 27. However, the sore spot for Pete Carroll's team was a shocking a 24-23 home loss to lowly Stanford, which came into that October 6 game as a 41-point underdog. This will be the first time USC will meet Illinois at the Rose Bowl. USC, which won its sixth consecutive Pac-10 title by beating crosstown foe UCLA on Saturday, will be making its 32nd trip to the Rose Bowl. The Fighting Illini will play in their first bowl game since New Year's day 2002 when they lost to LSU at the Sugar Bowl. Illinois will be making its first Rose Bowl appearance since the 1983 season when it was blown out by UCLA. Illinois' last Rose Bowl win came in the 1963 season against Washington. Oklahoma's two losses came 27-24 on September 29 at Colorado on a last-second field goal. The Sooners blew a 24-7 second-half lead in that game. Their only other loss was 34-27 at Texas Tech on November 17 when starting quarterback Sam Bradford suffered a concussion. This will mark OU's ninth consecutive bowl game -- a Sooner record. Last year, Oklahoma suffered a 43-42 overtime loss to Boise State at the Fiesta Bowl. West Virginia is making its first trip to the Fiesta Bowl since playing Notre Dame for the national championship in 1989. The Mountaineers are making their second BCS bowl trip in three years, having defeated Georgia, 38-35, in the 2005 Sugar Bowl. The Orange Bowl matchup will pit the nation's second-ranked scoring defense in Virginia Tech against the nation's No. 2 passing offense in Kansas. The Hokies gained the Orange Bowl berth with their victory over Boston College in the ACC title game on Saturday, avenging a loss to the Eagles on October 25. However, Virginia Tech's other loss proved to be their downfall for not being selected to play in the title game. The Hokies were rocked, 48-7, at LSU on September 8. The Jayhawks were riding high going into a November 24 meeting against Missouri, but were knocked from their unbeaten perch with a 36-28 loss, Instead of playing in a BCS game, Missouri will take on Arkansas at the Cotton Bowl on New Year's day in Dallas.

COMPLETE BOWL SCHEDULE Date/time-Bowl-Site-Conferences-Matchup Thu., Dec. 20 Poinsettia San Diego Mountain West vs. At-large team Utah vs. Navy Fri., Dec. 21 New Orleans New Orleans Sun Belt vs. Conference USA Florida Atlantic vs. Memphis Sat., Dec. 22 Papajohns.com Birmingham, Ala. Big East vs. Conference USA Cincinnati vs. Southern Mississippi Sat., Dec. 22 New Mexico Albuquerque, N.M. Mountain West vs. WAC New Mexico vs. Nevada Sat., Dec. 22 Las Vegas Las Vegas Mountain West vs. Pac-10 Brigham Young vs. UCLA Sun., Dec. 23 Hawaii Honolulu Conference USA vs. WAC East Carolina vs. Boise State Wed., Dec. 26 Motor City Detroit MAC vs. Big Ten Central Michigan vs. Purdue Thu., Dec. 27 Holiday San Diego Pac-10 vs. Big 12 Arizona State vs. Texas Fri., Dec. 28 Champs Sports Orlando ACC vs. Big Ten Boston College vs. Michigan State Fri., Dec. 28 Texas Houston Big 12 vs. Conference USA *TCU vs. Houston Fri., Dec. 28 Emerald San Francisco Pac-10 vs. ACC Oregon State vs. Maryland Sat., Dec. 29 Meineke Car Care Charlotte ACC vs. Big East Wake Forest vs. Connecticut Sat., Dec. 29 Liberty Memphis Conference USA vs. SEC Central Florida vs. Mississippi State Sat., Dec. 29 Alamo San Antonio Big 12 vs. Big Ten Texas A&M vs. Penn State Sun., Dec. 30 Independence Shreveport, La. SEC vs. Big 12 Alabama vs. Colorado Mon., Dec. 31 Armed Forces Fort Worth Pac-10 vs. Mountain West California vs. Air Force Mon., Dec. 31 Sun El Paso Pac-10 vs. Big 12 or Big East Oregon vs. South Florida Mon., Dec. 31 Humanitarian Boise WAC vs. ACC Fresno State vs. Georgia Tech Mon., Dec. 31 Music City Nashville SEC vs. ACC Kentucky vs. Florida State Mon., Dec. 31 Chick-Fil-A Atlanta SEC vs. ACC Auburn vs. Clemson Mon., Dec. 31 Insight Tempe, Ariz. Big 12 vs. Big Ten Oklahoma State vs. Indiana Tue., Jan. 1 11 a.m. Outback Tampa Big Ten vs. SEC Wisconsin vs. Tennessee Tue., Jan. 1 11:30 a.m. Cotton Dallas SEC vs. Big 12 Arkansas vs. Missouri Tue., Jan. 1 1 p.m. Gator Jacksonville ACC vs. Big 12/Big East Virginia vs. Texas Tech Tue., Jan. 1 1 p.m. Capital One Orlando Big Ten vs. SEC Michigan vs. Florida Tue., Jan. 1 4:30 p.m. Rose Pasadena, Calif. BCS vs. BCS Southern California vs. Illinois Tue., Jan. 1 8:30 p.m. Sugar New Orleans BCS vs. BCS Georgia vs. Hawaii Wed., Jan. 2 8 p.m. Fiesta Glendale, Ariz. BCS vs. BCS Oklahoma vs. West Virginia Thu., Jan. 3 8 p.m. Orange Miami BCS vs. BCS Virginia Tech vs. Kansas Sun., Jan. 6 noon International Toronto, Canada Big East vs. MAC Rutgers vs. Ball State Sun., Jan. 6 8 p.m. GMAC Mobile, Ala. Conference USA vs. MAC Tulsa vs. Bowling Green Mon., Jan. 7 8 p.m. BCS title game New Orleans BCS No. 1 vs. BCS No. 2 LSU vs. Ohio State

ZIPPY's EARLY BIRD BOWL PREDICTIONS [Bowl-winner] Poinsetta - Utah New Orleans - Memphis Las Vegas - BYU Hawaii - Boise State Motor City - Purdue Holiday - Arizona State Champ Sports - Boston College Texas - TCU Emerald - Oregon State Meineke Car Care - Connetticutt Liberty - Mississippi State Alamo - Texas A & M Independence - Alabama Armed Forces - California Sun - South Florida Humanitarian - Fresno State Music City - Florida State Chick-Fil-A - Clemson Insight - Oklahoma State Outback - Tennessee Cotton - Missouri Gator - Texas Tech Capital One - Florida International - Rutgers GMAC - Tulsa Rose - Southern California Sugar - Georgia Fiesta - West Virginia Orange - Virginia Tech BCS Championship - LSU

Sources:

--The Sports Network - Ohio State to Play LSU for BCS Title
--USA Today - Bowl Schedule
--Zippy

compiled by Mondoreb
[image: foxsports - billgriffith]



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

DBKP: We're Moving and Growing!

In case you didn't notice, we're making a few changes.

We're moving to a bigger site (we're still going to be having this one for awhile, then we'll re-direct to the new one.) and we'll be able to offer our readers a lot more at the new location.

This is sort of a preview of the new place, not a final edition. A test run, if you will for several items.

Look for new features, new writers and some surprises. LBG's got some things up her sleeve, RAPH's been positively prolific and has a new project that I'm excited about and I'm going on a worldwide tour opening for U2.

Okay, so the last one's not happening, but you know how easy it is to get carried away.

In the meantime, let's hope no one has a stroke.

And pray for the poor, overworked staff.

We drive them like Eskimo sled dogs.

by Mondoreb
[image: chicap]

Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.