High School Political Debate Leads To Assault

Neon_Chaos · 11-11-2004, 11:27 PM

hxxp://edition.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/11/11/school.fight.ap/index.html

That's what you get when all you've got to say during a political debate is 'Only gays would support Sen. John Kerry'

Sharpieman · 11-12-2004, 01:56 AM

Wow...it is disturbing that some students would stoop to that low, I hope they get expelled. Even though the comments by the pro-bush supporter were absurd and prejudice he shouldn't be beaten over it obviously.

mattwakeman · 11-12-2004, 03:02 AM

"It's a good thing to see young people interested and excited about politics," said Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom.

Hmmm, what a shame that irony is lost as soon as it is written down...

randal7 · 11-12-2004, 03:28 AM

A more detailed story shows the victims did not initiate the gay remarks:

http://www.drudgereport.com/flashmn.htm

Galaril · 11-12-2004, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by randal7

A more detailed story shows the victims did not initiate the gay remarks:

http://www.drudgereport.com/flashmn.htm

Quality source.Thanks.

Blackadar · 11-12-2004, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by randal7

A more detailed story shows the victims did not initiate the gay remarks:

http://www.drudgereport.com/flashmn.htm

This may be a more detailed story, but the source is unreliable.

JonInMiddleGA · 11-12-2004, 06:52 AM

Well, you may have to register to get to it, but if somebody is interested in more details, maybe they'll like the Minneapolis Star-Tribune version better than Drudge.
http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/5079842.html

According to the defense attorney, politics wasn't the source of the fight
"Chris Ritts, the attorney for Benjamin H. Merila, the 17-year-old charged with the most serious crime, second-degree assault, disputed that the political debate was the impetus of the fight."

And they also have a little different version of the D.A.'s quote
"It's great to see these kids are involved in a debate, but it saddens me that it reached such a dangerous situation," he said.

The other thing that takes a different light than what CNN/AP presented is the context of the argument. What AP described as a "class discussion" is detailed by the local paper as "The Nov. 4 fight started in a computer room at the School of Environmental Studies with students calling each other "gay" for supporting either President Bush or Sen. John Kerry, Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said."

Hard for any of us to tell what really happened, but at least from reading the article linked here, it sounds like this might have been a fight waiting to happen & both sides just happened to use politics as something handy to argue over in order to get around to the ultimate goal

Glengoyne · 11-12-2004, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharpieman

Wow...it is disturbing that some students would stoop to that low, I hope they get expelled. Even though the comments by the pro-bush supporter were absurd and prejudice he shouldn't be beaten over it obviously.

There really isn't much to go on here, but I don't think the remarks of the Pro-Bush supporter are necesarilly damning. It may well have been an off the cuff remark said essentially in jest as these guys were walking to their cars. The article initially reads like it was done in a formal setting, but something tells me this was just a bunch of boys being boys, and things getting out of hand.

Edit: Damn I really should read whole threads before I respond to posts.

Desnudo · 11-12-2004, 01:14 PM

I can't believe he lost a fight to a bunch of pansy pseudo-intellectual democrats.

kcchief19 · 11-12-2004, 04:59 PM

Based on prior experience, I don't believe the account of any teenager involved in a fight. It does sound like the fight probably started because someone called someone else "gay" and it was on. The "political discussion" was probably coincidental. It could have been a conversation about cars and led to the same thing.

I would also agree if your idea of a "retort" is to call someone gay, you deserve to get your ass kicked. There's a lot of other things that applies to as well.

Maple Leafs · 11-12-2004, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Desnudo

I can't believe he lost a fight to a bunch of pansy pseudo-intellectual democrats.

I heard that he's now claiming that he didn't really lose the fight, but that it was stolen from him.

11-12-2004, 01:56 AM	#2
Sharpieman Greatly Missed. (7/11/84-06/12/05) Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Palo Alto, CA	Wow...it is disturbing that some students would stoop to that low, I hope they get expelled. Even though the comments by the pro-bush supporter were absurd and prejudice he shouldn't be beaten over it obviously. __________________ Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.

11-12-2004, 03:02 AM	#3
mattwakeman Mascot Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Cold, old England	"It's a good thing to see young people interested and excited about politics," said Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom. Hmmm, what a shame that irony is lost as soon as it is written down... __________________ Carpe Diem

11-12-2004, 06:52 AM	#7
JonInMiddleGA Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Behind Enemy Lines in Athens, GA	Well, you may have to register to get to it, but if somebody is interested in more details, maybe they'll like the Minneapolis Star-Tribune version better than Drudge. http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/5079842.html According to the defense attorney, politics wasn't the source of the fight "Chris Ritts, the attorney for Benjamin H. Merila, the 17-year-old charged with the most serious crime, second-degree assault, disputed that the political debate was the impetus of the fight." And they also have a little different version of the D.A.'s quote "It's great to see these kids are involved in a debate, but it saddens me that it reached such a dangerous situation," he said. The other thing that takes a different light than what CNN/AP presented is the context of the argument. What AP described as a "class discussion" is detailed by the local paper as "The Nov. 4 fight started in a computer room at the School of Environmental Studies with students calling each other "gay" for supporting either President Bush or Sen. John Kerry, Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said." Hard for any of us to tell what really happened, but at least from reading the article linked here, it sounds like this might have been a fight waiting to happen & both sides just happened to use politics as something handy to argue over in order to get around to the ultimate goal __________________ "I lit another cigarette. Unless I specifically inform you to the contrary, I am always lighting another cigarette." - from a novel by Martin Amis

11-12-2004, 03:28 AM	#4
randal7 H.S. Freshman Team Join Date: Nov 2003	A more detailed story shows the victims did not initiate the gay remarks: http://www.drudgereport.com/flashmn.htm

11-12-2004, 01:14 PM	#9
Desnudo Coordinator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Here and There	I can't believe he lost a fight to a bunch of pansy pseudo-intellectual democrats.

11-12-2004, 04:59 PM	#10
kcchief19 Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Kansas City, MO	Based on prior experience, I don't believe the account of any teenager involved in a fight. It does sound like the fight probably started because someone called someone else "gay" and it was on. The "political discussion" was probably coincidental. It could have been a conversation about cars and led to the same thing. I would also agree if your idea of a "retort" is to call someone gay, you deserve to get your ass kicked. There's a lot of other things that applies to as well.

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