(no subject)

[janradder]

On February 12, Larry King, because he was an openly gay 14 year old junior high student was shot in the head at school by another student.

Today, this charming letter appeared in our paper:

I was disgusted to read the March 28 article regarding Larry King, who was shot in the head by a classmate at a California junior high. I was even more disgusted that the school and community reaction to the shooting was an outcry for more "tolerance programming."

This young man wore high heels and makeup to school and would deal with boys taunting him by flirting with them.

How ridiculous. Did the school not feel the need to address this conflict earlier?

Where was the authority? Students are sat down to discuss clothing or behavior that is distracting to learning all the time. If there is outright confrontation between students, shouldn't both parties be addressed before someone begins shooting the other?

High school isn't about showing your personal identity, it's not about proclaiming your sexual orientation. Learn your French and geometry and talk about your sexuality outside of class all you want.

We are suffering the breakdown of common sense in our society as a whole. I don't want my child attending unnecessary classes to help her "redefine" her sense of right and wrong. This is a subject best dealt with at home. I don't want my daughter hearing about sexual orientation at school.

In this situation, who paid the price for the school's lack of foresight? I firmly believe that this young man's life wouldn't have been stolen away from him had the administration shown some common sense.

KARA S. MCCoy, Coon Rapids

I don't often write letters to the editor but I was so outraged at the callousness and insensitivity of this woman's letter that I immediately wrote and sent this response:

Unbelievable. A 14 year old boy gets shot in the head in California for being openly gay and a Friday letter writer blames it on him. Disgusting. Her assertion that the school is to blame because it did not stop Larry King from wearing high heels and make-up would be laughable if it weren't so disturbing. What about the boys who spent their days following and harassing this child, pelting him with wadded up balls of paper in the bathroom, making his young life miserable? Are they not to be held at all accountable? School should be a place where students feel safe and welcome -- not afraid and persecuted. Whether Larry King was openly gay at school is not the issue. It is the fact that intolerance in schools -- be it over sexual orientation, race, or just plain bullying -- is allowed to flourish and thrive unchecked. Attitudes and opinions like Friday's letter writer's only help encourage that hate, fear and intolerance to grow.

When I was in grade school I was the victim of intense organized bullying.  Thirty years later I am still sometimes haunted by it. Stories like these affect me on a very personal level because when I read them, when I hear about them, I can see those children, I can see through their eyes and feel what they feel  and know what it is like or was like for them to walk through the hallways of their schools sad, alone, and scared.  And I fear that stories like this and like Columbine will continue to appear as long as persecution in schools is allowed to go on unabated.

Larry King

Comments

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

Wow. I kind of skimmed the letter and couldn't figure out what was wrong with it. Yes, why _didn't_ the school address this earlier? Why _didn't_ it show some common sense and address the confrontations?

And then I read it more closely, including the big chunk o' crazy in the middle that I missed the first time around.

Damn shame.

[xjenavivex.livejournal.com]

If policies of prohibiting heels in school or open orientation are instituted, it should across the board. I find it hard to believe that this woman had to hide her hair, not wear makeup, wear only loose clothing, or not have a prom option because of anitheterosexual policies. It is doubtful that she has been successful enough at sheltering her daughter, that her daughter is the purest of pure and has not gatheres a single clue about sexuality from her high school years. Teenager should be allowed to explore and express who they are. A kid in heels isn't hurting anyone. If it isn't your taste, look the other way. I don't tent to stare at paisley mixed with plaid much.

I am loathe to hear her blaming the school for allowing Larry to be who he was. That should be applauded. What is a shame is that more was not done to intervene on his behalf when encountering the bullies. There are always bullies. ::sighs::

I am outraged by her letter. I suppose she campaigns against rape victims on behalf of their assailants. Evil system letting women out at night alone. guh

[snurri.livejournal.com]

Christ. It's amazing how many people out there are living in Bizarro world.

[deanarae.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Sexuality NEVER comes up in high school. I'm glad you wrote back.

I, too, was a target of bullying, but in middle school. I blame Connecticut.

[janradder.livejournal.com]

I blame Cheshire. God, that place is a hell pit.

[haddayr.livejournal.com]

If you look at the original article, it blamed him for his own death, too:

" OXNARD, Calif. - Larry King was a gay eighth-grader who used to come to school in makeup, high heels and earrings. And when the other boys made fun of him, he would boldly tease them right back by flirting with them.

That may have been what got him killed."

No, you dumbass motherfucker. It was the bigoted little fuckwad who SHOT him who got him killed.

Suddenly I hate everyone.

[janradder.livejournal.com]

It's hard not to when you read about shit like this.

[haddayr.livejournal.com]

That was a very good letter you wrote, though.

[janradder.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[sarahgoss.livejournal.com]

That woman's letter left me feeling outraged, too. I don't know where to begin with my objections; maybe by saying that absolutely, he should have been allowed to express his sexuality at school, just as heterosexuals are allowed to. I am so tired of hearing victims blamed for the actions of their bullies (and I was bullied in school, too, and told it was my fault). Great letter in response, so glad you wrote it.