THIS is TRUE: 30 December Copyright 2012-2013 http://www.thisistrue.com
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NO, REALLY -- WE'RE NOT OVERREACTING! Cedar Creek High School in Galloway
Township, N.J., is a special magnet school which focuses on engineering
and environmental sciences, with special hands-on learning. But when a
teacher saw a drawing of "what appeared to be weapons" in a 16-year-old
student's notebook the week after the school shootings in Newtown,
Conn., she alerted school administrators, who called in the police.
Responding officers determined the boy "demonstrated behavior that
caused them to be concerned," and brought in the Egg Harbor City
police, search dogs from the Hamilton Township Police Department, the
Atlantic City Police Department, the Gloucester County Sheriff's
Department, the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department, the Millville
Police Department, the Salem County Sheriff's Department, the Atlantic
City Police Department's Bomb Squad, the Oceanville Fire Department,
and Galloway EMS to search the boy's house. There, they found
"electronic parts" and "several types of chemicals that when mixed
together could cause an explosion," according to investigators. The boy
was arrested on charges of possession of an explosive device, even
though those chemicals were not mixed together, and even though Greater
Egg Harbor Regional High School District Superintendent Steve
Ciccariellos said the boy was not in "conflict" with any student or
teacher; police admitted the boy didn't threaten anyone, and there was
"no indication he was making a bomb, or using a bomb, or detonating a
bomb," Police Chief Pat Moran said, adding the boy cooperated fully
with investigators. Ciccariellos praised the teacher for having "the
sense to report it to school officials," and now that the boy is in
juvenile detention, it's "business as usual" at the school, and by the
way, even without the Connecticut shooting being so fresh in the news,
"we would have handled this exactly the same way." (RC/Press of
Atlantic City) ...Which, of course, is the problem.
NOT OVERREACTING EITHER: The week after the school shootings in Newtown,
Conn., a 15-year-old student at Mainland Regional High School in
Linwood, N.J., heard that there was to be a shooting at her school, and
that there was even a "hit list" posted on Facebook. She sent a text
message to several friends to warn them. "The purpose was not to alarm
everyone," said Superintendent Tom Baruffi. "It was the opposite: to
give comfort," he said, and "There was no danger." The several
recipients, however, forwarded the message to several others, and it
spread like wildfire. "We have no choice," Baruffi said, "but to
investigate and make sure it stops," so police were called in, and the
message was traced back to the 15-year-old girl -- who was arrested and
charged with "creating a false public alarm," which was described as a
"third-degree crime" -- a felony. Is the panic response a "reaction" to
the Newtown shooting? "It is too coincidental for it not to be,"
Baruffi admitted, but the girl still faces up to five years in prison
and a $15,000 fine. (RC/Press of Atlantic City) ...The reaction to a
sensational event causes horrible problems for innocent bystanders? How
unusual.
GRADE INFLATION: Jared DeWeese can't read, write, or even speak words.
"He has the mental capacity of a 6-month-old," says his father, Wes
DeWeese. "My goal is to have him walk. I would love to hear him say
'mom' or 'dad.' But I know that's probably never going to happen." The
18-year-old's report card from a high school in Gwinnett County, Ga.,
tells a different story: He's getting 90s and 100s in courses like
world history, biology, and even algebra. A district spokeswoman said
she couldn't comment on Jared's individual transcript, but explained
that educators "adapt" mainstream courses in order to provide "access"
to "students with significant cognitive disabilities." Then, "their
grade is based on participation with that curriculum to which they are
given access." (AC/WSB Atlanta) ...If Jared DeWeese has meaningful
access to algebra, he might just be the smartest person in this story. |
