Erma Harris: Violent Criminals Deserve Honors Too!

Erma thinks she has really told off those of us who don't think it's appropriate to close school for the day and allow the school to be used for the funeral of a violent criminal.

She begins by pointing out the violent criminal was not yet an adult:

17 – not old enough to buy alcohol or cigarettes. 17 – not old enough to vote. 17 – only old enough to drive a vehicle for a full year. 17 – four more years until a person is considered a real adult in every sense of the word. 17 – a very young age to die.

She must have forgotten "17 - old enough to get into an NC-17 movie" and "17 - much older than the Jonesboro shooters" and "17 - about the same age as Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold."

The peppers the story with irrelevant, hyperemotional rhetorical questions. "Can you imagine the fear . . .? Can you imagine the pain . . .?"

I let reason, not imagination, guide me, Erma. Do you KNOW how irrational you sound? Can't you SEE that schools are for teaching children, not honoring violent criminals?

Then she sets up a straw man to scold those of us who demand accountability from the Mammoth Spring school system.

The funeral was held at the school for only one reason, because his family asked to have it there. School was closed on Friday to allow the services to take place and to allow teachers and students who knew Jesse and his family to attend. This request was granted out of respect for a family who had lost a child. A family who were among the innocent victims of Jesse’s decision.

...

We can condemn Jesse’s actions but do we have the right to criticize how his family said goodbye?

Except that I don't know of anybody on our side that condemns the family for ASKING to have the funeral at the school. In fact, I have specifically pointed out that I don't blame them. In grief, sometimes one makes irrational choices.

Our point is that the school should have taken a step back, looked at the situation objectively and without emotion, and said "No, given the circumstances, that is not an appropriate action."

It's a lot easier to argue against the positions you WISH we were taking than it is to argue against the positions we actually take, isn't it Erma?

AND ONE MORE THING: This little line from the article --

Children didn’t attend classes on Monday but a very real life lesson was taught.

I fear you're right, Erma. Because that lesson is "Be a violent felon and people will honor you, while live-and-let-live, law-abiding types get ignored completely."

[For more, MUCH more, on this, take a look at the comments of my original post on the matter. You might also want to see the Topix discussion thread here.]