MySpace Hoax Isn’t a Crime But it Should Be

Last year 13-year-old Megan Meier took her own life after being the victim of cyber-bullying.  The instigator of the plot was 48-year-old Lori Drew. Drew was a neighbor and the mother of one of Megan’s former friends.  Drew apparently wanted to mess with Megan in retaliation for what happened to her daughter. Drew created a fake MySpace account for 16-year-old “Josh Evans”.  She spent about a month developing a relationship with Megan and in fact approached Megan first.  Then one day the messages between Megan and “Josh” turned sour.  The last message from “Josh” even went as far to suggest that the world would be better off without Megan. Megan committed suicide shortly after receiving the message.  Megan had struggled with self-esteem issues and was on anti-depressants. The St. Charles County (MO) District Attorney has ruled that no crime was committed.  The FBI was unable to retrieve the final message from “Josh”.  Apparently, Drew committed no crime and will face no charges.  The only person who has been charged with a crime is Megan’s dad Ron. He was charged with a misdemeanor for driving his truck across the Drew’s front lawn. In the year since Megan’s death Dardenne Prairie, MO has enacted an ordinance making cyber harassment a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $500 and up to 90 days in jail.

 

Ms. Drew apparently feels no guilt or remorse for her actions. Drew believes she is not responsible for the Megan’s death. She claims the fake account was set up in an effort to monitor what Megan was saying about her daughter. If she wanted to monitor what Megan was saying why not log-in with her daughter’s account. Why spend approximately six weeks developing a relationship with Megan?  “Josh” sent a friend request to Megan. Interestingly enough this happened shortly after Megan’s internet privileges had been restored.  Earlier Megan and the Drew’s daughter had set up a fake account to meet boys.  Megan’s mom put an end to this stunt and suspended Megan’s internet privileges.  Drew defends her posts by claiming that Megan’s were more abusive. Drew is a 48 –year-old mother who should know better than tormenting a teenager.  She used her knowledge of Megan to hurt this girl. 

Maybe Megan’s posts were immature but after all she was just shy of her 14^th birthday.  Drew enlisted other teens in “Josh’s” effort to hurt Megan. She wanted others to know that it was a prank she wanted to humiliate Megan.  This lady had the nerve to ask Megan’s parents to store a Foosball table that she bought as a present for her kids in their garage. After discovering Drew’s involvement in the prank the Meier’s smashed the table and dumped at her house. Drew reported the incident to the police. This lady has no conscience.  She even attended Megan’s funeral. What was she trying to gain from that? Further more because Megan had previously attempted suicide, Drew believes she is absolved of any guilt in the matter.  

Megan was a teenager who had been jilted by what she believed was her first real boyfriend. She had a history of ADHD and self-esteem issues. At school she had been the target of bullying because of her weight and other issues. In seventh grade the bullying had reached the point that her parents place her in a private school.  It was there that Megan began to blossom. She had a lot to live for but one incident pushed her over the edge.  Megan overreacted because it seemed that her world was falling a part. From an adult’s perspective the situation may not seem that bad but for a teenager who has struggled with self-esteem issues it can seem like an insurmountable obstacle. Yes, Megan made the decision to end her life but she was provoked by an adult acting like a child. 

 

It appears that legally there is nothing that can be done to Drew.  The local authorities and the FBI have been unable make a case against her.  What she did was child abuse and stalking. It seems that she should be charged with child abuse and stalking in the very least if not involuntary man-slaughter.  When the ambulance came to pick up Megan, Drew called one of the teens enlisted in the prank ordered her to keep her mouth shut. She knew her actions were wrong. Drew is quick to whine about the harassment her family has endured in the past year. After all she didn’t really do anything.  What about the turmoil that the Meier’s have endured?  Drew deserves jail time and should have her parental rights terminated because she is obviously an unfit parent.

 

How to Protect Your Child From Cyber-Bullying

 

Sources:

Parents Want Jail Time for MySpace Hoax

Parents: Cyber Bullying Led to Teen’s Suicide

Pokin Around: A Real Person, a Real Death

A Hoax Turned Fatal Draws Anger but Draws no Charges 

Town Rules Internet Harassment A Crime 

MySpace Teen Suicide

Law Lags as Taunt Ruins Lives

To Spank or Not?

Good Morning America featured a story about a movement in Massachusetts to ban spanking. The law is being considered today by Massachusetts lawmakers. Kathleen Wolf, a nurse, is the initiator of the proposed law. She believes that spanking is a form of domestic violence and should be banned. If passed this would make Massachusetts the first state to pass a ban on spanking by parents. However 29 states prohibit schools from spanking children. Currently spanking is banned in 19 countries. Wolf does not believe that parents should be jailed or fined for spanking.

Growing up I had my share of spankings. I also spent a lot of time in the corner as a young child or on restrictions as a teenager. In fact I had my own corner in kindergarten and I am probably still grounded. The practice of putting a child in the corner has been criticized in recent years. It seems that is demeaning to make a child face the wall. There are some “experts” that seem to believe it is best to only use reason with children and that some how disciplining a child is disrespectful. Children are not adults. Someone has to be in charge and in a family, parents are given that responsibility. Have you ever tired to reason with a three year old or for that matter a 13-year-old? It does not always work. Children do not naturally grow up wanting to follow the rules or understanding why they take what they want. Children must be taught many things including how to behave and that there are consequences for one’s actions. I suffered no apparent long term negative effects. I did learn to follow the rules, respect my elders and that my actions have consequences. My parents spent a lot of time teaching me many things including how to behave. They did not just smack me or send me to my room; they explained the purpose for rules. They also used rewards as well.

So what do you think should spanking be banned? Be sure to leave a comment.

Related Article:Should Spanking Be Ilegal?

New Home for TheDeeZone

Well, this is the first post on the new home for the DeeZone. After doing research, I have decided that I liked what WordPress offers better than Blogger. I just moved my blog over yesterday and haven’t really publicized the new location but I all ready have a comment.

Check back soon for more posts. — DH

Tutoring for Toddlers

The current issue of Time magazine features an article about a growing trend by parents to enrolling their preschoolers in academic tutoring sessions. Apparently these parents believe it is necessary for their child to enter kindergarten with elementary level reading and math schools. I am all for early learning but is it a good idea to push preschoolers into academic cram sessions?

Read More …

Thanksgiving Features on HomeschoolBenefits.org

Check out my pumpkin pancake recipe and other Thanksgiving features on www.homeschoolbenefits.org.

Take me to the food.