Muderous Third Graders

As we get ready to head off to Georgia a headline catches my eye while I troll the Internet (thereby avoiding packing and other pressing tasks - thank goodness for the Internet, but I digress). It grabs your attention like a dog grabs a bone "3rd-graders plotted to hurt their teacher, police say"

This is interesting . . . when I read more I discover that these pint-sized thugs live in Georgia, the state we are about to visit. Yes, this does cause me to revise my views of the state, just a titch.

3rd-graders plotted to hurt their teacher, police say

Steak knife, handcuffs, duct tape, paperweight seized from children in southern Georgia

April 02, 2008

Russ Bynum
AssocIated Press

WAYCROSS, Ga.–A group of third-graders plotted to attack their teacher, bringing a broken steak knife, handcuffs, duct tape and other items for the job and assigning children tasks including covering the windows and cleaning up afterward, police said yesterday.

The plot, involving as many as nine boys and girls at Center Elementary School in south Georgia, was a serious threat, Waycross police chief Tony Tanner said.

School officials alerted police Friday after a pupil tipped off a teacher that a girl had brought a weapon to school.

Tanner said the students apparently planned to knock the teacher unconscious with a crystal paperweight, bind her with the handcuffs and tape and then stab her with the knife.

"We did not hear anybody say they intended to kill her, but could they have accidentally killed her? Absolutely," Tanner said.

The children, ages eight to 10, were apparently mad at the teacher because she had scolded one of them for standing on a chair, he said.

Two of the students were arrested on juvenile charges yesterday and a third arrest was expected.

District Attorney Rick Currie said other students told investigators they didn't take the plot seriously.

Currie said the children are too young to be charged as adults, and probably too young to be sentenced to a youth detention centre.

Police seized a steak knife with a broken handle, steel handcuffs, duct tape, electrical and transparent tape, ribbons and a paperweight from the students, Tanner said.

Currie said he decided to seek juvenile charges against two girls, ages 9 and 10, who brought the knife and paperweight and an 8-year-old boy who brought tape. He said all three students faced charges of conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, and both girls were being charged with bringing weapons to school.

Nine children have been given discipline, including long-term suspension.

Up here in Canada third graders would be 8 or 9. My god, when I was 8 or 9 I recall building a tent out of blankets and the dining room table, I remember baseball, hide-and-seek. Guess what I don't remember? Thoughts of murder.

No, I don't remember those at all!

Now, I realize that these twits are children and can only be held accountable in a limited way for their actions, but I hope their punishment is severe, severe, severe.

As a teacher I find this very scary. If my students had had murderous thoughts every time I scolded them for some sort of foolishness I'd be dead many times over.

Now I realize that I am generalizing here and making a raft of assumptions, but that is what I do. Where are the parents in all of this? Surely they might have realized that little Sue was packing a knife in her school bag. Wouldn't they have heard the frenzied plans being made? What sort of drivel must they allow these kidlets to watch - no doubt exposing them to all sorts of murderous imagery.

Punish the parents too!

Good lord - it is official, I have crossed the line to ranting conservative  . . . my membership card for Amnesty International just self combusted.

Georgia On My Mind, indeed.

Comments

[sandrac]

That's a chilling story, but sometimes kids can be really frightening. Several years ago, I covered a nasty murder trial on the Prairies, where kids stabbed another child to death (through his eye!) and then tried to render his flesh into something they could drink. The ringleader was 8 years old.

Soon after covering that story, I became a business reporter. Different sort of crime.....

[Eden]

I read about this story also, Jerry. Very interesting read. "Teaching can hurt you", says one teacher who sent this article to me last night.

I always know that teaching can be a health hazard! I wonder why we do not get combat pay!

Seriously, these children seem so young to have thoughts like those. According to the article, the children are "too young to be charged with a crime under the Georgia law". Scary.

[Jerry]

Sandra - 'tis good thing I hadn't read that story prior to bed time or else I wouldn't have slept! I don't blame you for covering the business pages after that!

Eden - it would be so challening to carry on after something like that. There is no doubt that teaching has become more complex!

[girasoli]

I am so glad you mentioned the parents. My first thought too was where were the parents in all of this. I don't care how old they are, something needs to be done to teach them a serious lesson. Unbelievable!

And I can't believe the line: "We did not hear anybody say they intended to kill her, but could they have accidentally killed her? Absolutely," Tanner said.

Preschool is looking safer and safer these days, although I once read about a preschooler coming to school with a gun in his lunchbag (true story).

[Jerry]

Givenb what is happening with children these days I am not sure that any age is truly 'safe'. One really wonders where it will head . . .