Bullying, Suicide, Punishment
By JOHN SCHWARTZ
Published: October 2, 2010

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/03/weekinreview/03schwartz.html?_r=1

The prosecutor in the case has also said that he will investigate bringing bias charges, based on Mr. Clementi's sexual orientation, which could raise the punishment to 10 years in prison from 5.

But the case has stirred passionate anger, and many have called for tougher charges, like manslaughter — just as outrage led to similar calls against the six students accused of bullying Phoebe Prince, a student in South Hadley, Mass., who also committed suicide earlier this year.

What should the punishment be for acts like cyberbullying and online humiliation?

This bit I like:

QuoteAfter all, what are we to make of Andrew Shirvell, an assistant attorney general in Michigan who devoted his off hours to a blog denouncing the openly gay student body president at his alma mater, the University of Michigan? His posts include accusations that the student, Chris Armstrong, is a "radical homosexual activist" and a photo of Mr. Armstrong doctored with a rainbow flag and swastika. He told Anderson Cooper that he is "a Christian American exercising my First Amendment rights."

On Friday, the attorney general's office announced that Mr. Shirvell was taking personal leave pending a disciplinary hearing.

 

Is our so called morality truly moral, or should we junk the idea?  Shame of the sort that kills needs to be educated out of the very core of our society. Bullies see the powerful end result of shame and use it for the purpose of having some control  or one up manship over something in their lives, and have been taught that life and death power is the best of all.  No apologies to the victim and there is honor in shaming someone else.  We need to have safe places for the victims though where they can learn that what they feel as shame does not make them less loved and valuable, and that the so-called shameful acts are at worst forgetting to wash your hands before coming to the dinner table.  (Regrettably, I know of homes where failure to do that has resulted in a child not being fed!) When will they ever learn? 

The public outrage towards the bullying of the gay kids who took their own lives has finally reached the mainstream.  Hunting season on gays and lesbians is reaching a closing date.  Sadly, it's still pretty much open season on trans kids.  When they take their life, for the same reasons the gay kids did, it hardly makes a blip on the mainstream radar.

Hopefully that will change within my lifetime.