What were these teens thinking?!

[Annie68]

Story from today's local paper....I am in shock. What were these girls thinking?!

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006601270321

 

[Virgo10]

I don't think the punishment was too severe. Good for that judge!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Please...These girls were the pretty, popular,smart kids who got everything. They felt like they were above the laws.
Where did they get it from? The parents.

Their parents were stunned.

Stesney's mother, Cheryl Stesney, who would not let her daughter comment for this report, said Martone "let his anger get out of control. He was just so hurt and embarrassed by that Web site."

Polly Meerschaert agreed. "I do feel this is all about vengeance. I won't say my daughter didn't make a mistake. But the minute it became personal, the judge should've removed himself," she said.

 

[Mimi Q]

I don't think the punishment was too severe. Good for that judge!

 

[numbersman]

Good job on that judge's part! He's not afraid to stand up for what he believes in, and it would be hard for anyone to argue against his cause (trying to prevent underage drinking and/or alcohol abuse). What surprises me is the parents, and how much opposition they had to the punishments. I think the punishment might have carried some more weight had the parents sat down and said to their daughters "You know what, the judge is right, and you should not have done this, and hopefully this will show you that you can't do these kinds of things." Unfortunately, they seem to be sending the message that the judge is just "out to get them," which doesn't seem to be the case at all with this judge. Kind of makes you wonder what the parents really think about the whole thing...

 

[4cruisin]

Their parents must be so proud

 

[Nancy]

The judge said NO ALCOHOL...they are underage, they go out and keep drinking, take pictures, put it on the internet...but Mommy and Daddy think the punishment is too harsh??? No wonder the kids think the rules don't apply to them.


Good for the judge for being a crusader against under age drinking. Hopefully these girls spending some time in jail will sink in and they will realize that the laws apply to them too.

 

[pjlla]

I'm tempted to print that article and suggest that it be copied and passed out at the high school come Prom time! My kids are young, but I will be discussing this with my daughter as a lesson for the future!..............P

 

[drakethib]

They showed no respect for the law.

They were given a chance and did not use it.

They got what they deserved.

 

[declansdad]

They showed no respect for the law.

They were given a chance and did not use it.

They got what they deserved.

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

Good call on the judge's part. I am glad he did not back down, they had their chance but did it anyway and got caught...now they know that the judge was for real.

 

[cardaway]

Polly Meerschaert agreed. "I do feel this is all about vengeance. I won't say my daughter didn't make a mistake. But the minute it became personal, the judge should've removed himself," she said.

I have to agree with this. No doubt the judge was acting on emotion, not just enforcing the law. Had it been about a different subject people would feel differently about the judge acting on emotion.

 

[floridafam]

I love how one of the Moms blames it on MSU. They yanked her out of there because of the "culture of drinking."

Give me a break. Her daughter knows right from wrong.

 

[swanmom]

Her daughter knows right from wrong.

Apparently, NOT! She not only doesn't know whats wrong with that kind of drinking but doesn't have a problem with ridiculing legal authority, defaming the good name of a person who tries to help teens, posting obscenities on the internet and publicly violating a court imposed sanction! Soooooooo, it must have been the fault of the school ... yeah, right.

 

[Sandy V.]

They showed no respect for the law.

They were given a chance and did not use it.

They got what they deserved.

I agree.

 

[Galahad]

teens thinking

Isn't that an oxymoron?

 

[Annie68]

I'm relieved you all think as I do about this, that the punishment fit the crime. I couldn't believe the parents were criticizing the judge, did they not see anything wrong with their daughter's actions? It seemed to me that the last girl, the one the judge felt showed remorse, had parents who supported the judge. It made me wonder, at home what were the other parents saying to their girls? My DH said it goes back to the fact that some parents feel the need to be a friend to their kids...instead of a parent.

(The front page of the paper had a picture of the girls, if you want to put faces to the story.)

 

[jodifla]

I'm relieved you all think as I do about this, that the punishment fit the crime. I couldn't believe the parents were criticizing the judge, did they not see anything wrong with their daughter's actions? It seemed to me that the last girl, the one the judge felt showed remorse, had parents who supported the judge. It made me wonder, at home what were the other parents saying to their girls? My DH said it goes back to the fact that some parents feel the need to be a friend to their kids...instead of a parent.

(The front page of the paper had a picture of the girls, if you want to put faces to the story.)

Here's a view from the other side: I'm a parent, and I think the judge was totally out of line. It's his vendetta, his crusade.

The initial punishment is totally out of line with the crime. That does not make teens respect authority. The kids, who weren't misbehaving or drunk, were pulled out of their prom dinner. Then their graduation rights were threatened....all because they did what kids do. They experimented. They weren't driving, and they weren't a threat to anyone.

Now their reaction on the Web site wasn't very well thought out, certainly. But I can see it being a reaction to the overly harsh punishment.

All the previous posters should think about this: Lots of things YOU do every day are "crimes." Living with someone before marriage, in Michigan, that's a crime. It's not enforced, but the laws are on the books. The list goes on and on.

 

[buddy&wooz]

This is why the biggest lesson I try to teach my kids is simply this:

DON'T BE STOOPID!

I always point out people being stoopid- and my kids often point stoopid people out to me, so I think it's sinking in.
Articles like this are actually helping me make my point.

 

[diznygirl]

Here's a view from the other side: I'm a parent, and I think the judge was totally out of line. It's his vendetta, his crusade.

The initial punishment is totally out of line with the crime. That does not make teens respect authority. The kids, who weren't misbehaving or drunk, were pulled out of their prom dinner. Then their graduation rights were threatened....all because they did what kids do. They experimented. They weren't driving, and they weren't a threat to anyone.

Now their reaction on the Web site wasn't very well thought out, certainly. But I can see it being a reaction to the overly harsh punishment.

All the previous posters should think about this: Lots of things YOU do every day are "crimes." Living with someone before marriage, in Michigan, that's a crime. It's not enforced, but the laws are on the books. The list goes on and on.

The kids did what kids do - and they got caught. And because it also happens to be illegal, they got punished. The judge did what judges do. I think that about sums it up.