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*We are meeting at 6:00 p.m. at the Fort Zumwalt West Middle school parking lot.
*Please bring a candle, cup to hold the candle and something to light the candle. (If you cut a small X in the bottom of the cup, you can slide the candle through it and then you won't have wax dripping on you)
*We will then light the candle's shortly after 6:00 p.m. and start walking from the school down Waterford crystal drive towards Megan's house and end up in front of the Drew's house.
*There is a common ground area across the street and we will have pa system and microphone. if anyone would like to speak, read a poem, etc., they are more than welcome.
*This wonderful idea came from students who wanted to see justice for Megan and for that we are so happy. Nothing we can do will bring Megan back, but we can all learn from Megan and take a part of her with us everyday for the rest of our lives to try to be a better person and think about things we say to people before we say them!
*****Remember this is a peaceful candlelight vigil******
We hope to see everyone there!
That these people are so remorseless for their sick pathological behavior is sick. Mrs. Drew KNEW Megan had ADHD and was depressed and PREYED ON HER. Abuse? It was stalking, harrassment and emotional terrorism.
Megan's mother would do well to let this matter drop already. Let it go.
http://www.michaelcrook.org/blog/category/megan...
Michael Crook
www.michaelcrook.org
Mays Landing, New Jersey
I couldn't disagree with you more, and your incredibly nasty remarks about how the "world is better off without the emo" really speaks to the perspective from which you write.
The fact is that an adult tricked a vulnerable kid into believing she was worthless enough to hang herself and that adult doesn't believe she has any responsibility in the matter.
As for the year which passed, it has been made clear over and over again that law enforcement authorities asked the Meiers to wait to go public until they had investigated. After they waited and placed their faith in law enforcement, they were told no laws had been broken.
The only option left was to go public, because Lori Drew should not live out the rest of her days thinking she had ANY justification for what she did. She had none.
But more disturbing than that are the actions of authorities: If it had been an adult MALE that "carried on" in a sexually explicit way with a 13 year old girl, even if it WERE for the purposes of revenge for his teen daughter, he'd be locked up as a pedophile.
Second, there are al-READY laws on the books that cover this type of harassment. For chrissake: just implement them!
What is particularly chilling to me, is that Lori Drew knew that the victim was known to be suicidal in the past. That means that her statement to her that the "world would be better off without you" or whatever it was... is even MORE chilling: it means she was TRYING to steer this girl to suicide. It means she had a desire to push it in that direction, and did so.
Reminds me of Charles Manson. He never "technically" put his own hands upon his victims either, but he "made it happen" by manipulating people, I mean that's the premise upon which he was convicted: that he had INCITED it.
Same thing here. Lori Drew incited this suicide and should be just as responsible as Manson was when he incited those murders---and she should also be treated just like any other adult who engages in online relationships of a sexual nature with under-aged children.
As someone who follows 1st Amendment issues, I would not be surprised if a court struck down this law at some point in the future.
I realize that this probably sounds insensitive, but I just know that much speech is protected in our country. I'm not sure calling people bad names qualifies.
However, what Lori Drew did is sick and heinous and if there is a criminal law out there (which is possible) that covers what she did aside from saying nasty things then I think the prosecutor should go for it.
As for Lori Drew, she sounds like a sick, immature, selfish, narcissistic, idiotic, female dog. She also sounds like a terrible mother. I actually feel sorry that her daughter has to suffer this ridiculous excuse for a mother. She's certainly setting a bad example for her own daughter. If I were in the Meier's position, I would sue her for wrongful death and try to get every last cent she has. Money is no conciliation in the death of a child, but it will hurt Lori Drew.
Even if criminal or civil penalties are not imposed I strongly believe in the mantra, "what goes around, comes around" and that we all get what we deserve in the end. From the stories I have read, it looks like the neighborhood is already ostracizing the Drews. Their address and names are all over the internet. People know who they are. Lori Drew may be unrepentant at this time, but give it time. If she and her family end up suffering enough because of her stupidity and immaturity, she just may see the terrible error of her ways.
No matter what Megan's personality, foibles, etc., Lori Drew knew she was dealing with a teenager and teenagers tend to be emotional, insecure, and anxious. Add to that Megan's particular insecurities and what Lori Drew did was not just cruel, but monstrous. She was (supposed to be) the adult in the situation and should have had the maturity, not to mention basic common sense, to not act as she did.
I agree with your thoughts on First Amendment issues, believe it or not. However, MySpace is not public property and I doubt the Internet can be deemed public property, given the ownership of the telcos. ;-)
More fundamentally, it would be an extremely difficult law to enforce, just as the existing federal law Hypatia mentions is. That law essentially makes it a crime to *anonymously* harass someone. In other words, using your real name and harassing is okay; doing it under a pseudonym is a crime. I have yet to see the Feds enforce it and the FBI did investigate this case before telling the Meiers no laws had been broken. In fact, the US Attorney has not responded to press inquiries about whether he will prosecute. I'm guessing part of his reluctance stems from the fact that in the end, the harm inflicted was self-harm.
Yet there's no question in my mind that if RON Drew had been the one harassing Megan, he would've been hauled up on charges. There's a real double standard there.
The story is so incredibly sad.
Michael Crook sounds like Lori Drew.
Candy, Michael Crook is a Holocaust denier, too. He may not be Lori Drew, but he isn't any truthteller either.
The mentally ill do not lose the right to be treated fairly and above-board, Ms. Drew. Your sociopathy deserves investigation. What complicated feelings led you to do this?
La noticia fue publicada hoy en un diario chileno de circulación nacional y fue comentada en un programa de TV.
Sinceramente, me parece horrible lo sucedido, lo lamento mucho y comprendo la angustia de sus cercanos. Ojalá Dios haga justicia, no perdamos la fe.
Un saludo afectuoso desde Chile :)
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007...
A lawyer friend suggests that Drew violated the federal telecommunications act. The local prosecutor may be able to do nothing, but the District Attorney can be unleashed.
I think the US Attorney has to prosecute, and as far as I can see, the FBI has concluded their investigation with no plans to pursue it.
I've been thinking about why no criminal charges have been filed, and I really do believe it comes down to her suicide, which is unfortunate. Because she self-harmed herself, the prosecutor's argument for the Drews' responsibility is diluted. However, it seems to me that Lori Drew clearly violated that part of the law that related to anonymous harassment. I also think a prosecutor who really believed in their case could make an effective argument that Lori Drew's actions online caused Megan's suicide, but for some odd reason there doesn't appear to be much prosecutorial interest in pursuing it, which leaves the door open for more of this kind of abuse.
The whole situation is just completely pathetic and aggravating.
Many people, so it seems, are becoming vigilantes and dreaming up ways to harm Drew and her family because of what she did. Well, consider - Drew used the power of the internet to harm a child. Now, that same power is being used against her. I am sure her business will be ruined. I still think she is also guilty of criminal offenses. Still it's important to remember that what goes around comes around. Karma will take care of Drew, so nobody has to do anything more to make this true.
Diane Gordon
why hasn't the St. charles county autorities been
called on her and have her children removed from that mad house?
LORI DREW obviously makes very bad desions as a parent and is a bad example!
LORI DREW doesn't deserve to have children perhaps she might feel some grief if she lost her own children to the state.
I AM DYING TO SEE WHAT LORI DREW LOOKS LIKE!
SOMEONE PLEASE POST THIS BITCHES DRIVERS PHOTO.
What the HELL are the cops doing anything??????
YOU BOTH HAVE ANOTHER Daughter that needs both of you.
Your love will overcome anything!
Lori DREW is just jelous of you Tina and shes trying to destroy your life with a big smile on her face, cuz she's your best friend.
She was jelous of your beautiful daughter Megan who looked just like her gorgous mom.
You and your family are her victims and seperating is exactly what this cunt wants you to do.
DON"T let this bitch win!
LORI DREW is a "SOCIOPATH".
Your life is a fun game she's been playing all along pretending to be your friend. Think back over the years and you will realize how sneaky she's been all along. There is a book called "the socialpath next door" read it and it will help you understand what a truley sneaky sick bitch LORI is! Lori DREW has no conscience and can do and did anything at all without feeling guilty. Someone normal wouldn't be able to handle the burden of knowing there actions made someone especially a child to kill themself. LORI DREW HAS NO REMORSE!
PLEASE DON'T LET DREW WIN!
When you are face-to-face with your maker will NOT be the appropriate time to realize that all of your warped beliefs were wrong! Be careful to find joy in the misery of others.
Proverbs 18:7 A fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are the snare of his soul.
Meiers Family....
I am praying for the preservation of your marriage and for healing and comfort in your lives! Your circumstances may seem hopeless, but
ALL things are possible through Jesus Christ.
God has changed people more vile than Mr. Crook and God can most certainly restore your marriage!!
P.S. I am praying for you too Mr. Crook!
1. if lori was a man posing as a teen boy, wouldnt he be labelled a child preditor, no matter what the conversations were?
2.as adults, the power of words is far stronger than a teenagers,there for able to cut into a tender teen psychie with a sharper sword? since when does an true adult stoop to the level of a teen ager? she shoudl have gone parent to parent to resolve any teen conflicts. i ma sure some where in there,,there is a punnishable law.
3. cant megans parents go to civil court, a vulnarable teen killed her self because of words from an adult.
i will say the sites that post megan was no angel,,and ya know,,on that point,,they might be right,,,what teenager is an angel? they are teenagers!! and that comes with the good and the bad,,well, now i think aobut it,,we ALL are good and bad, but as adults, we usually gain judgement on how to keep balance.
the drews shoudl loose their kids pending psych evaluations, imagine how they lack skills to raise their kids if they can give them the flasehood that what they did was just fine. imagine them looking at their kids saying,,see,,we didnt get arrested for what we did,,shame on the government.
m son at 15 was victum of internet death threats, i found out who it was,,went to the state atty generals office,then to the local police and the principal. the guilty parties were called into the police station and all was straightened out with a lecture from police cheif. I NEVER thought of stooping to a teenagers level like the drews. what the heck was going thru their brain cells?
http://clearblogs.com/theexposer/84756
The first question I have in this debate is simple. What is new here? Since before the French Revolution, the media has been used to 'out' individuals who's actions seem to bear public relevancy in some way.
Although Lori Drew has not yet been charged in the case of Megan Meier, the media has never required formal charges to be made before running a story. In the case of some journalist like Dan Rather, some media outlets run with stories before even confirming that they're true.
In this particular case, media outlets that have chosen to withhold Lori Drew's identity have done so in consideration of other Drew family members.
I'm wondering if by doing this, the media plans to always withhold the names of interesting persons who outrage the community, if those persons have children. This would certainly be quite a ground-breaking event
Right at this moment, there is a story of a cop who is under investigation in the strange death of one wife and the disappearance of another. The cop in the story has a family, yet the media huddles outside his home relentlessly.
I could go back and list thousands of stories where the media wasted no time in delivering the names and occupations of individuals that were later cleared of any wrong-doing. I've never heard of another instance where the media apologized for naming names.
Don Henley's 'Dirty Laundry' certainly applies well to conduct of most major news outlets.
Lori Drew is a primary subject of the story, she is not a rape victim, and is not a minor. Identifying her breaks no new ground, nor does it deviate from what news outlets do on a daily basis.
I also remind readers that her name and her role in the Megan Meier tragedy were documented as public record. A public record that Lori filed on her own accord. This is a critically important fact in this debate.
News outlets, bloggers and the general public were handed Lori's name and Lori's own self admissions when she herself filed that police report and sought to elevate the entire situation into the public domain.
Had Lori Drew simply acknowledged what she did was wrong, and apologized - the police report that identified her may have never been filed, and the entire situation may have well been kept at the lowest profile.
Will we see the media write about this? Not likely.
Danny Vice
http://weeklyvice.blogspot.com
I was also a troubled ADHD, socially awkward teenager. I thank God there was no internet and no people like Lori Drew in my life in the 60's. Things were hard enough. I'm sure Megan was difficult. I know I was -- and very emotional. But I can think of no act she could have committed (short of having caused their daughter's death) that would have justified her actions. Lori says she went online and set up this whole predatory scheme to protect her own daughter/ to see what Megan was saying bad about her kid. But eventhefinal horrible e-mails from Lori didn't say that Megan had actually said horrible things to him about Lori's daughter. It said that he (the made-up boy) had heard these things. In other words, Megan never even did what Lori was supposedly online looking for/ talk dirt Sara, which in my book means she went online and stalked/ molested... that child on purpose.
I am normally the 1st to say let the legal system handle this, but they have made it clear they will not.
So, we need to insist it be done and work to pass/ support legislation making this specific behavior a felony -- or just tweak the current internet predator laws to specifically include this and similar situations, to close the loopholes.
Here's my previous letters. Go to rottenneighbor.com for lists of other agencies... to call (posted before I wrote these):
My new message:
I made a few calls/ went online and got the following contact info for the State of Missouri Child Protective Services Office in St. Charles County:
Contact Information
St. Charles County
Danielle Abrams, Circuit Manager
3737 Harry S Truman Blvd, Suite 100
St Charles MO 63301
Phone: (636) 940-3170
Fax: (636) 940-3186
(I also called another friend in Cal. who recently retired after 20+ years as a Social Worker in Child Protective Services. He agreed that Lori Drew going online with minors including her own daughter and doing what she did at least merits an investigation as emotional abuse of the minors involved. He was also appalled that a parent would participate in such an activity with minors and agreed this could be one of the few situations where you would actually remove teenagers who wanted to stay from their home. And -- I might add -- it is pretty hard to shock 2 social workers who have worked a total of 40 years with Childrens' Services and with sex offenders. But this one does it.)
So please call/ write/ fax... the above Childrens' Services Office, too. If you live in the area, go to the office -- demand they investigate this horrible mother/ person/ role model. But please DO NOT call and jam up their 1-800 hotline number. Others have to be able to get thru to report other abuse. Jamming that line up would seriously endanger other children. We do not want to do that.
And please be civil. We are right on this. Let's not taint that with bad behavior/ language. (Oh, my God, I'm my mother.) And remember, many of the people we contact probably feel like we do, and many of them knew Megan and feel her loss personally. We don't want to cause them more pain or alienate them. A woman at Curt Drew's real estate office told me he was let go the day the story broke. Noone there had any idea this had happenned before that. She also told me that Tina Meier (Megan's mom) also used to work for their company in another local office and that most of them know her, too.
And they are getting non-stop hostile calls. She also said that we (and of course their own community) have put Lori out of business and that she expects they will leave the area. (Can Tina or someone else directly involved verify what this woman told me? And if it is true, please leave her former clients and his former employer alone now.)
(My previous message:)
My heart goes out to the Meier family.
As a retired social worker who worked 20+ years in mental health, child protective services..., I must ask: how can an adult, a parent, do this to any child -- and why haven't the Drew children been removed from that home? What a horrible human being, and what a horrible role model for any child. And this is the Drew family's idea of a family activity. How special. Add Missouri Child Protective Services to the list of who people should be contacting.
And the ***** admits to it and says the Meier family should get over it, move on. I have seen people like Lori Drew killed by distraught parents, and often the parent gets off. It's called justifiable homicide. Just the fact that Lori Drew and her family are still alive speaks to the fact that the Meier's are better/ more controlled people than she.
I'm sorry, it is not enough that Lori Drew rot in Hell some day. Nor is it enough that they can probably win a wrongful death suit and get money from her. She also needs to rot in jail for a while. She also needs to lose her kids and see how fast she gets over it -- and her kids would be alive in someone else's home.
If it were my child, and the ***** was running around free telling me to get over it, I'm not sure she'd still be alive. I like to think I have more control than that, but I'm not sure I do.
What Lori Drew did is the ultimate in irresponsibility. How can she expect her daughter to become a decent adult when she herself acts like a teenager? As parent’s it is our job to keep an eye on what our children do and to teach them constructive ways of dealing with problems, not teach them how to be bullies.
What I can’t believe is that Lori Drew still does not admit any wrongdoing and is upset that people are giving her a dose of her own medicine. How does she enjoy it???
The other thing that concerns me are the number of people making the comment that the parents should ‘just get over it’ as it happened over a year ago. How does one ‘get over’ the death of a child? The dialog should go on because if it changes the law or gets just one person to think before they act like Lori Drew, then it will have served a purpose.
My sincere condolences to the Meier family on the loss of their daughter.
I may be reaching with this argument, but wouldn't this example of Lori Drew behavior be an example of a person who cleverly terrorised a person who has a mental condition under the age of majority. What makes this so disturbing, Lori befriended her so she could ultimately manipulate Tinas' child to go to her death chamber.
I think the Bin Ladden and Lori Drew have simular tendancies but the American Justice does not see it as simular. How bizzar.
There are not enough negative adjectives to describe such a person, nor do I need to state them, we all know them.
On another website anyone speaking out against this crime (written laws or not) is being censored. It seems that they don't feel that the names of the Drew's should have been released, to protect their 13 year old.
Personally I see it as a public courtesy so that I can prevent my family from associating with the Drew family. I truly hope their 13 year old gets help.. I'm sure that being raised by Lori Drew she has some very tainted views of life and how to treat her fellow man.
(The Golden Rule...do unto others...)
On the TODAY SHOW this morning (12/4/2007)the Drew's attorney said that nothing negative had been said until the final 24 hours (in defense of Lori Drew). Forgive me for my knowledge, but if you want to destroy someone the most effective way is to gain their total trust and then attack them. From what I have read of Lori Drew, she is no dummy and I am sure that was her plan.
The only way Lori Drew could understand the Meier's pain is to lose her own daughter (and I wish no harm to her daughter), but she will never feel the depth of pain that she has created.
They say "No Law Was Broken". How about the use of a public utility to do harm... Has anyone reviewed that angle. If it is unlawful to use the Postal System to cause harm... how about the electronic mail system?
Lori Drew should pay for this, there was no other purpose for HER action than to Lie, Deceive and Cause Harm (at minimum.. mental anguish)to an ADHD Child. A new set of laws must be established for future misuse of Email.
Lets all push for the Megan Law in her honor and so that her death will not be in vain.
As for Lori Drew... The ultimate judgement will be with her maker.. HE WILL JUDGE HER for her lies and the death you caused.. I believe this was covered under several of the 10 commandments. But then, maybe she doesnt believe in God either.
Personally Lori Drew.. I feel said for you and hope you think about Megan all through this Holiday season and all those that come... No matter what Holidays you celebrate. Just as the Meier family will be doing.
Phil Gray, Florida
Please stick together, never laying blame or depression on your spouse who is suffering as badly as you are, which can lead to divorce. Please suffer and share together, keep communication open, even if you are hiding something you blame your self for.
Please file a Malice Civil Suit, if your pocketbook can afford it, and have the football table case dismissed.
My heart is truly with you.
Everyone except her is to blame, what I would expect from any child not fully developed.
I had a mother and father our niegbors (I use these words loosely)
take my 15 year old daughter and for five years we didn't know weather our daughter was alive or died.
And during a blog I had started at the time the mother and all the friends and family would come on and accuse us of everything (all-I mean every single word was a lie).
They wrote all these lies to convince the people in town who didn't know us directly how bad We (my wife and I) were, while the folks we actually did know would say BULL it didn't happen.
So remember people when you read Lori Drews blogs
this was a scheming woman who used her age,knowledge and everything that should apply to an adult and aimed that at a 13 year old teenage girl forget any handicaps this child may have had (to any child that only searches for aceptance and love)this would be the end of the world.
In her blog Lori makes statements and then shows how full of crap she is example:
If Megans parents took more concern! two lines later she said "Megans parents grounded her from myspace"
sounds like they did care and was Lori helping these friends of thiers NO she was promoting the very thing Megans mother was trying to stop.
She and the parents that took my daughter are very sick people that need to be locked up if only to protect the children.
In 2006 Our Daughter returned to us: she was never allowed to attend school, when she asked, she was not allowed to return home she was taken to bear children. Because thier son picked our daughter, they just took her.
I thought this was interesting and educational.... ;p
Thank you for taking the time to come by and post your comments and thoughts. I appreciate them but want to clarify a couple of things.
First, my prayers and sympathy are also with the Drew's daughter, who is as much a victim of her mother and her mother's 'employee' as anyone else. I don't want anything bad to happen to her and I hope that she's able to take away something constructive from this whole sad situation.
With regard to Lori Drew, it seems clear that she will not be prosecuted under our current laws. At this point, the best we can hope for, it appears, is that she will have some kind of epiphany and realize the harm done, even if her fingers did not type the message that sent Megan into that final tailspin. I do believe that she gave no thought to possible consequences because she was thinking only of herself. On the other hand, focusing a lot of anger and even hate at her will not help her realize her role in Megan's suicide. I can only hope that as she looks in the mirror, she starts to understand it.
I somehow doubt it. People who are filled with self-righteousness rarely bother with introspection. But I don't want to be like her, or encourage anyone else to be like her either. It's probably better to think of positive ways to move forward and make the Internet better for the next victim of the next Lori Drew. I'd like to think that's not by making more laws. Maybe the ones we have should be clarified. Maybe there's a technical solution. But somehow, this should not be something that happens again.
Parenting has to be accounted for when looking at a situation like this. Had her upbringing been better this fiasco would have never happened. This is a complex event, and I personally believe that fault lays with everyone associated with the whole situation.
I am sorry for your loss Mrs. Meier; I only wish such events never had occurred.
When you look at the time period between the final email and the terrible result.. you find the trigger.
Lori Drew and her actions (whether she typed that email personally or not)appear to be the trigger.
Having a 13 year old ADHD granddaughter I understand the complexity involved in these special children's upbringing.
For one to try and bring attention to her complex upbringing appears to be the act of smoke screening to try and redirect the attention away from the guilty parties... The Drews.
Everyone has the right to communicate through Email. We do not have the right to create fictitious persons in order to mislead and do emotional harm.
Lori Drew knew Megan was ADHD and choose to go ahead even knowing Megan had emotional stability problems.
I am left wondering two things Colin.
1. Have YOU personally raised an ADHD child?
2. Are you connected to the Drew family in some way?
Phil Gray.. Florida
XXXVIII Mo.Rev.Stat. Sec. 565.225 Crime of stalking--definitions--penalties.
Section 225 Crime of stalking--definitions--penalties.
565.225. 1. As used in this section, the following terms shall mean:
(1) "Course of conduct", a pattern of conduct composed of a series of acts, which may include electronic or other communications, over a period of time, however short, evidencing a continuity of purpose. Constitutionally protected activity is not included within the meaning of "course of conduct". Such constitutionally protected activity includes picketing or other organized protests;
(2) "Credible threat", a threat made with the intent to cause the person who is the target of the threat to reasonably fear for his or her safety. The threat must be against the life of, or a threat to cause physical injury to, a person and may include a threat communicated to the targeted person in writing, including electronic communications, by telephone, or by the posting of a site or message that is accessible via computer;
(3) "Harasses", to engage in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that serves no legitimate purpose, that would cause a reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress, and that actually causes substantial emotional distress to that person.
2. Any person who purposely and repeatedly harasses or follows with the intent of harassing another person commits the crime of stalking.
3. Any person who purposely and repeatedly harasses or follows with the intent of harassing or harasses another person, and makes a credible threat with the intent to place that person in reasonable fear of death or serious physical injury, commits the crime of stalking.
3. Any person who purposely and repeatedly harasses or follows with the intent of harassing or harasses another person, and makes a credible threat with the intent to place that person in reasonable fear of death or serious physical injury, commits the crime of aggravated stalking.
4. The crime of stalking shall be a class A misdemeanor for the first offense. A second or subsequent offense within five years of a previous finding or plea of guilt against any victim shall be a class D felony.
5. The crime of aggravated stalking shall be a class D felony for the first offense. A second or subsequent offense within five years of a previous finding or plea of guilt against any victim shall be a class C felony.
6. Any law enforcement officer may arrest, without a warrant, any person he or she has probable cause to believe has violated the provisions of this section.
(L. 1993 H.B. 476 & 194 1, A.L. 2002 S.B. 969, et al.)
XXXVIII Mo.Rev.Stat. Sec. 565.090 Harassment.
Section 090 Harassment.
565.090. 1. A person commits the crime of harassment if for the purpose of frightening or disturbing another person, he
(1) Communicates in writing or by telephone a threat to commit any felony; or
(2) Makes a telephone call or communicates in writing and uses coarse language offensive to one of average sensibility; or
(3) Makes a telephone call anonymously; or
(4) Makes repeated telephone calls.
2. Harassment is a class A misdemeanor.
(L. 1977 S.B. 60)
XXXV Mo.Rev.Stat. Sec. 509.210 Libel and slander, averments--defenses.
Section 210 Libel and slander, averments--defenses.
509.210. In an action for libel or slander, it shall not be necessary to state in the petition any extrinsic facts, for the purpose of showing the application to the plaintiff of the defamatory matter out of which the claim arose, but it shall be sufficient to state, generally, that the same was published or spoken concerning the plaintiff; and if such allegation be not controverted in the answer, it shall not be necessary to prove it on the trial; in other cases it shall be necessary. The defendant may, in his answer, allege both the truth of the matter charged as defamatory and any mitigating circumstances admissible in evidence to reduce the amount of damages; and whether he prove the justification or not, he may give in evidence the mitigating circumstance.
(L. 1943 p. 353 53)
"Sixty Minutes." My condolences
to the parents, family and
friends of this beautiful girl,
Megan. I grieve with you.
It is impossible to know how
anyone could be so devious as to
harass a child to the point of
suicide, but unfortunately the
world is filled with bad people
and Mrs. Drew appears to be one
of them. I do believe in karma.
Assuming Mrs. Drew is as corrupt
as has been reported, she and
those in her life will pay
dearly for her actions.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/PsQxK7u59fv1kPBVn7cvsw
Public Library.My library offers computer
use free,and I see a lot of young people going
on to My Space.To others who read this,go to Find A Grave,Put in Megan Meier and leave notes,flowers,etc.Megan RIP
My prayers are not only with Megans parents but with Megan as well. I pray that she has finally found the peace that alluded her throughout her short life. God Bless you Megan.
And to all of you who criticize the Meier's and question where they were or why they didn't do more...STOP. I'm certain this was one of those times that they as parents made the decision to let her try and figure it out for herself. And now they are paying unfairly for their decision. What a terrible price to pay.
And finally, I pray for myself and my inability to pray for Lori Drew. Her behavior in this situation is nothing short of criminal and her morals and integrity..despicable. She is paying the price as well.
Until that day when everything blew up, the MySpace account had been a source of joy for Megan. It was only that day, when messages started coming in that were ugly and mean, that it became a problem. And when it did, Megan's mother told her to turn off the computer and stay off of it until she could review the messages. Of course, what came next was tragic.
Some folks think she shouldn't have been allowed on MySpace at all. I disagree. She was being monitored and as far as her parents knew, all was well and it would have been, if someone who got the password from Lori Drew had not decided to turn Megan upside down by using the "Josh" account to bully her.
One such other case....The case of Nikki Catsouras, is a classic example of disgusting, hateful activity against innocent victims, while our lawmakers excuse themselves from enacting laws to prevent this.
The excuse lawmakers use to let themselves off the hook stem from the growth of the Internet and how fast it's changing. This is a sham.
Chat rooms, message boards, instant messengers and email have been in existence for far over a decade now. While the software used to transmit messages changes slightly, the basic essence of using the Internet to send a message is largely the same. Is a decade or two long enough to establish some basic decency laws in regards to Internet usage?
I’ve posted the Nikki Catsouras story along with many details about the Megan Meier case so the inactivity out of our lawmakers towards these types of cases can be clearly seen.
Those who are interested in learning about cases like Megan’s and Nikki’s case are encouraged to drop by and comment on them if you like. I have a couple of polls set up as well. Danny Vice would like to hear your point of view.
Public awareness of the problem and discussions about possible solutions are the best way to pressure elected officials into action instead of excuse making.
I invite you to come by and share your opinion.
Danny Vice
http://weeklyvice.blogspot.com
The object is to help them live a normal life and to associate with others in a normal way. That would include email and if chosen "My Space".
Unfortunately there are sick and twisted predatory people out there prowling on the week and innocent (Charles Darwin). These predatory personalities create fictitious characters (Charles Darwin) to hide so that they can do harm. Knowing they are wrong and afraid to show their real faces.
As for your theory Charles Darwin... as a former large cat handler (Tigers, leopards etc.) I fully understand the laws of the wild jungle. But our society is NOT a wild jungle (or at least.. it is not supposed to be.) We have rules to live by. I wonder if you had been one of the victims in those Colorado Churches yesterday if someone would stand over your dead body, shake their head and say,,, "oh well, survival of the fittest?"
Again I am left with this question... how are you two (Frank and Charles Darwin) related to the Drews... Family.. friends.. Them?
Phil Gray (my real name)... Florida
Darwin is right. If it wasn't this, what else could it of been? What happens to Megan when a real boy breaks up with her. Do you blame him for the suicide? What if she fails a test in school and kills her self, do you blame the teacher? What if she got a job at McDonalds and got fired, do you blame the manager? In no way, am I defending the actions of Lori Drew, but the way people on the internet have been calling for her head is out of control. So many people on here won't even listen to reason, and people like me get labeled as insensitive. I think its important to step back examine the whole situation for what it really was.
This blog-site was intended to discuss these particular events, NOT ALL HAPPENINGS IN GENERAL. At least that is how I understand it (please forgive me if I am wrong)
This WAS NOT a real boyfriend... though Megan was led to believe It WAS prompted by actions of deception directed by Lori Drew. This was a trap...
If you and DARWIN (whoever they really are) want to discuss Laws of the jungle or even better yet, strategy of JUNGLE WARFARE where traps are laid in order to surprise a stronger adversary,.. then I would be glad to engage...
Frank... you need to step back and see the whole picture for what it was.. a physiological trap to do harm to an ADHD thirteen year old child whom Lori Drew knew was dealing with the effects of ADHD.
You and DARWIN are welcome to deliver all the smoke screening you want... the owner of this blog site has allowed an open format... But know that I will respond to anyone who tries to redirect others views from the truth..
I have NO connection to the Meier's family, I have never met them.. spoke to them nor had any communication of any kind with them. I am just the grandfather of two ADHD grandchildren of Megan's age and have been touched by the story..
I do NOT want any physical harm to come to anyone in the Drew family... I DO want to see Lori Drew spend time behind bars... Those are the rules of our society..
An adult knowingly help create an ongoing lie that led to a child's demise..
These are ONLY MY OPINIONS from my view and I do NOT claim to know all truths... But my opinions ARE educated hands-on opinions... But I do know there IS a GOD and GOD knews all truths and Lori Drew and her supportive friends and family will meet their maker sooner or later... Thank God for her.. God is more forgiving than men.
Phil Gray... Florida
Whether Lori Drew actually wrote the series of messages that led Megan down the path to her suicide is in question. However, she had control of the password and account information and as an adult, should have shut down that account rather than sanctioning and continuing it over a span of six weeks.
How on earth would she ever have been able to get out of it without causing Megan heartache?
I believe that she did not intend for anything to happen that would have caused Megan's suicide. On the other hand, she was the adult and should have known better than to even consider, much less implement, a deception that was dead-ended and cruel. Why invent a boyfriend? Why not just a girl who was a friend of a myspace friend? The boyfriend ruse was clearly intended to get Megan's attention and gain her trust rapidly.
Like Phil, I am not, nor have I ever, advocated any harm coming to the Drew family. In fact, I'm concerned for Lori Drew's daughter and her forced isolation from friends and others as a result of the threats being made against her. This post and the others I've written have called for legal recourse against Lori Drew's actions, which she cleverly avoided by spreading around the login information and being fortunate enough to walk right in between the lines.
If there is no legal recourse, I certainly do not advocate vigilante justice. That's even more wrong than the original act.
However, society has the right to exclude her as a result of her actions, and that's what is happening now.
As to those who say that Megan's parents were irresponsible about letting her on MySpace when they knew she was fragile, I will reiterate: Until the day that everything blew up, that interaction was a positive thing in Megan's life, not negative. And when it did blow up, it did it fast and furious, which is typical of flame wars in online communities. It happened randomly, with no rhyme or reason, and I'm sure it devastated Megan. I wish she would not have acted on her suicidal impulse, but she did, and yes, no one tied the knot on the noose for her. However, to discover after the fact that the instigator was a supposedly responsible parent is just about beyond comprehension.
Well put ..
I wish we could turn back the clock, have Megan's life back and all still keep the life lesson... But we can't.
I feel certain in my heart that Megan is looking down at us, saddened and wishing that we would let this go...
I wish we could too. But we must prevent these actions from reoccurring and the best way I know is to show people examples of other people's cruelty and the results... History is the best teacher of actions and the resulting reactions, cause and effect.
I wish all of you A Happy Holiday Season and my Special Thoughts and Prayers go out to all involved
Phil Gray... Florida
Let us not now in our anger indulge ourselves in an orgy of outrage and hate but instead let us pray that the two families might forgive each other's trespasses so that there might again be peace and concord between them. Let us loose ourselves of our self righteousness so that we might know that we all are sinners who only by the grace of the LORD do we walk upon this earth and that we all deserve nothing and that we ourselves all have at one time or another caused injustices to befall others. Let us not follow the examples of those who, in their eagerness to pursue justice, cause injustices to fall upon others as Mrs Wells has done but instead let us follow the path that Christ has laid out before us; that of forgiveness and love. I beseech all of you let go of your anger and to find a more constructive and -dare I say- more Christian response to this tragedy that has fallen upon both families and upon their neighbours.
There are several simple tests for ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Most Psychiatrists can administer them. I suggest you try one.
(5 lines, well within your attention span)
Phil Gray... Florida