As a New Jersey native, this story about the Rutgers freshman who committed suicide after his roommate filmed him in a sex act and posted it online caught my attention last night. It is a depressing story that raises questions about both morality and the invasive nature of today’s electronic toys.

Police believe Tyler Clementi jumped off the George Washington bridge last week after two students filmed him in a private sex act and posted it.
I am not sure what to say except people can be cruel and that cruelty has a price. How we are raising our kids today that they would think it was funny to videotape another teen in a sexual encounter and post it for the world to see?
But, we have become a nature of voyeurs, whether it’s gawking at the poor woman caught picking her nose on camera this week or a TMZ-surprise attack on some celebrity eating an ice cream cone with his kids.
A friend of mine who threw herself a birthday bash was stunned when a guest posted photos from the party on Facebook. There was nothing indecent about the photos, but my friend was very private and didn’t want photos of her whooping it up for strangers to see. I told her that we are now all living under the constant glare of a camera, except it’s a cell phone capturing every moment of our lives, even the embarrassing ones.
I am not sure if there is a privacy zone anymore, even in dorm rooms. This is a heartbreaking story.
Here is the story from the Associated Press:
The death of a Rutgers University freshman stirred outrage and remorse on campus from classmates who wished they could have stopped the teen from jumping off a bridge last week after a recording of him having a sexual encounter with a man was broadcast online.
“Had he been in bed with a woman, this would not have happened,” said Lauren Felton, 21, of Warren. “He wouldn’t have been outed via an online broadcast and his privacy would have been respected and he might still have his life.”
Gay rights groups say Tyler Clementi’s suicide makes him a national example of a problem they are increasingly working to combat: young people who kill themselves after being tormented over their sexuality.
A lawyer for Clementi’s family confirmed Wednesday that he had jumped off the George Washington Bridge last week. Police recovered a man’s body Wednesday afternoon in the Hudson River just north of the bridge, and authorities were trying to determine if it was Clementi’s.
The lawyer has not responded to requests for comment on whether Clementi was open about his sexual orientation.
Clementi’s roommate, Dhraun Ravi, and fellow Rutgers freshman Molly Wei, both 18, have been charged with invading Clementi’s privacy. Middlesex County prosecutors say the pair used a webcam to surreptitiously transmit a live image of Clementi having sex on Sept. 19 and that Ravi tried to webcast a second encounter on Sept. 21, the day before Clementi’s suicide.
Collecting or viewing sexual images without consent is a fourth-degree crime. Transmitting them is a third-degree crime with a maximum prison term of five years.
ABC News and The Star-Ledger of Newark reported that Clementi left on his Facebook page on Sept. 22 a note that read: “Jumping off the gw bridge sorry.” On Wednesday, his Facebook page was accessible only to friends.
Even if the young violinist from Ridgewood was not well known at his new school, his death stirred outrage.
“The notion that video of Tyler doing what he was doing can be considered a spectacle is just heinous,” said Jordan Gochman, 19, of Jackson, who didn’t know Clementi. “It’s intolerant, it’s upsetting, it makes it seem that being gay is something that is wrong and can be considered laughable.”
Other students who did know Clement were upset that they didn’t do more to help him. “I wish I could have been more of an ally,” said Georges Richa, a freshman from New Brunswick.
About 100 people gathered Wednesday night for a vigil on campus. They lay on the ground and chanted slogans like, “We’re here, we’re queer, we’re not going home.”
Several gay rights groups linked Clementi’s death to the troubling phenomenon of young people committing suicide after being harassed over their sexuality.
On Tuesday, a 13-year-old California boy died nine days after classmates found him hanging from a tree. Authorities say other teens had taunted the boy, Seth Walsh of Tehachapi, for being gay.
Rutgers University President Richard McCormick wrote in a letter to the campus, “If the charges are true, these actions gravely violate the university’s standards of decency and humanity.” Coincidentally, the university on Wednesday was launching a new two-year Project Civility, designed to get students thinking about how they treat others.
236 comments Add your comment
Ernest
September 30th, 2010
9:44 am
It is very unfortunate what happened to this young man. How can we as adults ask children not to post pictures on social media sites because they become a part of the public domain when we have shows like TMZ, paparazzi, and other adults following public figures hoping to find them doing or saying something embarrassing. More people probably know ‘Snooki’ from Jersey Shore than who their local, state, and federal representatives are. It really says something about our culture.
David Sims
September 30th, 2010
9:51 am
Sounds like it was a couple for FOREIGNERS with the camera and the uploading computer.
john konop
September 30th, 2010
9:52 am
A bigger issue is learning to accept people without judging them. I have been very outspoken about gay bashing. In my business it is all about productivity and I could careless about race, sex………
Proud Black Man
September 30th, 2010
9:56 am
Malcolm X said it the best upon hearing about the assassination of JFK; “The chickens are coming home to roost.” H Rap Brown also hit on this subject by stating “violence is as American as cherry pie.”
Maureen Downey
September 30th, 2010
9:58 am
@John, I agree. I also think we have become a society that has turned embarrassing others into sport.
Maureen
Maureen Downey
September 30th, 2010
10:01 am
PBM, Take a look at this New Yorker piece on that very issue of Americans and violence. The piece begins with the horrible case now in the courts in Connecticut where those two home invaders terrorized a family and ultimately killed the mother and two children by burning the house down as the police encircled the home.
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2009/11/09/091109crat_atlarge_lepore
Proud Black Man
September 30th, 2010
10:23 am
@ Maureen
Jesus wept.
Eddie Longs Cadillac
September 30th, 2010
10:42 am
Nothing happened to this young man accept what he decided. He is an adult so lets not go shedding tears of this “poor student”. Actions have consequences and he chose his own.
“his privacy would have been respected and he might still have his life.”
HOGWASH.
The gay community one minute wants DADT, then stay in the closet the next. Just like the democrats are now realizing ya cant have it both ways.
Eddie Longs Cadillac
September 30th, 2010
10:45 am
“adults ask children”
Children? What children…?
Proud Black Man
September 30th, 2010
10:46 am
@ Eddie Longs Cadillac
“Nothing happened to this young man accept what he decided”
ooooooookay…
uninterested
September 30th, 2010
10:52 am
How about the idea that he committed suicide because he knew committing homosexual acts is a sin and he felt guilty about it? People feel guilt when they do things they know they shouldn’t, but when nobody else finds out about it, they manage the guilt and rationalize their behavior to themselves. Once it’s no longer a secret, you either control the guilt or it controls you. It looks like his guilt was in control. I am very sorry this young man was outed and he is no longer with us. Had he talked to someone who was willing to listen and could help him deal with his guilt, he might still be with us.
Ethics and morality in this country have been decaying since the 1960’s and it’s only going to get worse.
R
September 30th, 2010
10:54 am
uninterested, DIAF.
ChristieS.
September 30th, 2010
11:05 am
Hey, Eddie Long and uninterested… How’s about the cretins who violated the bounds of decency, not to mention privacy, pay some kind of price for being wastes of flesh? What gave them the right to record this student without his knowledge and THEN have the unmitigated gall to post the live stream on the ‘net? What is WRONG with you? Bah…I’ve got to get to class, so I’m done with this thread.
re: Maureen’s link to CT incident: PBM, Jesus wept, indeed.
V for Vendetta
September 30th, 2010
11:07 am
I think the voyeurism of our society is a given. We’ve enabled it via technology. It is what it is. However, being gay is as individual as being blue-eyed, short, tall, black, white, etc. This wouldn’t be a problem if people were accepting and understanding of those different from them.
Peadawg
September 30th, 2010
11:17 am
” being gay is as individual as being blue-eyed, short, tall, black, white, etc”
Wrong. You don’t your eye color or skin color. You chose to be gay.
EnoughAlready
September 30th, 2010
11:18 am
We need to learn to accept people for who they are and not whom we want them to be. It should be a crime punishable by jail to post videotapes and pictures (any image) of anyone without their consent.
This does make me think about how hard it must have been for the four young men to come out and accuse Mr. “Bishop” Long of taking advantage of them.
Also, this country was built on a lack of ethics and morality from conception. I have seen the words “Land of the Free” written and spoken. However, you don’t enslave people and kill thousands of natives with the consent of the majority. The history is just a “Feel Good Story”.
HS Public Teacher
September 30th, 2010
11:23 am
@Eddie Long’s Cadillac,
Huh? You can speak for the entire gay community? Wow. Are you the leader of said community and have taken some poll?
The bottom line is that there remains a stigma to this minority group. There remains a discrimination that is sanctioned by our society. Every day, teenagers use the term “gay” as a negative word even though the actions may not be sexual in nature at all. It really is that society substituted the word “gay” for the “n-word” to mean bad or something negative. This is not acceptable at all.
No minority individual or group is lesser than any other. No one person or government body in the US has the right to make them lesser or even feel lesser. That is THE bottom line.
Regardless of your religon, beliefs, sexual orientation, whatever – do the right thing. And, it is NOT to hurt others.
HS Public Teacher
September 30th, 2010
11:27 am
@Peadawg – Although you have the right to “think” what you want, you do not “know” that being gay is a choice.
You can “think” that the moon is made of cheese. It does not make it so.
Are you so hard-headed and so close-minded that there is not even a little part of you that believes that maybe, just maybe, you could be wrong?
Do you “chose” to be straight? Do you have a choice? Could you have sex with a man? Really? If you think that it is a choice, then you are admitting that you could have enjoyable sex with a man. Are you really able to admit that?
Peadawg
September 30th, 2010
11:31 am
“If you think that it is a choice, then you are admitting that you could have enjoyable sex with a man. Are you really able to admit that?”
With Mark Richt if he ever wins a National Championship? Hell yeah.
Atlanta mom
September 30th, 2010
11:33 am
This isn’t about being gay. This is about two imbeciles who thought it was cute to broadcast another person’s sexual activities
john konop
September 30th, 2010
11:38 am
Uninterested,
Do you have the same standard for people who got divorces……..or do you just pick and choose the sin like ordering a pizza?
Kitty Conrad
September 30th, 2010
11:42 am
Peadawg, crawl back under your rock. Being gay is not a choice.
john konop
September 30th, 2010
11:44 am
Atlanta mom,
….This isn’t about being gay…..
NOT TRUE! The kid was only kissing another guy no sexual act. The news reports were clear the kid was mortified to have his parents find out. And obviously this has to do with lack of acceptance and or tolerance of gay people.
I am more into trying to walk in another man’s shoes and not casting stones on personal life style issues. I am more focused on improving myself not others. I thik actions speak louder than words!
pj
September 30th, 2010
11:44 am
The issue is not about whether he was gay or not. WHY is it such a low level crime to videotape and BROADCAST LIVE sex acts??? What sick people who did that. They deserve the full extent of the law re punishment. Let’s start with broadcasting theirs…
Peadawg
September 30th, 2010
11:48 am
“Peadawg, crawl back under your rock. Being gay is not a choice.”
You have your opinion, I have mine.
WE lost our way
September 30th, 2010
11:52 am
He was a Human Being.One of God’s Creation.Gay has nothing to do with this. It is about two people who violated his privacy and the made fun of his actions on the Internet. I wonder how they feel today about their actions? I feel for his family.
Eddie Longs Cadillac
September 30th, 2010
11:54 am
ChristieS.
September 30th, 2010
11:05 am
You are being filmed everyday whether you know it or not. Just be sure the camera is off next time you do it. AH HAHAHAA!!
G.O.A.T.
September 30th, 2010
11:57 am
Tyler Clementi was weak willed. Life is about coping with obstacles. He took a permanent solution to a temporary problem and the fact that this is being raised to the level of a felony only validates this. If more of you helicopter parents would spend lest time covering all the sharp edges of the world and teach your children that the world is not centered on them the better they and society will be.
What Wei and Ravi did was not cool either but it is the same level of prank that pantsing someone or running their underwear up the flagpole. Embarrassing and childish but harmless. Having and maintaining a healthy self esteem is not anyone else’s problem
Eddie Longs Cadillac
September 30th, 2010
11:57 am
“It really is that society substituted the word “gay” for the “n-word” to mean bad or something negative. This is not acceptable at all.”
*TEWY* Thats all just bluster and policitcally correct BS. You Obama voters are gonna learn.
Jen4839234
September 30th, 2010
11:57 am
I definitely think homosexuality is a sin….but there is no excuse for this. These people should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. If this guy was having sex with a female and it was posted on the internet, then it is still wrong. The guy was in his own room and not in a public place. If I rented a house from somebody, is the owner allowed to have video cameras in my bedroom?? I don’t think so.
The Sage
September 30th, 2010
11:58 am
The roommate with the webcam is in violation of state and federal wiretapping laws. Since he wasn’t in his room at the time, the kid who committed suicide had a reasonable expectation of privacy. The roommate with the webcam wasn’t a part of the conversation and activity taking place in the room, so recording it and transmitting it is a big violation of the law. He could face up to 5 years in Federal prison for each offense. But it looks like NJ has state laws that are identical to the federal statutes that he will be prosecuted under.
Whether you are tolerant of homosexuality or not is really irrelevant. If anyone here had their private conversations or actions surreptitiously recorded and by another person and then broadcast all over the internet they would be furious. Yes, we live in a world with cameras on every street corner and in every grocery store. But that’s in public. You have a right to your privacy in your own home.
TK
September 30th, 2010
11:58 am
Speaking as a Gay man. It’s not a choice. I did not wake up one day a select a sexual orientation. I vomit just a little in my mouth every time I hear the word “lifestyle”.
These two should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. They “outed” this young man for sheer sport.
Sadly, Clementi chose the wrong avenue to deal with the issue.
Eddie Longs Cadillac
September 30th, 2010
11:59 am
And another thing. Commiting suicide for any reason, other than being on ones death bed, is 100% a seflish and stupid act. Suicide is about ME ME ME. Poor Me, Lonely Me, Broke Me, Embarrassed Me, Drug-addicted Me.
Eddie Longs Cadillac
September 30th, 2010
12:00 pm
No they should not and will not be prosecuted.
Tosh.No
September 30th, 2010
12:02 pm
PeaDawg – Please change your name so as not to associate yourself with Georgia football because your an embarassment, homophobe. The two kids that put that video up need to be locked up for a long time. There is no excuse for what they did, and they need to be severly punished. Seen some other cases as well of things like this in high schools, and it is just bullying on the next level. These kids were not raised to respect anybody else, and they need to face the consequences of their actions or something is wrong with this country.
Dee
September 30th, 2010
12:05 pm
This is a sad story, but he commited suicide………..unlike the matthew Shepherd case where he was murdered for being gay.
and Gay is as much as choice as Pepsi or Coke!!!!
The Sage
September 30th, 2010
12:05 pm
There have been cases of heterosexual females committing suicide because sex tapes or provocative photos of them made it online. Some people are just very easily embarrassed. That’s what happened here. Yes, he was gay, but getting embarrassed over stuff like this isn’t limited to gay people. Maybe he wasn’t comfortable with his sexuality yet. Guess what! It’s no one else’s business!
Tosh.No
September 30th, 2010
12:06 pm
Did someone really compare what the two little d-bags did to pantsing or running someones underwear up a flagpole? You’re joking right? There are some real winners in here today. I’ll be over there to set the web cam up to film your gay sex session later then buddy. Stay Classy Atlanta.
proudstraighttolerantwhitewoman
September 30th, 2010
12:10 pm
Better to keep your mouth closed and be thought an idiot than to open it and remove all doubt.
Peadawg
September 30th, 2010
12:11 pm
“homophobe”
So I’m a homophobe just b/c I think it’s choice? Nice try. I’ve met many gay people, worked on group projects with them in college, etc. The issue was never brought up.
“The two kids that put that video up need to be locked up for a long time.”
I agree. I never said what the 2 kids did was right.
about time
September 30th, 2010
12:21 pm
the whole situation is very sad. Unfortunately lots of teens still feel bad about being gay. There is a group in Atlanta called Youth Pride which is based out of a church in Inman Park. The group does great work in helping teens/young adults overcome these feelings of shame. Too damn bad Nathan Deal chose to ridicule the group. They’ve helped lots of people.
Marty
September 30th, 2010
12:22 pm
Some parents are so homophobic that they won’t admit they have a gay son or daughter. This in turn makes those kids fear being outed to the extent that they would rather kill themselves than to be out to mom and dad. Now that’s f’d up. LOVE YOUR KIDS!!!!
Light
September 30th, 2010
12:23 pm
A very unfortunate situation. I just really don’t think the world was intended for us to torment one another, regardless of our individual beliefs. Wouldn’t it be nice if we just accepted and respected one another. I don’t have to agree with you but I should respect your difference and that’s all anyone should really expect from another person.
Floyd
September 30th, 2010
12:23 pm
Well, sadly there is a connection — Saxby Chambless staff are correct when they send out emails saying, “All Fags must die!” It is actions like the office of Senator Chambless and the damaged lives caused by Bishop Eddie Long that cost lives like this poor boy. The sooner Senator Chambless is able to stop his staff member from the deadly emails, the nation can move forward with less hatred and teasing.
joann
September 30th, 2010
12:24 pm
To ChristieS:
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!. wHO ARE THESE PEOPLE TO THINK AIRING THIS YOUNG MANS ACTIONS. I JUST KNOW THAT THEY WOULD WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW THEIRS CARNAL DESIRES. LETS FILM THE, BASTARDS THAT THEY ARE.M.
Allison
September 30th, 2010
12:25 pm
This is a tragic story. I couldn’t imagine having my personal encounters being broadcasted over the internet like it was no big deal…and I’m straight. This young man wa so humiliated that he felt the one thing he could do was jump off a bridge? Not only is what those two students did invasion of privacy I would go as far as call it a hate crime as well. I hope they wake up every day with the guilt that their stupid actions cost a young man his life. He chose to end it that is true, but those ADULT students chose to humiliate the man. You would think students who got straight A’s in high school would have the common sense to know what htey were doing was wrong. It’s so sad what this world has come too. THey should be ashamed of themselves I would go as far to say it should have been them jumping off that bridge not him.
joann
September 30th, 2010
12:28 pm
TO CHRISTIES:
THANK YOU!!!!! WHO ARE THESE 2 FOOLS TO THINK THAT AIRING THIS YOUNG MANS PRIVATE MOMENTS WAS FOR THE WORLD TO SEE. I KNOW THAT THESE 2 IDIOTS WOULD LOVE FOR THE WHOLE WORLD TO SEE THEM AT THEIR MOST PRIVATE MOMENTS. MAYBE THEY SHOULD BE FILMED EVERY SECOND OF THEIR LIVES.
Dr. Tim
September 30th, 2010
12:30 pm
So, who draws the line as to what is appropriate and what is not? Societyused to do this “social norms” which we all accepted; but foul jokes and childish sniggering do not equal the effect of the WWW world. If we choose now to “police” the net, what will the reaction of the AJC and other media based editorial voices be? I think we know. It seems that in this case we have an obvious invasion of privacy, for which there is a remedy for in the courts. Sadly, the young man who took his life chose another course.
Yo
September 30th, 2010
12:31 pm
He killed himself. The guy who video taped him didn’t make him jump off a bridge. A lot of roommates in their freshman year do a lot of mean stuff. Being a fag is an easy target to make fun of. Obviously he was unstable and freshman make fun of people they are not used to. The roomate is going to regret his actions and learn from them but by no means should get jail time.
Starqueen
September 30th, 2010
12:32 pm
@ MARTY – that is the stance I have had from the very beginning. As a mother, the fact that this boy was so scared for his friends/family to find this out that it was worh ending his life over, completely breaks my heart. May my son never be in that dark place in his mind, that he feels he’d rather die than let me find something out about him. By the same token, if my son was the one who did the videotaping, I would want him prosecuted. This was cruel. And unlawful.
HS Public Teacher
September 30th, 2010
12:36 pm
@Peadawg – Did you chose to be straight? You have not answered me.
Are you capable of having sex with someone of the same gender? Did you make a choice?
And, if so, what was your choice based on? Are you repulsed by the same gender? If so, is that a choice?
Share the details so that everyone can understand your opinion/stance!
gadem
September 30th, 2010
12:36 pm
He chose to kill himself…if he was ashamed of his activities he should not have been partaking in said activities. So to the gay pride people, and their supporters, you can not have it both ways…don’t be parading around with your rainbows and glitter and then screaming for privacy the next.
The Sage
September 30th, 2010
12:39 pm
Gadem, he was in the privacy of his own room. Would you like someone setting up a camera in your bathroom and broadcasting you taking a dump all over the internet? Or maybe a video of you pleasuring yourself in the shower? Fine, you don’t like gays. That’s your right. But everyone has a right to privacy in their own home. Straight people have committed suicide over having their privacy violated and the embarrassment they suffered.
John K
September 30th, 2010
12:41 pm
This is what you get when you have religious and political leaders railing against the alleged homosexual agenda/delusional claims of “flaunting”/it’s a sick “choice” etc. etc. etc.
V for Vendetta
September 30th, 2010
12:43 pm
Every time someone says homosexuality is a choice, the world gets a little bit more ignorant.
The Sage
September 30th, 2010
12:45 pm
None of us knew this kid. Maybe he was gay. Maybe he was bi. Maybe he wasn’t sure what he was. Some people think homosexuality is a choice. Maybe he was seeing if it was for him and decided it wasn’t. It doesn’t really matter and it’s no one’s business. I find it very ironic that people who are so obsessed with gay people and bashing them are the ones who complain about too much government intrusion in their lives. If you want the government to keep their nose out of your business, keep your nose out that of everyone else! This kid was in the privacy of his own home. Stop blaming him and his sexuality for the embarrassment he was forced to endure because of his nosy, stupid roommate who probably has a prison cell in his future.
Gay is no better than straight
September 30th, 2010
12:45 pm
I too don’t believe in the “gay lifestyle”. I too believe that whoever did the videotaping should be punished. If you are a true religious person, then you know what the true moral and values are, or as it stands currently in this country, used to be. I.E. you resist the lust you may have for a woman or man and not pursue them. Here’s what I haven’t understood; why do gays always think they are better than straight people and always result to name calling and insults just because someone doesn’t agree in their “lifestyle”. I don’t agree with the gay lifestyle as I call it but I don’t call you names and I do believe gays should be treated equal. But why the name calling and insults?
about time
September 30th, 2010
12:47 pm
Gay is no better than straight
What exactly is the “gay lifestyle”?????
lmno
September 30th, 2010
12:48 pm
This is a very sad story from every perspective. Tragic. I am sure that those students will live with this every day of their lives.
Talk to your kids. Make sure you will love them no matter who they are.
Bib Nick
September 30th, 2010
12:50 pm
Sad story, but no one made that kid jump…
Steve
September 30th, 2010
12:51 pm
Being gay is definitely a choice. He chose to mess around with someone of the same gender. Yes it is sad his roommate filmed it and he ultimately committed suicide but please do not give me that crap about being gay is NOT a choice. People choose everyday who they interact with and their actions. Nobody forced him into being gay. He made that choice.
V for Vendetta
September 30th, 2010
12:52 pm
Gay is no better than straight,
Are you kidding me? You think they’re calling YOU names? Please. In my opinion, they are the most persecuted minority in America, and you’re going to claim that you feel bad because of name calling? Pretty thin skin, don’t you think?
gamom
September 30th, 2010
12:52 pm
@ G.O.A.T. – please tell me you are being sarcastic or are kidding. Quit blaming ‘helicopter parents’, I don’t even think that has anything to do with anything in this case.
V for Vendetta
September 30th, 2010
12:53 pm
Steve,
I remember the day I chose to be straight. Wait, no I don’t, because that never happened. Did you choose to be straight? Tell me about that day. How did you come to that decision? Was it a tough choice, or did you just know?
tlhanger
September 30th, 2010
12:54 pm
While I think it is a shame and the waste of a life, he decided to kill himself. It was his call. You can’t blame it on anyone else. Why is every bad call a person makes these day blamed on anyone else. Responsibilty seems to be the “f” word of the day.
gamom
September 30th, 2010
12:54 pm
By the Way – there seems to be a rash of suicides of young people going on – two 13 yr olds recently committed suicide. One of the boys’ parents were on Anderson Cooper last night, kid was allegedly bullied to the point of suicide. There is something weird going on with all these young people committing suicide. It’s a crying shame. Leave gay people alone, they have a right to be accepted for who they are.
Gay is no better than straight
September 30th, 2010
12:57 pm
@HS Public Teacher. I hope you really aren’t a teacher. If so, why aren’t you teaching your class now? I guess you’ll say you’re at lunch or on break. I hope you don’t teach at my child’s school. Your comments/questions are ridiculous. By the way, that should be choose not chose. Did you choose to be a teacher? Yes, we choose to be straight!
Steve
September 30th, 2010
12:58 pm
V for Vendetta,
Yes I chose to be straight and in fact it happened on July 23rd, 1985 when I actually started noticing girls and was attracted to them. I was 10 at the time and no it wasn’t a tough choice for me. Thinking about men in a sexual manner is not appealing to me at all.
V for Vendetta
September 30th, 2010
12:59 pm
gamom,
I think the bullying thing is a self esteem issue. I completely agree. Children seem to be seeing that suicide is a legitimate way out of trouble. I don’t get it, but I really think it has to do with self esteem. In this particular situation, I think it is very difficult for us (as straight people) to fully grasp the enormity of the coming out process. In a society that totally condemns them, somehow gays must find the strength to be who they are and shrug off the hate of narrow-minded bigots who dislike them because a dusty old book written by men told them it was bad.
Steve
September 30th, 2010
1:00 pm
And by the way since you asked about that day, it was a sunny, clear blue sky, High was 93.
about time
September 30th, 2010
1:00 pm
Gay is no better than straight
you didn’t choose to be straight. You chose not to have sex with a member of your own gender.
V for Vendetta
September 30th, 2010
1:01 pm
Steve,
So before that your sexuality was in question? How brave of you to admit that. I have several gay friends and family members, and ALL of them told me they felt “different” from the day they were old enough to realize it. I certainly thought girls were appealing before I was ten. Sheesh. You’re in fifth grade when you’re ten. What took you so long?
asdf
September 30th, 2010
1:02 pm
It’s a shame about the video, but nobody pushed him to his death. He jumped willingly.
Gay is no better than straight
September 30th, 2010
1:03 pm
@ V for Vendetta. Please read what I said again. I didn’t say I was hurt by the name calling or that I feel bad because of name calling. I don’t result to name calling and insults when someone disagrees with me. I said although I disagree with the gay lifestyle, I believe there should be equal rights. I also said gay lifestyle as I call it. That’s because I believe it is a choice. I’m done. Make it a great day!
gamom
September 30th, 2010
1:04 pm
Steve, what if all of a sudden at 10 years of age, you suddenly felt attracted to your best friend who happened to be of the same sex?
HS Public Teacher
September 30th, 2010
1:05 pm
@Gay is no better than straight,
Are you also known as Peadawg? I just noticed that you appeared as Peadawg disappeared….
Steve
September 30th, 2010
1:05 pm
No it wasn’t in question and yes I too have gay friends. So they felt “different” and they realized it. Huh, so they realized they were gay and didn’t choose??? I thought girls were definitely appealing but you asked which day I “chose” to be straight and I answered you. I didn’t indicate in anyway that I thought guys were appealing. You “chose” to assume that.
Sad
September 30th, 2010
1:07 pm
How people forget, the old robbie benson movie Ode to Billy Joe (1978) , same plot, guy ends up killing himself off a bridge for the same reason. Ironic.
Too bad the internet has gotten where people love to bully other people just for something they did or are. The internet and specifically You tube has become the wild wild west and still is.
Sad
Come on son
September 30th, 2010
1:08 pm
I was born heterosexual – I CHOSE to have relations with the opposite sex. If you are “born homosexual” you still have to CHOSE to have same gender relations. There is a choice element in all of our lifestyles.
V for Vendetta
September 30th, 2010
1:08 pm
Steve,
You must have been an advanced 10 year old to be thinking about sexuality in fifth grade. I’m sure the ramifications of your choice were obvious to you then. It’s a good thing you didn’t make the wrong choice! Whew!
Steve
September 30th, 2010
1:08 pm
@gamom,
It wouldn’t and didn’t happen. I would not have “felt” feelings for another boy. So did Eddie Long choose to have relations with those boys or was he forced into it by some unknown “feeling.”
Come on son
September 30th, 2010
1:10 pm
yes, I know I meant to spell CHOOSE, my point is still valid.
Steve
September 30th, 2010
1:10 pm
You’re right Vendetta. I am soooo happy I made the right choice.
V for Vendetta
September 30th, 2010
1:11 pm
Come on son,
So attraction isn’t innate? It’s just a matter of choice? By claiming such narrow-minded stupidity, you’re asserting that genetics and biology have nothing to do with it. You CHOOSE whether or not you want to watch Dancing with the Stars or Project Runway. You don’t choose whether or not you like men or women.
V for Vendetta
September 30th, 2010
1:13 pm
Steve,
“Soooo happy”? Why? What’s wrong with choosing the opposite? If it all boils down to a simple choice, what makes one right and the other wrong? Assuming for a moment that it is just a choice (it’s not; it’s genetic), why is one choice wrong and the other right? Who makes that call?
gamom
September 30th, 2010
1:14 pm
@ Steve, people don’t choose to have feelings, they choose how they act upon those feelings, and I’m with V – 10 years old pretty much don’t know squat. There are a lot of kids who don’t know how they feel about others, a lot of kids who are confused about what they feel – because they’re kids and still developing!
Light
September 30th, 2010
1:17 pm
We are all responsible for our own actions…i think that’s quite understood by most people on this blog. The problem in this situation is that this young man’s privacy was violated and may have pushed him over the edge emotionally IF he was struggling with his sexuality. People should be able to deal with their life’s problems in private and apparently that’s what he was doing. It was mean and heartless (and criminal) for the roommate to take the liberty to film him without his knowledge AND then put it on the internet. That was not a prank! All the people who feel differently are/were probably bullies who think its okay to capitalize on other’s people’s emotions/weaknesses/differences to make themselves feel better, and that’s quite the sad commentary for self control and responsibility.
gadem
September 30th, 2010
1:20 pm
When I chose not to have sex with someone of the same sex, I chose not to be gay. When I declined the advances of a gay man, I made a choice right then to not be gay. That is pretty simple. I chose not to do crack, I chose not to rob, I chose not to steal, I even chose not to kill. We all make choices. Unfortunately this young man was partaking in acts that he deemed embarrassing and chose to kill himself rather than face ridicule. Seems like he made a lot of wrong choices in his short life…
NativeAtlantan
September 30th, 2010
1:21 pm
The choice is whether or not to act on your feelings….not chosing to have the feelings. Steve — you didn’t choose to have feelings for women, but you chose to act on those feelings. I didn’t choose to have feelings for men….but I chose to act on those feelings because I didn’t have feelings for women.
Guilt is a powerful thing…forces many people to ignore feelings and just act to fit current mores.
If the stories are true, Eddie Long choose to act on his feelings….he didn’t choose to have the feelings.
JesusFreak
September 30th, 2010
1:22 pm
Two issues here: one was that the two losers had that idea in the first place, without a clue as to what the boundaries of decency are. The secondary issue is that the deceased had a sexuality that obviously caused him tremendous guilt. Male/female attraction is the norm and what keeps our human race going, that is a no brainer, nobody can deny that. No matter what you feel and try to justify, this is a basic tenet of the perpetuation of the species. Any other behavior is deviant. We shouldn’t get into that whole issue because there’s no point in trying to argue against what is normal, not even going to get into the discussion about morals and what God has so clearly spelled out, it’s not relevant here. The homosexual agenda is being pushed, successfully so, when you consider what a shameful scandal it was only 50 years ago, now it is considered a matter of pride for certain individuals. Obviously, not all people are proud of their tendencies, as it became obvious in this case. We must never judge others, if we are indeed followers of Christ. All human beings are entitled to be treated with dignity and respect, and even love because after all Jesus died for all of us, not just a chosen few. It is important though to recognize sin for what it is and repent from it. Our life here on this earth is but a short time, eternity is what we have to keep in mind when we make certain choices. All choices have consequences, some more desirable than others. The main issue here is how our society has degraded to the point that people would think it a source of entertainment to do such a thing. Then again, we know this world won’t last forever, just read the Book of Revelation. The time is coming, sooner or later. Whose camp would you rather be in?
John K
September 30th, 2010
1:22 pm
No, gadem. When you chose not to have sex with a man, you chose not to have sex with him.
Or to turn your logic around. If there was woman you chose not to have sex with, did you then become gay?
ATL Mom
September 30th, 2010
1:23 pm
The distinction between feelings or inclinations on one hand, and behavior on the other is very clear. Homosexuality is not a noun that describes a condition. It’s an adjective that describes feelings or behavior. When one acts upon those, it becomes a choice of personal preference.
I love how advocates pressure society to accept as normal what is not normal, and to characterize those who disagree as narrow-minded, bigoted and unreasonable. They are quick to demand freedom of speech and thought for themselves, but equally quick to criticize those with a different view and, if possible, to silence them by applying labels like “homophobic.”
Come on son
September 30th, 2010
1:24 pm
V, we chooe our actions and therefore must be willing to accept those consequences associated with them.
NativeAtlantan
September 30th, 2010
1:24 pm
…and I know…choose, choice, chose….just trying to be the spelling nazis to the punch…
Come on son
September 30th, 2010
1:24 pm
dag nab it, I keep typing too fast, I better choose to slow down.
John K
September 30th, 2010
1:25 pm
JesusFreak. No, it did not mean he had tremendous guilt. It could have meant he was horribly humiliated. Would you be ok with someone secretly taping you having sex and broadcasting it all for to see?
And even if he did want to be quiet about it, just like sexuality, there is a wide spectrum of personalities. Perhaps he was a private person?
John K
September 30th, 2010
1:26 pm
So ATL Mom, what’s normal? Only after marriage? Missionary position only? What?
trying to make a point
September 30th, 2010
1:28 pm
come on son: “If you are “born homosexual” you still have to CHOSE to have same gender relations. There is a choice element in all of our lifestyles.”
I completely agree with this. It is just like all those uppity negroes wanting to use the same facilities as white people, or ride in the front of the bus, or choose to work the same jobs for the same pay as white people. The didn’t choose to be black, but they are sure choosing to want these things. Why can’t they just deny themselves? Why can’t they just stay away?
Menace
September 30th, 2010
1:30 pm
PD, ELC, and others of their ilk – you act like ignorance, stupidity, and bigotry are virtues. It’s a sad reflection of the young man’s thought processes that death is better than admitting your orientation. Someone in his life made him so ashamed of what he was that he couldn’t deal with it. People with attitudes like yours.
Cissy
September 30th, 2010
1:32 pm
My deepest sympathies to the boy whose privacy was so viciously invaded and his family. And I really, really wish we could bring back horsewhipping for the perpetrators of this sort of crime. It would be too good for them, of course… they’d still be alive at the end, unlike their victim.
I’m with Light on this one; and I wish the rest of y’all would quit airing your feelings/ prejudices about sexual preference. It’s no. one’s. business.
However. NativeAtlantan: This victim was an 18-year-old boy trying to figure out who he was. He was, as far as we know, with another willing person about his age. Eddie Long is how old? And extremely rich and powerful in the most imposing way–a “bishop” of a huge, supportive church. Does he choose to explore his sexuality with another man of his age and station in life? No; if the stories are true, he chooses poor kids who are more than 30 years younger than he, kids he probably figures won’t tell. This 18-year-old suicide is in no way comparable to Eddie Long..
NativeAtlantan
September 30th, 2010
1:32 pm
Menace — exactly!! Well done….
I'm just sayin . . . . .
September 30th, 2010
1:32 pm
Ultimiately, this isn’t a gay issue. What if it was your daughter? How would she feel? How would you feel? I’m certain this young man felt violated, victimized. Often, we forget to imagine ourselves in the same postition. What they did was wrong. He committed suicide because of it.
observer
September 30th, 2010
1:33 pm
well, it’s unknown if the video caused him to want to kill himself. If so, I guess the moral to the story is don’t do in private what you’d be ashamed of if it became public. If you are ashamed of it, DON’T DO IT! Secondly, this is a reflection of a society in which morally their feet are firmly planted in mid air. Folks like this guy have no anchor, no foundation. They have no intrinsic value of right and wrong, moral and immoral. Too many in our society view what’s right as what feels good. Destructive behavior may feel good for the moment, however it may lead to disastrous consequences.
williebkind
September 30th, 2010
1:35 pm
The crime here is the invasion of privacy! However, the progressive liberals who are for vile and disgusting behaviors are making it a gay bashing hate crime event. Shame on you Maureen! Your credibility has gone done tremendously.
No one knows why this homosexual committed suicide! All of you are speculating and using that speculation to futher your private agendas.
Shame on you Maureen. You have made journalism one step more less professional.
NativeAtlantan
September 30th, 2010
1:37 pm
Cissy — I was only responding to Steve’s question from earlier about choice. If he did what he is accused of, Eddie Long chose to act on his feelings. I wasn’t supporting his actions in any way, as I view them as quite inappropriate. I was also not relating them to the story of this young man….the topic was “choice”.
Brad
September 30th, 2010
1:38 pm
I’m painfully reminded that this is Georgia.
1 Cor 6:9
September 30th, 2010
1:39 pm
What the other kids did to him is appauling and should be punished, but that in no way excuses his choice to kill himself. What you are seeing is the effects of sin…That is what it is…Romans 6:23…Being gay is a choice. One chooses whom to sleep with…Just like fornication is a sin…There is not a shred of evidence nor any gene found to prove that being gay is inherent and born that way. That is a lie from the pits of hell
Liberal/Conservative
September 30th, 2010
1:40 pm
A terribly sad, tragic example of how technology deprives us of our privacy, and spreads our most personal details to a vast, learing audience.
Liberal/Conservative
September 30th, 2010
1:41 pm
To the Bible thumpers: Judge not lest ye be judged.
John K
September 30th, 2010
1:41 pm
1 Cor 6:9, not shocking that most of your post was about what you believe he did wrong.
Come on son
September 30th, 2010
1:42 pm
African-Americans/Blacks who are born with a skin color that easily identifies them as such can not be compared gay/lesbian persons who can live and interact without being known as such. An “in the closet” white gay/lesbian person still is viewed better “on first impression” than a Black person.
This argument is old, tired, and compares apples to oranges. I can go into any public arena and make a quick scan and identify any Black, Asian, Indian, White person, you can not do the same with gay and lesbian people. Let’s be real, there are plenty of gay people in metro Atlanta that live on the “down low” and enjoy the benefits of being male, white, or both and will not compromise them by being “outed”; but I guess that is their CHOICE.
gamom
September 30th, 2010
1:42 pm
a lie from the pits of hell??!! What?! There is so much they do not know about the brain and neuro-receptors and neurochemicals. It doesn’t have to be a gene, it could be some other mechanism.
Maureen Downey
September 30th, 2010
1:43 pm
@williebkind, Not sure what you are saying, but it appears that you think this student’s behavior was “vile and disgusting.” I disagree with that. And, frankly, it’s none of my business or yours what this student did in his own room with a consenting adult. The only vile and disgusting acts here were the filming and the failure of any students who watched this video to not condemn the perpetrators and reach out to Tyler.
I never raised the issue of the victim’s sexual orientation. I think any young person in any sex act would be devastated to discover the moment was livestreamed to the world. I regret that this young man’s devastation played a role in his death.
I hope the two other students, if found guilty, get the maximum sentence under the law.
Maureen
trying to make a point
September 30th, 2010
1:44 pm
williebkind,
The legal issue may be as simple as invasion of privacy. The motives of the perpetrators may or may not have been tied to the victim’s homosexuality, so I don’t think the characterization of that portion of the story as a hate crime is accurate either.
Where I think homosexuality comes into this, is that this person was raised, either by his family, or by society, to believe that he would be better off dead than gay. Or perhaps that his parents would be spared more by his death than his homosexuality. That is the problem here.
Maureen Downey
September 30th, 2010
1:45 pm
@Brad, I have to agree with you there. Many of these comments sadden me and make me fearful for the safety and welfare of Georgians who are gay.
Maureen
Menace
September 30th, 2010
1:46 pm
Thank You Lib/Con. If being gay is a choice why would someone choose to open themselves to the jokes, putdowns, discrimination, etc.
HS Public Teacher
September 30th, 2010
1:46 pm
@Jesus-Freak,
Could you clarify you stance please?
You say that the norm is male/female because they can reproduce, right?
If the end goal is to reproduce, and that is all you consider to be the purpose, does that mean any other intimacy is not normal?
Do you snuggle with your mate? The last I heard, a snuggle does not reproduce, so it is not normal?
Do you kiss your mate? The last I heard, a kiss does not reproduce, so it is not normal?
If you use reproduction as your reasoning to define what is normal, then there are likely many many intimate activities that occur BETWEEN a man and a woman that is not normal.
Do I have your position on this topic correct?
trying to make a point
September 30th, 2010
1:47 pm
come on son,
I think you missed my point. The issue isn’t about whether you CAN hide something about yourself in order to get equal rights, it is about whether you SHOULD HAVE TO.
John K
September 30th, 2010
1:48 pm
And let’s not forget the entire reproduction argument invalidates the relationships of infertile or elderly couples.
gamom
September 30th, 2010
1:48 pm
@Cor – maybe you are unaware, there are genetic conditions that can cause the lack of production of estrogen and testosterone, which can greatly effect one’s sexuality – look up klinefelter’s syndrome for example and other XX or Y genetic disorders… come on now!
ATL Mom
September 30th, 2010
1:49 pm
@ John K,
Really? You have no idea what “normal” is given the differences between male/female? I think most get it. Using your logic, why not extend acceptance of personal preference to animals, children, or other behaviors? Afterall, “normal” is relative, right?
gamom
September 30th, 2010
1:49 pm
mo – I hope some of these comments are not coming from a congressional staffer
HS Public Teacher
September 30th, 2010
1:50 pm
@Come on son,
You miss the point. The comparison between gay and black people is NOT to say one is better or worse than the other. The comparision is simply to point out that both are minorities and both can be and have been supressed by the majority. And, that it is wrong to supress any minority of any type.
That is all.
John K
September 30th, 2010
1:50 pm
Right ATL Mom, because in your world animals and children are consenting adults!
John K
September 30th, 2010
1:51 pm
And you do get an award ATL Mom, because whenever there is a debate on homosexuality, someone has to bring up bestiality and pedophilia. And you went for the double! Congrats.
williebkind
September 30th, 2010
1:54 pm
So all of you know that the invasion of privacy was the reason the homosexual committed suicide? And you fear for the lives of other homosexuals because the homosexual could not handle the lifestyle he chose. I have not read where anyone stated that people could not choose their lifestyle. You are trying to make homosexuality normal. You want to indoctrinate our kids into thinking it is normal to complete your agenda–how vile!
gamom
September 30th, 2010
1:56 pm
@ATL mom – whatever happened to treat others how you want to be treated?? This kids’ sexuality is not your business, not my business, not anyone’s business. Why would anyone want to be gay, why would anyone choose to put up with ridicule, exclusion and hate, especially a young person, who is just learning about life and themselves. If any of my children came to me and told me they were gay, I would love them unconditionally anyway. It would not matter to me, I would support them, becasue I know how tough it would be for them.
williebkind
September 30th, 2010
1:56 pm
John K
September 30th, 2010
1:50 pm
C’mon have you not heard of stump broke mules?
NativeAtlantan
September 30th, 2010
1:57 pm
My parents were probably as southern, white and christian as they come being from south Georgia and Alabama. The interesting thing is when I came out to them at 22, my mother told me she already knew and my father just asked me if I was happy. That was it. After that, my partner became one of the family. I guess when it happens that close to home….maybe family wins.
Maureen Downey
September 30th, 2010
1:58 pm
williebkind, Yup, I am trying to teach all four of my children tolerance, acceptance and grace. I believe science is showing us more and more that we are hardwired in our sexual preferences.. And even if we are not, I don’t care. It is not my concern or my business.
What are you teaching your child?
Maureen Downey
September 30th, 2010
2:00 pm
gamom, Has Saxby ever named that person in his office who sent out the death threat?
Cruel
September 30th, 2010
2:02 pm
Unbelievably cruel of the 2 ADULTS who pretended to grant the fellow privacy and then spied on him, broadcasting his most private moments on the internet to humilate him and ruin his life, career, and more forever. They murdered a potentially great violinst who could have given so much enjoyment to the world.
These two adults should be proscecuted for 2nd Degree MURDER. These college students are not idiots. They schemed and tricked the roommate with intent to hurt him to the fullest extent. The two charged with the crime might as well have pushed him off of the bridge.
A lot of parents out there are raising sick, sadistic kids that seem to be straight out of “LORD OF THE FLIES”. Parents, take another look at yourself and your children, then get help….Call DR. PHIL….
gamom
September 30th, 2010
2:03 pm
mo, don’t know. Only know what I read in the news..
gamom
September 30th, 2010
2:07 pm
I’d like to know where everyone’s moral compass really is.
Leila
September 30th, 2010
2:15 pm
I don’t have kids so I don’t often read this blog and I’ve never commented here, but I read this story last night and the world suddenly seemed a bit darker to me.
It’s disturbing that there are, walking among us, people so wicked at such a young age. What was done to Tyler Clementi was not impulsive. It was very much premeditated. It was a long progression of purposeful acts undertaken with a specific objective in mind. Something is badly, badly wrong with the people who did this.
Think about this:
-They had to come up with the idea
-The camera had to be acquired
-They had to go online and announce what they were going to do.
-The camera had to positioned and concealed.
-The camera had to be activated at a time when the roommate knew that Clementi and the other person would be in the room.
-The camera had to be retrieved and the video was probably viewed by Ravi and Wei.
-They had to take the time to figure out how to stream live video.
-Finally, they had to make the decision to click the button to start the broadcast.
Only a highly defective human being is driven by such an intensely sadistic desire to humilate someone that they’d go to that kind of trouble.
At any one of those eight steps in the process SOMETHING in one of their minds should have said “This is not right. Let’s not do this.” SOMETHING should have told them that being this fixated on someone else’s private sexual activities is a problem. But that apparently didn’t happen or they were able to disregard it. That is NOT NORMAL.
These two kids are badly damaged and it wouldn’t bother me one bit for the two of them to be locked up forever so the rest of us can be safe from them. If you’re already that evil that young, you don’t need to be anywhere near other human beings. There’s enough trouble in the world already.
In the alternative, I hope that both Tyler’s parents and whoever was with him in that room sue both of those kids and their families up, down and sideways so that even their grandchildren die broke.
Blkshepherd
September 30th, 2010
2:20 pm
When the two students Get to prison, I sincerely Hope they get exactly what they derseve.(and they Will) NO MERCY, RAPED, and who knows what else. Since some of you on here dont care any thing about the student or the pain his mother and father is going through Karma is waiting on you. . You REAP what you sow.
This young man did NOTHING to hurt those other students. You folks on here saying he shouldnt be gay and this and that and spewing the hate I sincerely HOPE some one tapes you doing something and place it on the net for the world to see. There are some things that can be embarrasing as well that is NOT a homosexual act.
Cant wait until the male student meets his cellmate..300 pound Bubba who guess what? happens to be gay and Heard about this story and decide to avenge the student that killed himself. And guess what? The guards will turn their heads saying they saw nothing. I would not want to be in their shoes..because trust me, that young man will be advenged..Also women do rape other women in prison with Foriegn objects..broom handles toliet plungers. When Inside gays get through with these two, they will wish they too they Jumped off the GW bridge. Karma is a bytch!
They will get theirs. and for some of you heartless bozos on here that have no heart for this young man’s parents..You will get yours as well..have a good day, Karma is waiting on You.
gamom
September 30th, 2010
2:20 pm
October is National Bully Prevention month by the way.
V for Vendetta
September 30th, 2010
2:21 pm
Let me be more blunt,
If you believe homosexuality is a choice, you’re a moron. Keep clutching your dusty old book while the rest of the modern world leaves you behind. Check out Time.com for an article on the recently discovered planet that has possible Earth characteristics–such as water. Or did you think we were the only ones? I’m done with this foolishness.
The Sage
September 30th, 2010
2:27 pm
It’s really sad that this has turned into a discussion about whether being gay is a choice or not. Who cares if it is or isn’t? What business is it of yours what someone chooses to do with another consenting adult in the privacy of their own home? Don’t give me that crap about them trying to shove their lifestyle down your throat. That isn’t the case here. This kid was in the privacy of his own home. What he did should be of no concern to anyone else. What if he was just pleasuring himself and that got into the internet because of someone conducting illegal surveillance? How would you feel if a video of you was circulating the internet of you pleasuring yourself? What if a future employer googled you and found it? I don’t care if you like homosexuals or not, the bottom line here is this kid’s privacy was violated to a point that it caused him severe emotional distress. You don’t have to be gay to put yourself in this kid’s shoes.
Come on son
September 30th, 2010
2:29 pm
Well the true issue is the crimes involving invasion of privacy; I think a DA going after the hate crime angle can jeopardize the whole case/conviction, chasing this red herring. Like mentioned before, many heterosexual college students have “been caught on tape” and exposed.
As always, whenever homosexuality is a part of the conversation, there is always a big conversation. Atlanta is the last place anyone should feel “suppressed” about being gay; didn’t Atlanta just get named in the top 10 as the most “gay-friendly” cities to live in.
On one hand, gays want to be treated “like everyone else” but on the other hand they want special protections and laws, which is it? People decide (notice I did not use choose this time, lol) if they want to live openly or not.
What aggravates me more than anything is the amount of time, money, and effort spent on such a small percentage of the US population. The whole gay marriage debate just irks me to no end. For everyone worried about “Obama-care” raising health insurance premiums, they need to be more concerned about the increase in the number of patients your insurance company will have to carry by providing “spousal” coverage to non-traditonal couples. If I had a roommate, if we lived together for a number of years, at what point can he/she should be eligible to be on my health insurance?
We spend too much time on this and I am just as guilty, but I defend people’s rights to not agree with homosexuality without being labeled a homo-phobe and other names. What gay people need to understand is that not everyone is going to agree or understand their lifestyle and by the same token they can not force their beliefs on others.
ITP
September 30th, 2010
2:32 pm
ATL Mom is most likely very similar to this unfortunate boy’s mother. Please tell us ATL Mom, would you rather your child be dead or gay?
Come on son
September 30th, 2010
2:35 pm
V says, “If you believe homosexuality is a choice, you’re a moron.”
Once again it does not surprise me which side of this argument always resorts to name calling.
WE lost our way
September 30th, 2010
2:45 pm
My son’s childhood best friend came home from college this year and informed his parents he was gay. They did not take this information very lightly.In fact a heated argument and rejection happened. When I was told by my son about the news;I asked him how he felt since he has been his friend for over 14 years. He replied; he is one of my best friends and will always be. His sexuality does not change anything about how I feel about him. As of this date, they still hang out with the same crowd when they are both home from college and discuss their problems by email or phone.I’m proud of both of these two men. One for being open and honest and one who has a loving and kind heart. FYI -This young man was a true Jock in middle and High school. You would have never know he was gay.He had scholarships from several universities.
williebkind
September 30th, 2010
2:47 pm
Maureen Downey
September 30th, 2010
1:58 pm
“What are you teaching your child?”
To abide by the law of the land! However, the laws of man are imposed by the lawmaker’s individual beliefs wether it is traditional or abnormal. I teach my children and future grandchildren that homosexuality is abnormal. We as a nation are decomposing the great experiment into a decadent Roman Empire. So not to learn from history is to repeat it. You are doing your part Maureen.
john konop
September 30th, 2010
2:52 pm
I agree it is very insensitive, disrespectful and hateful! And some of you do this in the name of Christianity. God is about love not spewing hate!
….I have to agree with you there. Many of these comments sadden me and make me fearful for the safety and welfare of Georgians who are gay…..
Debby Downer
September 30th, 2010
2:59 pm
Sadly, our moral compasses fade or all out disappear behind the safety of the internet. There’s very tiny (if any at all) risk of embarassment, shame, guilt or humiliation involved for posters claiming higher moral character while they spew hatred and judgement on others. Perfect example of what happened in this case…..two young adults seeing something they think is funny and posting it on the internet…..they didn’t know, probably didn’t care if their actions would have any negative impact on this young man. Actually, the thought PROBABLY NEVER EVEN OCCURRED TO THEM that they should even be concerned with the consequences of their actions. Sad state of society.
Just as it is with each of you on this blog…no one here knows if something they say here may hit home hard with another. Obviously we can’t police ourselves to the nth degree when posting, but we CAN be more responsible when dealing with personal information/pictures/video, etc. instead of taking the route of ZERO personal accountability along with ZERO concern for the feelings of others, which is most often the case.
The internet is much worse than the wild, wild west in that it’s really the Wild Wild GLOBE. Anyone’s identity can be hidden if desired, you’re not safe even locked up tight in your OWN HOME, and the sheriff’s done gone. The art of sympathy/empathy is completely lost. NO ONE cares how you feel, no one cares or regrets if they’ve made you feel bad, and certainly, no one would EVER try to put themselves in someone else’s shoes for even a moment. That part of the ME, ME, ME point of view really SUCKS *SS— actually, the ENTIRE me, me, me point of view falls into the suckage category.
Now that I’ve well and truly depressed EVERYONE here including myself, I think I’ll go have a coke and a smile and play with my kid and do something to help his self esteem stay healthy, intact and thriving even if just for today!
BTW, if anything that I’ve said has impacted you to the point of severe depression and you consider yourself at risk for harming yourself or others, please take your happy pill and seek immediate professional assistance, or hang up and dial 911.
williebkind
September 30th, 2010
2:59 pm
john konop
September 30th, 2010
2:52 pm
How can you go from suicide to fear for the welfare of others? This is fear mongering to achieve personal sympathy or get sympathy laws passed. The crime like I stated was the invasion of privacy. Others are trying to make it a homosexual hate crime.
ITP
September 30th, 2010
3:00 pm
WE lost our way
You have obviously raised your child well. The truth is that many of us “abnormal” people are overacheivers. We have learned that it’s a requirement to receive acceptance for who we are.
However, we will continue to leverage our accomplishments to fight for equality and freedom from persecution, much to the dismay of several posters here. Hopefully these efforts will one day allow children to feel safe and comfortable with hope for tomorrow.
williebkind
September 30th, 2010
3:01 pm
Debby Downer
September 30th, 2010
2:59 pm
I totally agree!!!
Eddie Longs Cadillac
September 30th, 2010
3:03 pm
“Actually, the thought PROBABLY NEVER EVEN OCCURRED TO THEM that they should even be concerned with the consequences of their actions. Sad state of society.”
Better yet had said act never occurred it could never have been filmed and never released on the internet.
It is what it is…the chicken or the egg.
Eddie Longs Cadillac
September 30th, 2010
3:04 pm
The term “hate crime” is complete BS and is a bigoted law.
ATL Mom
September 30th, 2010
3:17 pm
@ ITP and John K,
Not even close. To believe that just because one has an inclination to do something, that therefore acting in accordance with that inclination is inevitable, is wrong. Of course I would be there to provide love, support, help and provide encouragement. I would hope my children could come to me about anything and thus far it seems to be the case. But that doesn’t mean I have to accept the behavior. For example, would I allow my son and his partner to sleep in my home together with my other small children just down the hall? No. However, I would still love my son as much as I ever have. That would not change.
The biggest thing I take away from this story is that unfortunately, this young man felt that his orientation was the defining fact of his existence. He didn’t realize that he was so much more or perhaps he did but it became distorted along the way at some point. We all have the ability to choose which characteristics will define us; those choices are not thrown on us. When the unimportant characteristics get in the way of who we believe we are, it is destructive and leads to poor decisions. I wish he had understood that and my heart goes out to his parents, friends, and family.
williebkind
September 30th, 2010
3:19 pm
Have you noticed the indoctrination of society. You can not watch tv or see a movie without a homosexual couple or scene. By this guide our population must be 40% homosexual and 40% wanting to be. Just like the good ole Roman days.
Bobby
September 30th, 2010
3:26 pm
This story is really a trajedy. From reading other articles the two who filmed him and posted the story did not do it for vengeance or homophobia. They were apparently friends and the two posters thought it was funny. It doesn’t appear they had any evil intent. Now they have to live with the unintended consequences of their actions. No one wins in this situation other than perhaps others will learn from their experience and think before posting personal and potentiall embarrasing videos.
trying to make a point
September 30th, 2010
3:29 pm
williebkind: “You can not watch tv or see a movie without a homosexual couple or scene.”
I think that if you analyzed the number of couples on tv and in the movies that are gay vs straight, you will find that it is actually heterosexuals that are overrepresented. Estimates for the prevalance of homsexuals typically range from 5% to 10% and the representation of regular gay characters in scripted shows for this TV season is 3.9% according to a report whose results were published by reuters.
Come on son
September 30th, 2010
3:32 pm
williebkind, the move is to make homosexuality a “non-issue” in society. This is why so many young people, 16-25, “experiement” with same gender relationships as just a part of growing up but do not consider themselves gay. Also if you disagree with the premise that gays should have “special rights” then you automatically are hateful, a moron, branded one of the worst people on earth. All this for 3-8 percent of the population, but you are right, you would think gays made up 30-40% of the population with the amount of press they get.
trying to make a point
September 30th, 2010
3:34 pm
Come on son: “williebkind, the move is to make homosexuality a “non-issue” in society.”
If only this were true. It should be a non-issue, but persistent attempts to demonize, criminalize and marginalize homosexuals make it an issue.
I saw a t-shirt recently that sums it up, “Some people are gay. Get over it”
ITP
September 30th, 2010
3:44 pm
ATL Mom
I’m happy that you would at least still love and accept your child. All children deserve to be loved unconditionally.
Willie
Could you possibly be one of those people you describe who wants to be homosexual? You seem to have such a fascination with the subject. Please tell us why you are here?
williebkind
September 30th, 2010
3:51 pm
ITP
September 30th, 2010
3:44 pm
That does not work with me. I would tell my child to conceal this affliction or move to another neighborhood. I would hug and kiss him goodbye.
Menace
September 30th, 2010
3:54 pm
The biggest gay bashers usually have something to hide – they are deeply closeted homosexuals
ITP
September 30th, 2010
3:56 pm
Willie
Homosexuals are not only male. Would you have these same feelings for your daughter?
Would you have no regret or remorse if your child then ended his/her life?
Last question…
Do you consider yourself to be Christian?
Menace
September 30th, 2010
3:57 pm
W/B – That was terribly cruel – to reject your child because of what they are is unforgivable. In an earlier post I stated that some people act as if bigotry, stupidity, adn arrogance were virtues. You just proved me right.
Atlanta Mom
September 30th, 2010
4:30 pm
Can someone tell me why 10% of the population would “choose” to gay? What exactly possesses someone to want to be in a group that may be the most vilified in the world (and if not the world, certainly here in Georgia)?
john konop
September 30th, 2010
4:35 pm
Williebkind,
I never said it was a hate crime and by the way a crime is a crime to me. My point is simple people who make homosexually people feel like they are sub-human do have their hands in this situation. I am not calling for the gay bashers to get arrested only to look in the mirror. And also more people to step-up and say gay bashing is unacceptable end of story.
williebkind
September 30th, 2010
4:43 pm
ITP
September 30th, 2010
3:56 pm
My religious beliefs are personal an mine only.
John K
September 30th, 2010
4:46 pm
Really ATL Mom? That’s what you get from the story? Your projection on what he was thinking and how he was feeling. A real round about way to get back to blaming him, but you managed to do it.
williebkind
September 30th, 2010
4:49 pm
john konop
September 30th, 2010
4:35 pm
We have laws already covering that. It is like hate crime. We had laws to sentence people for breaking the law then speciali interests were not satisfied because they thought there should be greater punishment when concerning them. That is vile! No where have I read that someone could not be homosexual nor have I said that. I just believe it is abnormal. Your examples and analogies are self gatifying and do not change the nature of the world.
williebkind
September 30th, 2010
4:58 pm
I see teenage boys and young men go bonkers watching two women go at it. It is not the desire to be homosexual but the excitement of the opposite sex and the mental picture of replacing one of those ladies or joining them. However, those scenes do encourage bad behavior. Unless you are Bill Maher.
ITP
September 30th, 2010
5:01 pm
Willie
Oh come on now. It was your “decision” to be here today. This is a forum to exchange thoughts, beliefs and ideas. In this particular case, I would hope it to be a forum for discussion regarding how adults can help prevent such unnecessary tragedies. You have “decided” to modify that focus.
Does your hesitation to meaningfully contribute to the discussion relate to your own internal conflicts?
john konop
September 30th, 2010
5:24 pm
Williebkind,
Many said the same about interracial marriages………In time people will look back and realize how gay bashers like you are just wrong like they were wrong about the above.
….I just believe it is abnormal. Your examples and analogies are self gatifying and do not change the nature of the world…..
john konop
September 30th, 2010
5:27 pm
ITP,
A study done by the University of Georgia claims gay-basher tend be frustrated gay people scared to come out of closet and or deal with their sexuality.
Quite Frankly
September 30th, 2010
5:28 pm
First and foremost, but being gay TODAY is mostly about choice. It’s just a numbers game with GLBT group, they want you to think all these folks are gay when it is just an alternative lifestyle. The gay & lesbian community are actually doing more harm to themselves as a group than they are trying to create tolerance and awareness (to a large group that really doesn’t exist). Think Al Sharpton, and that is the kind of eye rolling response you get when you think about gay rights groups!
These people that published this video should be punished for that and nothing else. They’ll have to live with and suffer the consequences accordingly. They’ve ruined their lives so to speak.
People who commit suicide often have other issues. I seriously doubt this incident is the sole reason for his selfish act. His family and true friends are the ones that we should feel sympathy for.
Think Sane
September 30th, 2010
5:35 pm
Either you are born heterosexual or you choose to be heterosexual.
Either you are born homosexual or you choose to be homosexual.
Listen up folks, it doesn’t matter whether you are born or choose your sexuality, it is no one elses business. The problem with people is we spend too much time being judgmental of other people when it is not our place to do so. If everyone would tend to their own business and try their darndest to keep it straight, you wouldn’t have time to be all up on someone elses. Get a life.
Quite Frankly
September 30th, 2010
5:39 pm
“The biggest gay bashers usually have something to hide – they are deeply closeted homosexuals”
LMAO at that myth. You people say the same about men driving expensive cars trying to compensate for the lack of something. It’s the supporters and sympathizers like yourselves that really need to take a deep look at why they hypocritically support homosexual lifestyles. You have more to gain by supporting them than I do by not condoning their lifestyle. Birds of a feather …
Bill
September 30th, 2010
5:41 pm
I hope that the two foreign low lives will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law or at the very least, be sued by the poor guy’s parents until their careers (and lives) are destroyed and they are living in a cardboard box on the streets. What is funny about invading someone’s privacy, and then broadcasting it over the internet? NOTHING. This sounds like a hate crime to me.
Quite Frankly
September 30th, 2010
5:52 pm
“I hope that the two foreign low lives”
Wow – now I believe we have an immigration issue to deal with in this whole unfortunate episode. You guys really need to pick your “bandwagons” more carefully! I’d be careful in labeling this a hate crime though, you folks are really starting to generalized and over use that word.
ITP
September 30th, 2010
5:53 pm
john konop
I would be interested to see the details of that study. Do you happen to have a link? Regardless, “gay bashing” is the result of poor parental guidance. Good parents teach their children to be accepting individuals who contribute positively to society without resorting to violence.
ITP
September 30th, 2010
6:04 pm
Quite Frankly
No one is asking you to condone a lifestyle. Whatever that means. You obviously feel threatened by the accomplishments homosexuals have made. I have some bad news for you. Those accomplishments are only going to increase until complete equality is achieved.
Think Sane
September 30th, 2010
6:10 pm
Think “LIFE” instead of “LIFESTYLE.” Whether you are gay or straight, it’s your “life.”
Quite Frankly
September 30th, 2010
6:21 pm
“Good parents teach their children to be accepting individuals who contribute positively to society without resorting to violence.”
Very true. But these children become adults at some point and however they were raised becomes a mute point.
I have a very liberal friend that taught her child to be respectful and tolerant of others. Once her child went off to college things changed. To make a long story short, he was bashed by gays for not being gay! Yep, his gay friends insisted he was indeed gay when he knew he wasn’t! Seems there is a fine line with accepting and admission in the gay community. This young man never resorted to violence but now he is now anti-gay because of his experience. Tolerance is like a 2 way street.
Most “gays” today are living a lifestyle. Much like 3 years ago people had faux wealth. Abnormal lifestyles are no longer shunned. It’s the normal people that need to worry about being bashed and ridiculed. Heck, it’s practically a crime to work hard and be wealthy today.
Quite Frankly
September 30th, 2010
6:27 pm
“You obviously feel threatened by the accomplishments homosexuals have made. I have some bad news for you. Those accomplishments are only going to increase until complete equality is achieved.”
Yep, the numbers game yet again. And FYI, your suggestion that I feel threatened is quite hysterical. How can one feel threatened by something that doesn’t exist? The boogie man doesn’t scare me, lol!
ITP
September 30th, 2010
6:59 pm
Frankly – or should we just call you basher?
I have no idea what numbers game you are referencing. You are a threatened straight, white, older man. Am I correct? As we all know, your portion of the population has and will continue to decline. I can understand why you are threatened.
Nevertheless, your off-topic, self gratifying diatribes in response to an article of the potentially preventable death of a child thoroughly indicate your lack of maturity.
Quite Frankly
September 30th, 2010
7:17 pm
“You are a threatened straight, white, older man. Am I correct? As we all know, your portion of the population has and will continue to decline. I can understand why you are threatened.”
NO – I am a black woman. And again, how can anybody even a heterosexual, whitle male in his 50’s be threatened by large numbers of people that DO NOT EXIST.
Are you gay? If not, then why are YOU speaking on behalf of the gay community? I dare you to speak for me as a heterosexual single black female in her 30’s (with no children), NOT on government
Really, what are YOU gaining from supporting something that you know nothing about? Your hidden agenda is disgusting!
FYI – this was not a child. This was an adult. By all accounts in the article he was NOT bullied. The crime is his private life was put on the Internet without his permission. He was not outed, how do we even know if he was in fact gay. This lifestyle often starts and ends in college or in the mid 20’s. Taking his own life was HIS CHOICE!
ITP – YOU NEED to stop with your socialist agenda. It isn’t working for you and I don’t want you and I don’t need you on my team!
Quite Frankly
September 30th, 2010
7:39 pm
PS ITP
Your ilk is the very reason many black folks including myself are forced to now live OTP! You have come into a community and taken over with your fake lifestyle. What you have posted here and by the rest of the supporters is all an act. You claim diversity and tolerance, but what do you really want in turn for our alliance? You ITP are a certified hypocrit living a lie!
V for Vendetta
September 30th, 2010
7:41 pm
Quite Frankly,
As a black woman, I would think that people disliking you for something you can’t change would be all too familiar to you. Your lack of compassion for a minority group suffering the same injustices that Blacks suffered for hundreds of years is astounding. I suggest you run (not walk) to your nearest dictionary and look up the word “hypocrite.” If it weren’t for open-minded, tolerant people, Blacks would still be picking cotton and working in the laundry rooms of houses.
And “socialist agenda”? Do you even know what socialist means?
Being gay is NOT a choice, and, even if it were, who cares? What bothers some of you so much about it? Please try to explain yourself without resorting to your dusty old book and its intolerant, bigoted moral code.
john konop
September 30th, 2010
7:46 pm
ITP,
FYI
Homophobia
……University of Georgia found that men who were found to be homophobic (as measured by the Index of Homophobia)[48] were considerably more likely to experience more erectile responses when exposed to homoerotic images than non-homophobic men…….
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophobia
ITP
September 30th, 2010
8:00 pm
Frankly
You certainly had me fooled. I am in fact a homosexual as you would have realized if you had read the previous posts. I have no hidden agenda and consider it one of my personal missions in life to relentlessly seek equality for others like me. My intention is to provide hope to young people who think they are “abnormal”. The homosexual community has not tried to maliciously overestimate our numbers as far as I am aware. Although, does it really matter how many exist within a minority when seeking equality? As a black woman, you must know something about the desire for equality.
Anyway, I’m glad you have returned to the topic at hand. Do you truly believe posting a private video of someone else on the internet is not a form of bullying? You imply people should not try to help others (especially young, impressionable and usually self-conscious) in order to prevent them from taking their lives. You have clearly said that it was his choice. Is that what you are implying? Should we, as a society, ignore teenage suicides?
I would never speak for you and I’m thankfully not on your “team”. Although, I’m incredibly confused by the “socialist agenda” you have mentioned. How is that relevant? Do you even understand the meaning of socialism?
ITP
September 30th, 2010
8:15 pm
john konop
In light of this depressing subject, I must thank you for including such a humorous quote. I believe many would agree that those who are the most homophobic are indeed more inclined to homosexual thoughts. This, however, does not indicate that homophobic individuals are more likely to engage in “gay bashing” as you indicated earlier. Someone who is violent against homosexuals is not necessarily a homophobe.
The Percieved Narrow-Minded One
September 30th, 2010
9:36 pm
Let it be said from the start, that as WRONG as these Idiots were that taped this guy, Clementi killed “himself”! He took PERMENATE action, to a temporarily bad situation. So, as much as these “boys” should be punished, they should NOT be liable for his death.
Obstacles are a fact of life, and they come in varying degress at unexpected times… We dont find the nearest bridge in order to deal with those trials. We bear up; but we also rely on the love & support of family & friends. It seems this young man didnt have that. I read in another article regarding this, that he was “mortified” by what his parents would say or do… Huh??? Mortified??? What happened to unconditional love??? Im not saying his parents had to agree w/ his lifestyle, but he should have at least felt assured that they would always love him regardless. How sad that he didnt have that??? Do we judge & cast stones at them? Which brings me to my second point…
I read these comments, and everybody has an opinion… Wrong, right or otherwise. That is one of the MAJOR problems with people today. We live in a global society of “I thinkers”! I think this, I think that, I think blah, blah, blah… Very few today are TRULY concerned with what God thinks. As our Life Giver & Creator, all that matters is what He thinks.
Everybody’s yacking about whether “they think” it’s right or not to be gay… The Scriptures CLEARLY state “God’s thinking” not only on homosexuality, but fornication, greed, murder, etc… But do we ever consider using the Bible “before and as” we make CHOICES in life??? No!
All we consider is how “I feel & what I think”… And as you can see from the comments above and the conditions of the world today, the end result is DIVISION.
The fact is… God’s Word is the FINAL AUTHORITY as to whether something is right or wrong. Not us and our misguided consciences. Instead of wasting time on a blog, telling the world what you think, pick up a Bible & let God tell you what he thinks!
Atlanta mom
September 30th, 2010
11:37 pm
ITP
You go girl or guy, whatever.
As for “The Percieved Narrow-Minded One ” have you never heard of unintended consequences? Gee, I talked to my children about this a lot. Like: you take down a stop sign, because you think it’s funny, and somebody gets killed. Not so funny.
You don’t think, you do something stupid, you must accept the consequences
ITP
October 1st, 2010
12:07 am
Perceived
You seem to believe that all people share your spiritual views. Personally, I don’t require a bible to hear that higher calling.
Atlanta mom
October 1st, 2010
12:19 am
Perceived,
“God’s Word is the FINAL AUTHORITY as to whether something is right or wrong.”
I suppose so, if you believe in that particular mythology. But, this is America. We are not required to believe in your myths.
bootney farnsworth
October 1st, 2010
7:18 am
a fast glance thru these moronic posts reenforces why I’m made a point
of staying out of it thusfar.
instead of dealing with the larger, more important issues of: a total lack of privacy, basic decency, and a subculture obsessed with broadcasting itself in every possible way…
we had our own little version of race to the bottom.
gays are this and that, God says this and that. liberals are
this, consevatives are that
anything but dealing with the real issue of profoundly inappropriate
actions by airing a private act for giggles
Eddie Longs Cadillac
October 1st, 2010
7:40 am
“This is why so many young people, 16-25, “experiement” wit”
Well I guess this experiment went somewhat off course and into the ditch, no? Actions have consequences and that unfortunately for this young man is what he learned albeit the hard way.
This Homosexual behavior is a cancer on our society. You wanna do it behind closed doors then thats your problem but myself and my kids etc shouldnt be forced to turn on the tube and there is Gay pride participants with their rear-ends exposed, same sex kissing etc. This behavior is an abomination, wrong and deadly. But do as you must…its your life or death.
Adam V
October 1st, 2010
8:24 am
He was weak. Where is the Hollywood protest, those freaks love gay causes! Clearly he is happier dead than alive, then again lots of people would be better that way. Time to help them along – death to the weak.
ITP
October 1st, 2010
9:26 am
Eddie
I believe many of us would agree that people like you are the “cancer on society”. I don’t know how kissing is wrong, deadly or an abomination. However, it is mostly unfortunate for your children who could quite possibly have the same fate as this poor young man because of your narrow-minded views.
Rutgers suicide case: Was it a joke that got out of hand? And who thinks livestreaming intimate moments is funny? | Get Schooled
October 1st, 2010
9:50 am
[...] The story has struck a chord with people across the country — as the comments to my earlier blog on this tragedy demonstrate — but not everyone blames Ravi and his alleged partner, fellow student Molly [...]
Eddie Longs Cadillac
October 1st, 2010
10:24 am
Good and you should stay ITP.
Stevereeno
October 1st, 2010
11:19 am
People can be cruel!
If individuals could only stop for a moment and ask themselves;’will this embarrass my mother?’ The answer would inform their decision making.
ADAM&EVE NOT ADAM&STEVE!
October 1st, 2010
12:13 pm
IF BEING GAY IS NOT A SIN? WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP IT IN THE CLOSET SAYS A BLOGGER ABOVE?
P.S.GOD MADE MAN AND WOMAN,NOT MAN AND MAN,OR WOMAN AND WOMAN!
Decatur Taliban
October 1st, 2010
1:21 pm
Homosexuals know that their vile and disgusting activities are wrong; so did this individual who killed himself. If he wanted to carry on with his perverted acts he should have gone to a hotel or requested a homosexual roommate because if he shares a room he has no expectation of privacy. I suppose after this is over colleges are going to have to screen for potential sodomites so they and their disgusting acts can be protected. That’s going to be tough to do.
lovelyliz
October 1st, 2010
1:27 pm
There are all kinds of biblical abominations what todays modern day Chrristians are perfectly okay with so why all the ahrping on being gay?
The only sex life you should worry about is yur own.
lovelyliz
October 1st, 2010
1:28 pm
There are all kinds of biblical abominations what today’s modern day Christians are perfectly okay with so why all the harping on being gay?
The only sex life you should worry about is your own.
Brad
October 1st, 2010
1:36 pm
I think my head is going to explode. The willful ignorance and hatred displayed by the gay-bashers in this blog is beyond the pale. I see a lot of choice here, and it is the choice to remain ignorant. Do a little research, get out of your bubble, and maybe you won’t feel so damned threatened.
Brad
October 1st, 2010
1:49 pm
Decatur Taliban, your nom de plume says it all. I’ll bet you’d love to attend a good stoning.
Damien
October 1st, 2010
3:20 pm
The homophobes on the blog can wring their hands and gnash their teeth all they want; won’t change a thing. This crime happened in NJ, not Hall county. The 2 that did the video will be spending a long time behind bars. They’re guilty of at least 4 class D felonies each w/ a max of 5 years in prison. Throw in the hate crime and you’re looking at 25 to life, each. They deserve it.
Crispin
October 1st, 2010
3:33 pm
Everyone involved will pay for their bad choices. Mr. Clementi made his choice as well.
Tolerance has two sides – remember that when you riducule and bash someone that doesn’t agree with your viewpoint. Attacking Christians is just as hateful and wrong as bashing the gay lifestyle.
Decatur Taliban
October 1st, 2010
3:38 pm
Stoning? “gasp” That’s barbaric!! Actually a firing squad would be more humane.
Pat
October 1st, 2010
3:54 pm
Maybe this tragedy will shed some light on the gay lifestyle recruitment that exists on college campuses across the nation. Freshman and those that live in dormitory housing are most at risk. Bad choices made at an early age can have negative effects on the rest of your life. Bad choices equal bad consequences.
jeff
October 1st, 2010
4:15 pm
He killed himself because he was ashamed of his sexuality. If you’re ashamed of something you do that means you shouldn’t do it.
abouttime
October 1st, 2010
4:17 pm
Pat: You’re a moron.
Pat
October 1st, 2010
4:29 pm
abouttime: You are uneducated. You just proved, in more ways than one, you never set foot on a college campus. Pity.
Hmmmmmm
October 1st, 2010
4:33 pm
Yes, he took his own life and I am thankful he was not guilted into taking the actions of the Va Tech shooter. He could have taken many more people with him to his grave instead….Hmmmm
Everyone of you posting have a tipping point where you enter into irrationality and not everyone know what that point is…his was embarassment.
about damn time
October 1st, 2010
4:37 pm
Gay lifestyle recruitment? hahaha that’s rich. and misinformed. looks like the kid was a music major. it’s been my experience that this vocation tends to overindex with gays and lesbians. so what?
abouttime
October 1st, 2010
4:38 pm
@ Hmmmmm He made the choice to take his own life, which shows he was mostly probably narcasistic. Genetics abnormalities are homosexuality and suicidal tendancies. Hmmmmmm!
cruel joke - just a joke people
October 1st, 2010
4:41 pm
I think his family is due a refund from the NY Port Authority for half that damn toll on the GWB
Brad
October 1st, 2010
4:48 pm
Crispin: When someone clings to a demonstrably incorrect view, in order to focus anger on a minority group, I have a tough time being tolerant. If we were consistently tolerant in this regard, we would have remained in the Dark Ages. The Sun would still revolve around the flat Earth.
Pat: Were you ever “recruited” in college? I wasn’t, nor was anyone I know. I have gay friends, gay neighbors and gay clients, and none has tried to “recruit” me. It’s an urban myth.
The whole “choice” argument baffles me. It implies that all of us are sexually attracted to both men and women, and that “good” people choose the opposite sex, and “bad” people the same sex. For me the “choice” is simple; I find women sexually attractive, but not men. Not much of a test of will. My gay friends find men sexually attractive, not women. Again, pretty much a no-brainer. What part of that is difficult to grasp?
Ole Guy
October 1st, 2010
4:51 pm
Well, it’s finally happened: earlier generations had to learn to RESPONSIBLY live with “them thar new fangled gadgets”. Earlier gens had to operate the horseless buggys responsibly, later gens had to learn to limit tv viewing, lest more important demands, such as homework, went unmet. These gens, and mine, had to learn to operate the machines of war so that we, and those who followed, could continue to enjoy a lifestyle of freedom and prosperity.
At each and every step of technological advance, there were prices to endure, both personal and socially, when that technology was not properly employed. Now we have reached that point where the immature, the untrained, and untested have full and complete access to technology which, unwisely employed, has the deadly potential of ruining lives.
It has always been my belief that computers, in the schools, should be treated as an AP topic. ONLY after academic, and psychologically developmental thresholds have been met should kids even look at a computer. Would a school system offer drivers ed to a “Forrest Gump”-type character? Out of concern for liability issues, I would imagine not. Yet we have generations upon generations who cannot even contemplate life without “them thar sillycone diodes”. We have witnessed, recently, ruined careers, and, quite possibly, ruined lives, because of the irresponsible use of the social medias Facebook, etc.
Now we, society, are obliged to pay the price of a short-sighted education fallacy of allowing kids, at the earliest ages, to begin a life completely dependent on technology. Forty years ago, this would have been tantamount to passing out the Camels along with the milk and cookies at rest time.
ND
October 1st, 2010
5:23 pm
What those two kids did to Tyler Clementi was wrong. But trying to say they are responsible for his death is preposterous. Kids in America need some damn perspective. Most 18-year-olds in this world would KILL to not have to worry about food, shelter, clean water, and an Ivy League education to boot. Tyler Clementi should have taken a trip to a third world slum some time and seen how good he has it. Slap those two kids with probation and move on.
Decatur Taliban
October 1st, 2010
6:08 pm
Pat’s right. Clementi was a genetic and morally defective individual who was ashamed of his deviant behavior and took the honorable way out, sparing his family the embarrassment of a media circus.
ITP
October 1st, 2010
8:35 pm
Anyone who uses the handle Decatur Taliban is a genetic and morally defective individual, if the rest of the sane readers out there didn’t already realize.
Inflate the Numbers
October 2nd, 2010
9:07 am
Anyone who uses the handle ITP (Inside the PoohHole) is a genetic and morally defective individual, if the rest of the sane readers out there didn’t already realize.
ITP
October 2nd, 2010
10:46 am
Inflate
Your wit and infantile vocabulary speak volumes regarding your obviously limited cerebral capacity. Shouldn’t you be out burning Qurans or something?
As you have probably heard before, we’re here. We’re queer. Get used to it!! The “activism” you despise will not subside, irrelevant of the number of impediments experienced, until full equality and freedom from persecution is realized throughout this nation.
Rutgers suicide case: Was it a joke that got out of hand? And who thinks livestreaming intimate moments is funny? » iThinkEducation.net!
October 2nd, 2010
12:37 pm
[...] The story has struck a chord with people across the country — as the comments to my earlier blog on this tragedy demonstrate — but not everyone blames Ravi and his alleged partner, fellow student Molly [...]
Brad
October 2nd, 2010
2:43 pm
You’ve got the guns for it, eh Ben?
Mizz
October 2nd, 2010
5:41 pm
I am female. I would have been equally upset if my sexual escapade had been posted on the web……whether my partner was male or female. What is wrong with people today? Clementi expected that he was in the privacy of his room. I think that the two students should be charged with filming and distibuting pornography in addition to any other charges that they face.
Crispin
October 3rd, 2010
9:09 am
“As you have probably heard before, we’re here. We’re queer. Get used to it!! ”
This is a prime example while the gay movement has never been taken seriously.
Sometimes all it takes is a look in the mirror to find your own worst enemy.
ITP
October 3rd, 2010
10:32 am
“…This is a prime example while the gay movement has never been taken seriously.”
Crispy, maybe in your small corner of rural GA you believe “the gay movement” has never been taken seriously but, the facts are clear evidence to the contrary. Ten percent of the states in this country have passed legislation to recognize same sex relationships. Leading prime time television programs consistently include homosexual characters. DADT has been heavily debated and will eventually be repealed. Within my own multi-national firm, domestic partners receive the same benefits as spouses and corporate policies include clear provisions that discrimination based on sexuality will not be tolerated. We have achieved many other accomplishments and the momentum is strong but, it doesn’t really matter if I list them all because your hands are placed firmly over your ears.
I must thank you though because it is people like you who provide us strength and motivation. If it takes my entire life, I will resume the quest for equality until children like Tyler have hope for the future.
OTP
October 3rd, 2010
11:29 am
Leading prime time television programs consistently include homosexual characters…
To ridcule and laugh at their sterotypical and bufoonish behavior. Contrary to poular belief, mockery is not the best form of flattery.
Fantasy Life
October 3rd, 2010
11:34 am
Within my own multi-national firm, domestic partners receive the same benefits as spouses and corporate policies include clear provisions that discrimination based on sexuality will not be tolerated. We have achieved many other accomplishments and the momentum is strong but, it doesn’t really matter if I list them all because your hands are placed firmly over your ears …
… Dream on, dream until your dreams come true
ITP
October 3rd, 2010
12:03 pm
OTP
Let me clarify “leading” prime time television for you. They are critically acclaimed, award winning programs so your personal opinions are irrelevant.
Fantasy
True, it began with a dream. Although, it is and will continue to be a distinct reality. Do you truly not have a better argument?
ITP in a nutshell ...
October 3rd, 2010
6:22 pm
… feels grandiose and self-important, obsessed with fantasies, requires excessive admiration, feels entitled, uses others to achieve his or her own ends (as in Mr. Clementi’s suicide), devoid of empathy, constantly envious of others, suffers from persecutory (paranoid) delusions (the reason for his constant rebuttals via this blog), behaves arrogantly and haughtily (see all above posts), feels superior (definitely), invincible (yep), and omnipresent (magical thinking – fantasies), rages when frustrated, contradicted, or confronted.
Sharktopus
October 3rd, 2010
7:45 pm
Why hold up an entire football game over some suicide that may or may not be gay activity related. Those paying customers came to see a football game and not a wake for some selfish act ie suicide.
I just hope Molly and Ravi, the real victims, are doing ok.
Ole Guy
October 3rd, 2010
7:54 pm
You know, some of you people really piss me off. You express a holier than thou attitude while preaching upon the holy grail of religion. It has been my observation, over 50-odd years of adult life, that those who would pontificate their version of the “religous right” have, within their “closet of skeletons” a history of much deviation from the ideals they tout. Those who would preach the hell fire and brimestone of damnation have histories of becoming lost in the bottle, multiple wives, broken/fractured family relationships, etc. Does this not belch of familiarity of the Cobb County Board of Kings, heralded by the former Speaker, who sing the mantra of family values while, within their proud closets exists multiple wives, and who’n the hell knows what else?
For cryin out loud, you GD people…stop foisting your guilt-induced beliefs on us rotten sinners who, unlike you, have failed to wrap ourselves in the cloak of rightousness.
Patty
October 5th, 2010
9:27 am
The young man was not in the privacy of his own room. He was in a dorm room. The problem with our country is that we allow sex in the dorms. The students go to college to learn – not have sex in the dorms. If he hadn’t had sex in the dorm and opened himself up, it wouldn’t have happened. Whether you’re straight or gay you shouldn’t have sex in the dorm. If you have a secret sex life, and you don’t want anyone to know about it you should take it to the a motel where there are no cameras in the bedroom. Parents of these college students spend a lot of money to give their kids a good education and many of them use college as a ticket to party. If the colleges stopped letting the students use their dorm rooms to explore their sexuality maybe the students just might learn something!
Ole Guy
October 6th, 2010
1:54 am
Good points, Patty, but I’m not sure they address the issue. Kids/young adults are been doing the “evil deed” on campuses everywhere (even some of those “Yea God” schools) employing parked cars, empty offices/classrooms…even a football field (with flood lights extinguished) a time or two. HEin n’ SHEin is a fact of life; if this occurs in a dorm room or two, it won’t interfere with the purpose for which the kid matriculates any more than conducting night maneuvers elsewhere.
The point, I believe, is that, in the mistaken belief that “it had to be a good idea”, technology has been introduced, within the education arena, with no safeguard, at far too early an age/maturity level. Just as with flying, the student is allowed only the very basic of basics in terms of equipment he/she is allowed to operate. ONLY after demonstrating a degree of “operational maturity” can the student go on to more sophisticated applications (We may recall the tragic events which unfolded off the Massachusets coast when John Kennedy Jr, the late President’s son, found himself “over his head and beyond his capabilities” while operating sophisticated equipment within a challenging environment).
The very same concept applies with the introduction of technology in the hands of those who have not demonstrated a mastery of basic discipline. Just as anyone with a Private Pilot License can purchase the most sophisticated aircraft (and invite disaster at the same time), anyone can also avail themselves of technology which, employed with undisciplined abandon, can only invite disaster as well.
Where are the answers? I wish I knew. Perhaps it’s all part of the “Social Darwinian” plan…those who stumble into dark corners for which they are neither prepared nor belong in the first place are, ultimately, doomed to failure. Unfortunately, others often become entangled in the webs of others’ indifference and stupidity.