Nineteen students from Robert F. Hall Secondary School, near my hometown of Brampton, were suspended for cyberbullying their principal, Edward McMahon. They callously misused Facebook to form a group where he was derided as the "Grinch of school spirit." While comments have been made to the effect that his reaction to the group was "over the edge," those ungrateful students deserve more than a suspension. They don't even deserve to be educated.

Now being mocked by teenagers in this way isn't enough to warrant a response, but can you believe that the posts on the Facebook group started to escalate and become sexually explicit.?From an adolescent? Phrases such as "I have a few words for the big man: get on your knees, open your mouth and suck it." I don't know about you, but I've never once in my life ever heard students speak disparagingly about a faculty member in such a vulgar tone, especially not in high school.

This whole thing came out of nowhere. Since when did teenagers stop respecting authority figures? Back when I was a lad, I remember doing nothing but sing the praises of my principal along with the rest of my fellow pupils. If the hatemongering students of this school are going to act like children, then I'm glad they got what they deserved. If there is one thing young people hate, it's a controversial suspension and being given cause to fight against.

Rabblerousing ne'er-do-wells like class president Kevin Sultana maintains that the comments made on Facebook are outside of the school's jurisdiction. Listen Kevin, you can access Facebook on a school computer, and so that brings it within their jurisdiction. Plus, adults are always right. Man, are kids ever dumb. Slander is slander even if the perpetrator is three and the victim is thirty. Last time my niece called me a poopy pants, I took her to court.

Cathy Wing of the Media Awareness Network said online bullying and intimidation is a growing issue, leaving officials unsure of how to manage the problem. I fancy myself somewhat of an expert on child psychology, having once been a child myself. In the real life analogue of bullying, the issue would be dealt with by organizing an assembly that most of the bullies skip to smoke pot. At this assembly, they would put on some play that shows the students why bullying is wrong. Presumably by the students who are generally the victims of teasing and violence or, if not, who soon will be.

Thus in the online equivalent, taunting, teasing and, in general, being a disaffected youth can be dealt with in a similar way. We first must recognize that taunting and being taunted is the worst thing that can happen to a child and must be eliminated entirely lest it decimate the entire population. Just look at the generations who came out of school without the benefit of anti-bullying campaigns. Buncha twisted psychos they turned out to be.

Searching for the group at the centre of the controversy turned up a different group made by students of another school within the board. The original seems to have been taken down. Students from Robert F. Hall, some of who were among the ones suspended, pleaded with others in this newly minted group to avoid publishing slanderous material on the Facebook group. I'm glad they are taking these steps because like the principal, they know that the internet is a place free of offensive material.

I applaud Mr. McMahon for his poise and maturity in the matter. Graffiti with the same intentions is generally anonymous, but these comments had easily identifiable sources. By making an example out of these kids, principal McMahon has once and for all closed the rift between faculty and high school students. Not with some "let's all shave our vaginas and talk about our feelings" dialogue with them, but with how kids are supposed to be treated — with contempt and scorn for the point in their life where they struggle to develop their independence from authority and establish an identity. Bloody animals.

I'm Brendan Pinto and I'm single (because I once got made fun of and my ego has never recovered), so tell your friends.

Article republished with permission from Brendan Pinto – Columnist, The Imprint, The University of Waterloo's official student newspaper and The Imprint's EIC.

Article source:
http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1100&Itemid=58&issuedate=2007-02-23