Trying To Do Right

I regularly check the stats for I Hate My Developer.

While I wrote a post some time ago about Mike Holmes, I continue to get traffic to the blog based on a Mike Holmes search string. You’d be surprised at how many people search to see if Mike Holmes is married.

He is a tasty piece. Trust me, I get the interest

Roughly two weeks ago I was checking the stats for the blog when I ran across the following search string in the visitor activity log:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=i hate my school i want every kid there dead

It stopped me cold.

My mind went in a million different places. What should I do? Should I notify the authorities? Am I paranoid?

With all the school shootings at both Northern Illinois and Virginia Tech, I think the red flag goes up when anyone starts shooting off their mouth about----well----shooting.

I wrestled with what to do for two days. If I can prevent someone else from mourning for their child, I'm all in.

In the end, I didn’t want to have any deaths on my conscious. I decided to notify the school district of the city and state where the query originated.

You guys aren’t completely anonymous when you come in to check out my little blog.

This is what I sent:

Good Morning,

In light of the recent campus shootings at Northern Illinois University, I thought it might be wise to make you aware of a recent hit I saw in the visitor activity log of my blog. Frankly I was a little disturbed when I saw the search string. While wrestling if I should or should not send this e-mail, I reasoned that it's better to be over cautious than ignore a possible sign.

The following entry was received on 2/25:
VISITOR ANALYSIS
Referring Link http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=i hate my school i want every kid there dead
Host Name
IP Address xxx.xx.xxx.xx
Country United States
Region New York
City xxxxxx
ISP xxxxx
Returning Visits 0
Visit Length 0 seconds
VISITOR SYSTEM SPECS
Browser MSIE 7.0
Operating System Windows XP
Resolution 1024x768
Javascript Enabled

Navigation Path
Date Time WebPage
25th February 2008 14:25:26 www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=i hate my school i want every kid there dead
www.ihatemydeveloper.blogspot.com/

I'm not sure if the sender is even a school aged child or if they even attend a public school in your school district. My intent is not to cause unnecessary worry but if the IP address can be traced, hopefully the author of this string, if a student, can receive the help that he or she may need.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Regards,

The Woodlawn Wonder


Ooooh Whee…

Did I anticipate them shutting down the entire school system of this little hamlet in New York state? Did they do it? You bet your ass they did.

Not only did two Chicago Police show up on my doorstep to ask me a few questions but I received e-mails from the hamlet’s police AND the New York State police.

I just wanted to make sure that a disaster was averted. I didn’t mean to rattle everyone’s cage.

Moreover, if a young person could get the help that they needed all’s the better.

Shit, if I shot everyone in junior high and high school that was mean to me I’d be under the jail.

Hell for that matter, if I went off the deep end every time drama popped off during the last two years I’d be sitting on death row.

Blogging, gardening and normal coping mechanisms help me relieve stress.

Unfortunately some people in our society think that the business end of gun will put an end to all of their problems. When in fact, it simply creates so many others.

Luckily, the young person was located and explained that the search string was a result of a very bad day at school. The officer who explained the situation stated that the young person gets bullied and isn’t very social.

It should also serve as a warning to those who bully. One day an ill placed gesture or deed may result in someone being very upset with you.

And when I say very upset, I mean get a gun upset.

Not only are manners a good thing to practice but one day they very well may save your life.

Thank God the young person is getting the help they need.

And I can sleep at night.