That age-old rhyme about sticks and stones hurting and words never harming is being tested in the courts. A young miss will come to know her fate (shortly) for something she did with her phone.
If it’s proven, she’ll be charged with manslaughter and serve twenty years behind bars.
Texting could be seen as a way to commit murder. A judge believes she’s responsible for taking someone’s life. He said her words constituted “wanton and reckless conduct”.
A teen boy threatened to commit self-harm in a message he sent to her before he died. She encouraged him, and he did what she asked. The judge now has to work out if what she did amounts to manslaughter, murder or something else. When I read the first few paragraphs of the original story, I, too, wanted her neck in a noose, but as I delved deeper into the piece, I realised there was much to learn about the couple. Their relationship was extreme. The two teens were manic-depressives using words like suicide and suicidal as part of their regular vernacular.
Key points of the article:
- Michelle Carter encouraged Conrad Roy to take his own life
- Both struggled with depression
- She now faces up to 20 years in jail
Manic depressive or not, it’s careless and selfish to write such words and then expect someone else to sort out the mess afterwards. This kind of behaviour is reprehensible, no matter who it is or why they are doing it.
If you were her parent, you’d probably say it was just a foolish, immature act, something she’ll regret for life, and that would be her punishment. If you were his parent, you’d want to see her enjoy that regret behind some solid bars. As an outsider, I’d be satisfied if doctors simply irradiated her ovaries so she wouldn’t be able to pass her genetics on to the next generation. She’ll stay out of jail, but also save our race from her offspring. No one needs another Michelle Carter causing trouble. It’s a win-win for everyone.
She can then become a Common Sense Ambassador, educating other child narcissists at schools around the country about irresponsible texting. She can tell them that there are long-reaching consequences to misusing and abusing the texting service. God knows how many lives can be saved (and money spent) by doing this act of kindness.
Discover more from Michael Forman – Author of Dark Fiction & Drama
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