Sat, 28 Jan 2006 05:57:00
Sins of the father
There is no doubt where the responsibility lies in this case.
The 8-year-old boy who took his father’s handgun to a day care Tuesday used a string of obscenities before he demanded money from a 7-year-old girl, then fired a shot that struck her in the arm, according to state prosecutors.
Assistant State’s Attorney Karyn McAuliffe on Thursday described the shooting and the boy’s affinity for violent video games as she urged a Rockville District Court judge not to release his father from jail.
Prosecutors said John Linwood Hall Sr. had significant influence over his child. Mr. Hall repeatedly denied suggestions that he taught the boy how to use a .38-caliber gun kept in their shared bedroom. Mr. Hall and his son lived two doors from the Germantown day care center where the shooting occurred.
During his second bail hearing in as many days, Mr. Hall spoke through closed-circuit TV from jail while Ms. McAuliffe said the boy “raised the gun in the backpack and told the girl, ‘Give me your money.’”
The girl said ‘What do you want? Nickels, dimes, pennies. I’m broke,’” Ms. McAuliffe said.
It was at this point, Ms. McAuliffe said, the boy raised the gun and shot her in the arm.
I’m glad to see them focusing on the father here.
When Ms. McAuliffe told Judge Louis D. Harrington that three felony convictions against Mr. Hall in 1971 and 1972 were pertinent to why he’s here today, Mr. Hall said he has served his time.
“When do you pay your debt to society?” he asked.
A line like that sounds like something out of a courtroom drama...nicely said. Mr. Hall’s sister says he didn’t have influence nor did he teach the kid to shoot. What does she blame?
Ms. Hall said outside the courthouse Thursday that the youth learned how to shoot from the video games.
“His father did not teach him,” she said.
Oh bullshit. You can’t actually learn to handle a gun from video games. Video games equate to real shooting the way McDonalds equates to French cuisine. This is a parent thing from beginning to end...Daddy raised a little hellion bastard-child and the legal system is looking to hold him accountable. I agree with it...you’re responsible for your minor children, good or bad.
Posted by JimK at 05:57 AM on January 28, 2006
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How much would you want to bet that Thompson is all set to swoop down on this like a vulture?
Either way the media is going to be all over this again to claim that videogames turn kids into violent little monsters.