Our 36th District senator, Jean Kohl-Welles, D-Queen Anne, has been busy in Olympia this current legislative session. One of the bills she is sponsoring addresses the very real issue of "cyberbullying" in our schools. Kohl-Welles' legislation would have school districts amend their anti-harassment laws to address the use of computers and cellular phones for intimidation or bullying.
Such a provision is an unfortunate - albeit necessary - addition to the legal tools available to school administrators to enforce student standards of responsibility and accountability. My regret is that it does not go far enough, because it doesn't hold parents jointly responsible for the mis-use and abuse of technology (cellular phones, laptops, PDAs) they provide to their children.
Some readers have mentioned that my writing style appears to be influenced by such authors as Tom Robbins, Roald Dahl, Tom Wolfe and, yes, Hunter S. Thompson. But what late 20-century writer hasn't been influenced - from college English papers to papal encyclicals? If slaving away over a hot keyboard is involved, the "gonzo"/first-person style of writing has become the way to say it.
And we have the eccentric-to-the-end Hunter S. Thompson to thank. It is with great sadness that we mark his passing, particularly since it was a death of his own making two weeks back at age 67.
If Thompson ever demonstrated any inkling of a migration toward conservative thought, his proclivities for booze, firearms and fast living would have quickly earned him full "wing nut" status.
But because of his unabashed liberal leanings, he will forever be seen as eccentric and genuine. Thank goodness for that.
Please permit a sentence or two of "gonzo" reporting about the passing of Peter Benenson, founder of Amnesty International.
Nobel Peace Laureate Peter Benenson was a giant. At 83, he lived a long life that is worthy of celebration. Following in the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., he refined the international politics of personal involvement and public accountability. And he did so by putting himself into the story "gonzo" style, using the media to influence politicians in his own country, as well as in the most remote capitals on the planet.
When considering the tools we all have available today - from Bluetooth devices to the typewriter, instant messaging to quiet conversation - we are perhaps long since past the time for reflection on the ethics of that empowerment.
It is also up to us to instill in our children the lessons of personal responsibility. We can do so by contrasting the legacy of choices made by these two men. And empowering the next generation to take stock of the lessons made stark by that reflection.
If we make progress on that, just maybe our senators won't have to create legislative cyber-nannies, and together we can make progress on the human rights and economic potential we all deserve.
P. Scott Cummins is a freelance writer and columnist living in Magnolia.[[In-content Ad]]
