Whats your opinion of LaFavre

[BobHunt]

the girl accused of having sex with a young male in her classroom? She has spoken out and says that she regrets this, and it had to do with her being bipolar? She said it isnt easy having your face plastered all over....which I can agree with. I guess my question is this, what is bipolar and was it this that made her do that? If God has forgiven her, then should we?

[Gord Evans]

the girl accused of having sex with a young male in her classroom? She has spoken out and says that she regrets this, and it had to do with her being bipolar? She said it isnt easy having your face plastered all over....which I can agree with. I guess my question is this, what is bipolar and was it this that made her do that? If God has forgiven her, then should we?
Ours is neither to judge her nor, in these circumstances, to forgive. She has done nothing to me personally, so there is nothing to forgive.

In our humanity it is easy to be offended (to our core, perhaps) by the acts for which she has been charged, and for the possible double-standard that may allow her not to face the consequences that would seem to be obvious if the genders of the abuser and the abused were reversed.

However, if she is acquitted on the basis that she suffers from bipolar disorder (manic depression in colloquial terms), then worldly justice likely will not be served.

You asked ... my response. Worth all of what you paid for it.

;)

[Ann Smith]

BiPolar is what people used to call Manic Depressive. People with it have mood swings that can be real extreme. When they are in the Manic phase they do some really irresponsible things.
Ann

[Billy Cox]

The prosecution dropped the case because the main witness refused to cooperate. I doubt that the bipolar defense would have been effective.

[Dave McClung]

If God has forgiven her, then should we?

While I was driving today, I listened to two different talk raido hosts discuss the case. They took opposite views. At least in theory, when a person is found guilty in a court, the judgment should serve three purposes:

1. It should deter the defendant from committing the crime again.
2. It should deter others from committing a similar crime.
3. It should provide justice to the injured party.

In this case, I am not sure a jail sentence would have served the purposes any better than the sentence that was given:

3 years of house arrest
life-time ban from teaching
public exposure

The problem with the case is the absence of shame. Mary Kay Letourneau and Ms LaFavre have been glamorized by the media rather than presented as people who should be ashamed of their conduct. The media should treat this type of conduct as shameful conduct.

[Bruce Carriker]

As the father of teens, I have mixed feelings about these types of cases. On the one hand, if the person is genuinely a threat to children, I don't think they can be exposed publicly enough. I don't want them anywhere near kids...mine or yours.

However...and forgive me if I posted this already...I am familiar with a situation where a young high school teacher in his early 20's had a relationship with one of his students. She was beyond the age of consent, so if he'd been an ironworker, there'd have been no crime. But, in the state where he lived...and in most states I think, any relationship between a student and teacher is considered child sexual abuse because of the nature of the usual relationship between teachers and students.

He lost his job. I have no problem with that. He can never teach again. I have no real problem with that. He must register as a sexual predator for the rest of his life. THAT's what I have a problem with. Here's why.

He wasn't "abusing" the girl in the truly criminal sense. They were in a relationship and eventually they married. They have a family. He's now in his early thirty's, she's late twenty's. They're still together.

He can't go to a school play (or any other school activity) without notifying the school he's coming...and he can't go alone under any circumstance. He can't coach a little league team. Because of liability insurance issues, he can't do anything with the kids at church.

He exercised horrible judgment ten years ago. It cost him his career, and rightfully so. But he's not a threat to anyone. At what point does he get his life back? Under current law, the answer to that question is NEVER.

BTW, he admits his behavior was wrong and accepts responsibility for the results. He's never said he was a victim, or that things should be different because he married the girl. He knows he blew it. This isn't a case of glamorizing or excusing the behavior.

[Gina Stevenson]

The problem with the case is the absence of shame. Mary Kay Letourneau and Ms LaFavre have been glamorized by the media rather than presented as people who should be ashamed of their conduct. The media should treat this type of conduct as shameful conduct.
They sure have! Can't recall where I saw ... perhaps on grocery store covers while waiting in line? ... how it seemed they were lauding their wedding!!

[Dave McClung]

He must register as a sexual predator for the rest of his life. THAT's what I have a problem with.

I agree with you Bruce, and not because I feel any sympathy for your acquaintance. My reason is because by including so many people in the category of "sexual predator" they are helping the true predators to escape detection. In most large cities, if you look at the "sexual predator" web site you will see that there is one in almost every block. There are so many people listed that one can't take precautions against all of them. We need to know the ones that create a real risk.

[Anne and Dwayne Hood]

Seriously, I cannot see how being bipolar would cause her to abuse one of her students. Now, if she had hit one, that I would be more able to understand her defense.