Wednesday, May 8, 2002

Student in machete arrest not exactly chain saw murderer

I do not know this young man or his family, and I do not have children in the school system, although I did several years ago. I do have immediate family in law enforcement, though not in this county.

It's obvious Mr. Gilman had no intention of butchering his classmates, and it would be outrageous for him to have his entire future destroyed by a felony conviction in this incident.

He should be allowed to make up the school work he has missed during his suspension and graduate with his classmates, as well as attend the prom. Apparently he does not have a history of being a troublemaker.

I saw the spokesperson for the school system on television making a statement that he was only charged for the machete and not for the chain saw, because the chain saw would not be considered a weapon unless he was waving it around threatening people with it.

What a ludicrous and ambiguous statement! Both items were in the back of the truck as part of his lawn-landscaping equipment. Let's hope that reason will prevail in this case.

P. S. Brown

Fayette

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