Thank you WHS_student. I really feel that Jacob is a good kid. I think that he is a little misunderstood and somewhat targeted. Who really knows why. I am an adult and I understand him and what he goes through. He has always been respectful and nice. I would not have had a problem with the drawing or the book. He is just interested in that sort of stuff. Some kids just like it. It is no big deal. I have a high school student that likes that kind of stuff too and there is no problem.

Jacob and his family could use all the support they can get. We are trying to help them as much as possible and to try to keep their spirits up.

Gail, Give us all a break. You don't live with this family, so you only see from the outside. It is an unforntunate situation and this kid AND his family obviously need help. The police are doing exactly what they should be doing. Hopefully giving this kid and his family a real wakeup call. We all have been upset with our parents at one time or another but we don't threaten to burn the house down or kill someone. Do or did you do that when you were his age?

Ummmm, yeah, thats the ticket. Of course, all good kids think of commiting arson to get attention, or "blow off steam". Huh, who knew that this is the new trendy thing to "blow off steam"? Commit a felony, of course. Makes sense.

Most "good kids" get attention by being good in sports or music, or academics. They are high achievers.

How much more permissive should we be as a society? Should we just excuse any crime, because the perpetrator needed to "blow off some steam"??

It goes without saying that the cops should have waited until it was convenient for him to be arrested. Cops should always wait until the criminal is ready to be caught. Ssshheeessh, what were they thinking??

If they are stupid enough to threaten arson or other criminal acts, yes, adults should and DO get arrested.

So, when a teenager sends an email that says he's going to burn his house down, law enforcement should just wait a while until he wakes up and discuss it? I don't think so.

The background on the situation is something for a court and the DA's office to consider, not the cops. They did exactly what they are supposed to do: to protect and to serve.

As far as "all the stress" on teens these days.....how is greater than a decade before, or the decade before that, the decade before that, etc.?

NUK

To: blazin2006
I am friends with the entire family. His mom, grandma, and I talk everyday. The email that the paper was referring to was taken out of context. The person on the receiving end did not understand. I work with teens and they are always saying things that they do not mean. Of course I talk it out with them and they always say that they don’t REALLY want to do it and that they are just mad about one thing or another. The situation gets diffused and everyone calms down. They have NEVER acted on any of the things that they have said. Jacob would NEVER burn down a house. He and I talked about things like that in the past and he always tells me that he would never do anything to hurt anyone. He has NEVER acted on the things that he has said in the past. He has NEVER been violent. This kid won’t even kill a spider. And, yes I have threatened someone in my past. I threatened my ex-husband for beating my daughter. Toddlers should not be black and blue after visiting their dad. However, I did not have to follow through on the threat because Child Protective Services took care of it. I will not discuss her case anymore than that.

I am not the only one that thinks Jacob is a good kid. His mom’s supervisor, his supervisor and coworkers, and his teachers all think that he is a good kid.

To: Skyspy
Jacob was a high achiever before he was arrest. He is an A student, he works, and he used to run three times a week with his mom. He is a good kid that would not hurt anyone. I stated all that in my response to blazin2006. In addition, Jacob has stated on several occasions that he has been picked on and teased by adults and kids alike. He has a high IQ but lacks some social skills with the general high school population. He should probably be in college instead of high school. Also, he draws very well. He has an outstanding artistic side. I am not asking anyone to be permissive just a little understanding that he is not the homicidal maniac that is being portrayed here. I just think that this case should have been investigated a little further before an arrest warrant was issued. There are a lot of dangerous criminals running around loose and the police are spending time and tax dollars on a kid that was just upset.

To:NUK
The first two responses above address your first three paragraphs. As for all the stress; it is different. When I was in elementary I did not have homework. My daughter did. When I was in junior high I had very little homework. My daughter had a minimum of one hour each night. When I was in high school I had 30-45 minutes about every other day. My daughter has a minimum of 2 hours a night and special projects on top of that. The curriculum is different too. Most of her classes are advanced and college prep. For example, when I was in high school Physics wasn’t even offered until senior year. It is a freshman requirement now. When I was a kid I grew up in a two parent home. Drugs, alcohol, and sex were frowned upon by most high school kids. Nowadays kids grow up mostly in single parent homes being shuffled back and forth between feuding parents. Drugs and alcohol are flowing though the schools like a river during a flood. Kids are engaging in sex at such a young age now that it is mind boggling. Then you have the war in Iraq, terrorism, and violence on TV and in movies, not to mention all the JUNK music like Marilyn Mansion or the rap “musicians’ that depict violence, drugs, and sex. Our teens are being bombarded from all directions with issues that they are far too young to deal with. So when a kid starts talking about violent acts or are threatening others or themselves, adults should step in to find out the problem and help them deal with it instead of locking them up with murderers and rapists.

In addition to all of you: Jacob was recently threatened by a 6’4” grown man in jail. The inmate thought that Jacob was getting more food than him and told Jacob that he had to hand his food over. So, should our troubled teens starve and/or be bullied, threatened, and possible harmed? How about, not being able to graduate high school on time? Or, loose a job? All of these things happened to Jacob.