Several news stories have been posted about Megan Meier, the 13 year-old girl who committed suicide after being rejected by a "boy" she thought was her friend. Turns out the boy wasn't a boy - or even a real person. It was a hoax, perpetrated by the MOTHER of another young girl that used to be friends with Megan.
Various reports have noted that the woman, Lori Drew, who is 47 years old, created the character of Josh specifically for the purpose of befriending Megan (who had recently broken off her friendship with Ms. Drew's daughter) and finding out what (if anything) Megan was saying about the Drew child. The Josh persona spent several weeks chatting with Megan until she felt she had formed a close friendship with him. Then, apparently without warning, the false Josh turned on Megan, saying he wanted nothing to do with her and accusing her of being mean to her other friends. A short time later, a sobbing Megan (who was being treated for depression already) retreated to the closet in her bedroom and hung herself.
It boggles my mind that any parent, let alone a woman nearly in her 50's, would do something so cruel and vindictive to a child. What is even more disturbing is that Lori Drew KNEW that Megan had emotional problems and was being treated with antidepressants. Yet it apparently never occurred to this so-called adult that her actions might exacerbate the child's problems, or lead to a disasterous result. And, as the article above points out, the woman doesn't even seem to show any remorse for her part in driving this child to suicide.
I am forced to wonder if Ms. Drew is stupid, ignorant, uneducated, trying to relive her own chidhood, or simply too busy trying to be her own daughter's "friend" to remember her only real job was to be a parent - and a good example. Personally, I'd like to see her lose custody of her own child, before she corrupts her daughter's morals and behavior any further. If I were her husband, I'd have already filed for divorce - and custody.
Unfortunately, whatever motivated this woman to do something so irresponsible and stupid, her actions were not illegal. Immoral, unethical, inhumane and inexplicable - yes. But not illegal - at least not yet. The local authorities are actively making new laws to address such situations, and I'm sure this will be looked at by both state and federal lawmakers as well.
Honestly, I would consider what this woman did to be tantamount the emotional abuse of a child, which either is, or should be, a crime. If she had treated her own daughter that way, she would likely have found her daughter being taken away by the authorities. But it would seem that there is no punishment for emotionally abusing someone else's child.
Here's my question though... should we need laws to force us to behave in responsible and ethical ways? I would like to think the answer is that we don't... but then a story like this comes along and makes me wonder if such juvenile and unconscionable behavior by someone who was well beyond "old enough to know better" is a fluke, or proof that humankind has not evolved as much as we'd like to think.
Sphere: Related Content
No comments:
Post a Comment