Hunt for killer of skater hero continues

See earlier post Skateboarder dies as hero.


Victim's family seeks help

Reward offered for information in slaying

By Wes Woods II, Staff Writer

Article Created: 11/29/2007 09:51:20 PM PST

FONTANA - Friends and family of Michael Lee Reed Jr. gathered with police on Thursday at the same location where he was killed last week.They had a request.

For those with knowledge about his killing to come forward with the information.

They also offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of his killer or killers.

Reed, 21, of Rialto was gunned down after attempting to save a friend on Nov. 21 at Fontana Skate Park. "This makes a difference," said his father, Mike Reed. "My son always practiced peace. He died for a cause."

Young Homes Chairman and CEO Reggie King offered up $10,000 while the city of Fontana gave $5,000.

With a poster board of Reed's image and skateboards hanging from the park's gate, Mike Reed joined Police Chief Larry Clark, Mayor Mark Nuaimi and Councilwoman Acquanetta Warren, asking those responsible to turn themselves in or for anyone with additional information to contact authorities.

Some of Michael Reed's friends - Anthony Bufkin, 18, of Moreno Valley; Vince Bowman, 22, and Sam Arellano, 18, both of Fontana - said they would never forget his humanity or skateboarding skills.

Bowman said Michael Reed spent 12 hours a day working toward becoming a professional skater. He had

Because of Michael Reed's positive influences on other skateboarders, friends and family said the skate park should be renamed the Mike Reed Skate Park and a statue of him should be erected.

At about 8:35 p.m. Nov. 21, a male between the ages of 15 and 18 went to the skate park with three other males to solicit some of the skaters for money and see if they were selling marijuana, according to police.

The male approached John DeLaCruz of Bloomington, grabbed him by the neck, and pointed a handgun at him, according to police.

Michael Reed went to DeLaCruz's aid and tried to convince the male to leave his friend alone, according to police.The male shot Michael Reed in the torso. The four fled.Michael Reed was transported to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

Decker said the homicide was the city's seventh this year.

DailyBulletin.com - Skaters gather to mourn victim

12/04/2007 09:32:00 PM PST

FONTANA - About 30 skaters converged Tuesday afternoon at Jack Bulik Park to informally mourn their friend, Michael Lee Reed Jr., in the same spot where he was gunned down Nov. 21.

They decided to gather to console one another and remember their friend before heading to Principles of Faith Christian Center on Merrill Avenue for the 4:30 p.m. viewing.

"This is where we always meet," said Paul Deviny, 22, gesturing to the paved skate ramps. "This is the temple, the church. Welcome to our congregation."

They mainly stood in silence, leaning against parked cars.

Some took to their boards, busting tricks.

Others talked about Reed and his signature move, a switch backside 360 kick flip.

He was the park's best skater, the only one who could land the move, they said.

Reed occasionally skated all the way from his family's home in Rialto to the park, friend Johnny Rivera said. Most of the time, he would spend the night sleeping on Rivera's floor.

"He'd always say, `Hey, let me borrow a shirt,"' said Rivera, 21. "Sometimes I'd give him shoes. He always needed socks."

Rivera lives only three blocks from the park. Staying with Rivera allowed Reed to meet his goal of skating everyday, all day.

Reed wanted to get a sponsor and become a professional, friends said.

They called him their "body guard," "a powerhouse" and a "a peacemaker."

Patricide was it motivated by listening to metal or horrendous sexual abuse?

Back in July in New York Brigitte Harris murdered her father. It seems her crime was motivated by a lifetime of horrific sexual abuse. There is an interesting new article on the case here which gives the full background:

village voice > news > The Goth Girl, Her Preppy Sister, Sexual Abuse and Murder by Maria Luisa Tucker


"Brigitte Harris's MySpace page portrays a young woman with interests ranging from musical theater and sewing to heavy metal and the occult."

In the aftermath of her father's murder, Carleen has been talking a lot. She launched a public-relations campaign to "Save Brigitte." Within 36 hours of the murder, she had hired star defense attorney Arthur Aidala and told the world that both she and Brigitte had been victims of a pedophile father who regularly and repeatedly raped them from a very young age. Within a week, Carleen had set up a website collecting donations for a defense fund and had held press conferences to round up support. The murder of their "monster" father was simply karma, she told Montel Williams and audiences at a candlelight vigil. If Brigitte snapped, she implied, it was their father who had pushed her.

Thanks to Carleen's efforts, a small crowd of supporters have lined up behind Brigitte, including U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and New York State Senators Eric Adams and Diane Savino.

TV report just after the arrest.




It seems likely that Brigitte's interest in metal music and gothic culture will play an important part in the ongoing coverage of the case as it does in this article.

Take a look at the details accumulated from her myspace The Original Dark Angel and Vampire freaks profiles in this article which sugges6s that listening to a metal sparked her quest for vengeance:

Brigitte Harris Accused of Murdering and Castrating Her Stepfather ...

Harris describes her interests in more detail within her VampireFreaks.com profile:

"[Interests include] everything within the gothic culture, the night time, graveyards by nightfall. I am a thoughtful person when it comes to things. I don't talk a lot, I love the gothic culture, and I like wearing things that resemble medieval times. In my free time I like to read, listen to music, go [to] the movies, Broadway shows, extreme sports and swimming."

Yet if you look at Brigitte's own description of her music shows why she likes metal it has a lot to do with her own musical ability as much with dark reality of the bleak world some metal lyrics describe:

I love all Genres of Musis. My fav. genre is Rock;mostly Metal. I love Rock b/c i Relate to what most bands sing(or scream) about. i also just love the fact that they play their own instruments. thats why i love Classical and Opera. my fav. instruments R the drums,cello, mandarin and Chinese guitar. I have been playing the clarinet since the 4th grade. OTEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Linkin Park ^_^, A7X-Avenged 7 Fold, Pinkly Smooth, Opiate 4 the Masses, Kittie, Korn, System of a Down,The Used, My Chemical Romance,Sick AS Monday, Disturbed, Staind, Lacuna Coil, As I Lay Dying, Evanescence, Pagoda, 3 Days Grace, Letter Kills, Killswitch Engage, Breaking Benjamin, The Rasmus, Muse, The Cure, Rob Zombie, HIM,
Slayer, Atreyu, Cradle of Filth, Godsmack, Metallica, A Perfect Circle, Rammstein,
Static-X, Mudvayne, Underoath, Bleed the Dream, Senses Fail, 9 inch Nails, Drowning Pool, Story of the Year, Shinedown, Silvertide, Papa Roach,
Chevelle,... Tchaikovsky, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Bach, Imogen Heap, Bizet, Andrea Bocelli, Leopold Stokowski

She also loves many classical composers yet strangely no article mentions her liking for Mozart as a significant fact in the murders. [I note that Brigitte doesn't actually mention any Gothic rock bands here but discriminating between metal and goth can be tricky for media people.] How abou the fact that Brigitte unlike her sister wanted go open about the abuse rather than hiding it?

The reality is that Brigitte seems to have killed her father because he abused her. The music she listened too and the films she watched are irrelevant, likely to be found on thousands of similar profiles on the net, if she listened to rap or country the result would have been much the same. I suspect that members of the family who refuse to accept that the father could have abused his two daughters are likely to use such details of metal culture in a negative fashion.

Meanwhile, as the case heads toward trial—the plea agreement that the defense had hoped for has yet to materialize—Brigitte's family has become increasingly polarized. Carleen and her maternal relatives have portrayed Brigitte as a victim who finally snapped, while Eric's side of the family denies any sexual abuse and say the sisters planned their father's murder for ulterior motives. The family split was apparent during a court date last month. Seven members of Eric's family traveled from Rhode Island and Colorado to attend a brief hearing at Queens Criminal Court, where they exchanged information and hugs with the prosecutor. Carleen was notably absent; in her place was an advocate from a domestic-violence nonprofit that helps those in trouble for retaliating against their abusers.

Link to the

Save Brigitte Harris website

Computer and Mobile games show school tribes

Bratz [those dolls] now have a computer game in which they solve all the high school divisions... the game is not very good apparently. Sounds like stereotype city.

Bratz 4 Real - Review

December 3, 2007 - High school. Four years of homework and hall passes, four years of teachers and friends. And four years of the same friends, too, as you're doomed to fall into the trap of joining a tight, exclusive clique and never being able to socialize with anyone outside of that small circle. That's what Bratz 4 Real asserts, as it sets up a story of four fashion-crazed friends who band together to eliminate their high school's clique system, and encourage all different kinds of students to start interacting with one another. It's an interesting premise, one that shows more promise than the storyline used in past Bratz-brand titles. But while the theme of this adventure works pretty well, its execution ends up being pretty shallow.

It's a constant string of short conversations. As you control one of the four Bratz friends, you run around their high school, the local mall and an adjacent park talking to non-player characters, then talking to more non-player characters, then going back to the first character ... and so on and so forth. The plan the Bratz have concocted involves bridging the gap between different social groups, none of which is comfortable with talking to any other. So your character is constantly serving as the messenger, moving from the nerds to the jocks, from the punks to the goths, from the populars to the preppies and every other combination in-between.

It's interesting from a plot perspective. You see the popular girl in charge of costumes for the school play reach out to a punk chick with clothing design experience for help. You see a preppy who loves to proofread manuscripts assisting a nerd with his latest anime fanfiction. You see bright, cheerful cheerleaders come together with drab, gothic girls and find common ground, and it's all very heartwarming to see....

Meanwhile in Australia:

Aussie game creator blasts sex critics | NEWS.com.au

Screenshots ... scenes from the game Coolest Girl In School / Supplied

AN independent Adelaide game developer has hit back at claims her upcoming mobile phone game encourages teen pregnancy and drug use. Coolest Girl In School, a role-playing game designed for mobiles, recently gained international notoriety after the Australian Family Association blasted it for being "grossly irresponsible".

The game's creator Holly Owen was "surprised" by the attack, but has revealed that none of the game's critics speak from experience. "We were really surprised at the lengths people went to condemn the game when no-one has actually played it yet," said Ms Owen, creative director of Champagne For The Ladies.

"I believe it was even accused of causing pregnancy, which I find hilarious," she said. "Someone hadn't had enough sex education to realise that you can't get pregnant from a mobile phone."

Coolest Girl In School is based around a high-school theme that, according to Ms Owen, justifies the controversial content.

"If we left out things like sex and drugs and rock n' roll... then it would really be a game about teachers and homework and pimples, which would be boring and not represent the whole theme."

The game uses multiple-choice questions, which Ms Owen describes as "the type usually found in teen girl mags".

"The strategy lies in making as many friends as you possibly can, which means that pleasing one subculture of people (like more reckless types) isn't necessarily going to do you any favours," Ms Owen said.

Players can customise their characters based on social stereotypes of different youth subcultures.

"You choose from a very extensive wardrobe that contains outfits from subcultures including emos, fashionistas, nerds, etcetera and then you go out into the world and encounter non-player characters," she said.

"Essentially they ask you questions or things happen to you and you've got three choices in terms of how you respond to their question, or the event."

One scene from the game shows an "emo" character asking: "Wanna bludge and fake our own suicides?" The response options vary from "Sure! Can it be suicide by chocolate?" to "Teenage suicide don't do it!" and "Can't sorry – I'm already failing"....

Protests against Lordi

In a world in which there are genuine Satanic Black Metal bands it seems rather odd that anyone protests against Lordi. Did they march against the inclusion of costumed orcs in Lord of the Rings too? But maybe it is Ozzy and KISS who they are worked up about. Only about thirty years too late there.

Oh Lordi ... Christians take on fiends of rock - New Zealand, Stuff.co.nz

A crusade is looming as church groups prepare to take on heavy metal heavyweights poised to play in Wellington over Easter.

Wellington pentecostal church Lifepoint says the lineup of bands - including former bat-biter Ozzy Osbourne and Kiss - are "not appropriate" and will have "negative influences" on the city during the two-day Rock2Wgtn festival on March 22 and 23. They plan to lobby other church groups and will look at taking their concerns to Wellington City Council.

"It's not appropriate from our angle of things," said pastor Karen Crawshaw.

"I don't think we can force our views on others but at the same time we think it's a very negative influence on our city. It'll put a damper on the things the church traditionally focuses on at the Easter season."

The condemnation follows confirmation that another hellish rock act, Finnish heavy metal band Lordi, has been booked to appear at the Wellington event. The band, whose five members dress in elaborate costumes as monsters and demons, won the Eurovision song contest last year.

The winning song, Hard Rock Hallelujah, includes the lyrics "I got horns on my head, my fangs are sharp and my eyes are red" - and prompted Finland's religious leaders to warn that the band could inspire devil worship. But vocalist Tomi Putaansuu, a former film student who calls himself Lordi, denies any Satanic leanings.

Ozzy has a very odd way of being Satanic as other news confirms.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Sharon Osbourne and her Black Sabbath frontman husband, Ozzy, raised more than $800,000 (389,000 pounds) for charity after heavy metal enthusiasts turned out en masse for their Beverly Hills-style garage sale, auction manager Darren Julien said on Saturday. Bidders at the auction, which benefited the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Foundation, ran the gamut from metal heads to the high-brow.

Punk's Last Refuge - TIME

I am pretty sure that punk is alive and well in other places but it certainly looks like it is taken more seriously in Indonesia.

Punk's Last Refuge - TIME
Thursday, Nov. 29, 2007

When the punk movement first surfaced in England in 1977, its nihilistic posturing and contempt for cultural and pop-music traditions rattled both the social and entertainment establishments. Long after the movement petered out or became commercialized elsewhere, it took hold for the first time in Jakarta in the mid-1990s — at a time when the music's belligerence seemed to perfectly echo the hostility many young people felt toward the authoritarian regime of then President Suharto. Onie recalls listening to Guns N' Roses and boy band New Kids on the Block and never feeling a real connection with the music. "Then an Indonesian friend told me that I had to listen to Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols and I loved it," he says. Punk soon proliferated as rapidly as cassette duplicates of the albums could be made, and Onie and his friends would meet nightly at Blok M — beside Jakarta's main 24-hour bus terminal — to swap bootlegs of albums by the likes of American punk rockers the Casualties and Scottish four-piece the Exploited.

"The youth were attracted to the freedom and rebellion that punk offered," says Trax magazine's music editor, Farid Amriansyah. "They were looking for an identity and punk gave it to them." Onie's friend Aca found his mood reflected in the stark lyrics of Fight Back, the 1980 protest anthem by English hardcore-punk band Discharge: "People die in police custody/ Where's the justice in that?/ Don't see none/ Fight the system, fight back." These words directly inspired Aca to join street protests in 1998, when he was tear-gassed and bludgeoned with the butts of police rifles. "I felt so alive then," he says. "I learned from punk and I was ready to fight no matter what." Eko, the owner of another record store, Anti Music Records, and a former member of one of Jakarta's first punk bands, the Idiots, says he constantly lives by punk's rebellious code. "I am always in a punk state of mind," he declares, as if electronica or hip-hop had never happened. "Punk is better than religion to me."

Amriansyah explains that there are thousands of punks in the country. "Through an underground network of fanzines, record trading, the growth of independent distribution outlets and the power of the Internet," he says, "the scene is widely spreading to every region in Indonesia." But these days peer support, not protest, is one of the main attractions. One of Jakarta's youngest punks, 11-year-old Doing, meets up with his friends every afternoon at a playground near Blok M. With calloused bare feet and PUNK tattooed on his fingers, he survives by playing his ukulele on buses for money. "Punks are my family," Doing says.

At this family's core are the members of Marjinal, a punk band that has helped over a thousand street kids earn cash by teaching them how to busk. "Music gives these kids a way to survive, to make some kind of living," says Mike, Marjinal's lead singer. "Punk, to me, is addressing the things that are rotten in society. It tells us that we have the ability to be independent and take care of each other."

Number of people dying of suicide outnumbers those killed in wars - Pravda.Ru

More nonsense from Russia this time:

Number of people dying of suicide outnumbers those killed in wars - Pravda.Ru

30.11.2007
It is worthy of note that every real suicide is a critical demonstration of personal despair, whereas every demonstrative suicide is a potentially real one. Juvenile suicide is a much more complex phenomenon than it seems to be at the first sight. It is an open secret that the demonstrative suicidal conduct is typical teenagers, like other kinds of expressive behavior. In some subcultures, like Emo or Goth teenagers, for example, the marks of a failed suicide attempt (bruises or cuts) are viewed as high rank military insignia. Most often, a teenager tries to commit suicide not to simply impress his parents, but to overcome the fear of death. Suicidal behavior among young people may also be of imitative character.

Razor incident after Emo taunt

From such a short report it is difficult to tell what is going on here. The girl might just have a self harm problem and no interest in emo style or music given the popular stereotype. Was this the first time she had been taunted in this way or was bullying part of her life?

Girl arrested after slashing on school bus - Northwest Florida Daily News
Thursday November 29th, 2007

CRESTVIEW — A 12-year-old girl faces felony charges for lashing out at another student with a razor blade on Halloween. The incident happened on a school bus, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. The girl, a sixth-grader, told investigators she was upset at the other student for threatening to tell her mother that she had been cutting herself.

She became even madder when other kids on the bus began “calling her an ‘Emo,’” according to the report.

She said she lashed out at him with the blade but didn’t intend for any injury.
The boy’s jeans were sliced and his parent said his leg was injured. A deputy did not notice any visible wound the day after the incident. The girl was charged with aggravated battery and is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 26.

BBC NEWS | Northern Ireland | Fury as long-haired son suspended

BBC NEWS | Northern Ireland | Fury as long-haired son suspended
Tuesday, 27 November 2007,

A 15-year-old rock music fan suspended from school for refusing to cut his long hair says he will not back down.

Grant Stranaghan, a GCSE student at Ballyclare High, was suspended for three days last week for having collar-length hair.

Upon his return, he was excluded from class for still not getting a hair cut.

His father George said: "I could have cried when he told me what they did to him - they put him in a room and threw work at him, no contact with anyone."

"This is Northern Ireland in 2007. Solitary confinement, I think it's called - he did say he got plenty of work done, but I don't think it's fair."

I would be depressed without my hair Grant Stranaghan

Mr Stranaghan, from Rathcoole in Newtownabbey, has threatened legal action, saying the school is in breach of British law, European law and gender laws.

Year 11 pupil and rock music fan Grant told the BBC's Nolan Show that his long hair is a crucial part of his personal identity.

"I don't see why I should get my hair cut for them - it is my hair, my natural appearance and I don't think it's within their right to tell me to get my hair cut. I would be depressed without my hair - I've had it cut short before and I feel really bad for weeks afterwards, it's not a good experience."

School principal David Knox said there was never any intention to cause a stand-off.

He said Grant had been suspended because he was in breach of school regulations, adding that he would discuss the matter further with Mr Stranaghan.

More background here:

Not an inch - Local & National - News - Belfast Telegraph

Mr Stranaghan believes his son should not have to conform to what he deems draconian regulations.

The 45-year-old historian and Loughside Football Club coach said: "Grant is a great wee lad. We have never had any problems with him at all. In 12 years at school there has been nothing. His attendance at school is exemplary.

"He is just a normal lad. He is into that type of music, rock music where they all have long hair. He is very quiet and doesn't bother anyone."

Grant's hair is two inches below his collar - a breach of the school rules which state boy's hair must be above the collar. Added Mr Stranaghan: " I don't think two inches of hair should affect 12 years of education. Why should he have to cut his hair? I can't make him get his hair cut.

"What am I supposed to do, hold him down or go in with a pair of scissors when he is asleep?

"We did take him to get it cut but it wasn't enough and he was really annoyed at having to get it cut up to the length it is. He doesn't want to cut it any more. He has offered to tie it back in a pony tail but they are having none of it.

"It's against every law in the land to make him do something he doesn't want to."

But Mr Stranaghan said: "I'll take this the whole way. They are breaking every rule in British law, European law and in terms of gender law."


In a statement released yesterday Ballyclare High School principal, David Knox, said: "A pupil was suspended under the School's Discipline policy for repeated and persistent breaches of the school rules.

" This action is unusual in this school where there is a high level of co-operation from our pupils. The suspension was for three days only and was imposed only after all other sanctions had failed to prompt a positive response.

"The pupil has now returned to school. I had hoped to discuss the way forward with his parents, but they declined to meet me this morning, Monday, November 26 to discuss the matter and have declined to meet me tomorrow morning.

"The school has at all times attempted to be reasonable while implementing the policies of the Board of Governors who represent parents, teachers and the community."

A text poll on yesterday's Nolan Show on BBC Radio Ulster revealed that 69% of listeners thought Grant should cut his hair and get on with doing his GCSEs.

The poll on the bbc site above is currently supporting Grant.

More links:

Pupil suspended for refusing to have his hair cut - Belfast Today

Legal advice to be sought over pupil's suspension - Belfast Today

Emo panic hits Malta

Sound familiar.... look like one incident has generated a media bubble of lies and distortion. A few kids self harm and suddenly an entire genre of music is to blame. People self-harmed before emo was popular it is not some teenage fad but a serious condition.

Fear for emo kids

di-ve news -- 12 November 2007

ZEJTUN, Malta (di-ve news) -- November 12, 2007 -- 1320CEST -- Several Maltese teenagers are being drawn to a youth subculture which actively promotes self-harm. The latest teen fad is called 'emo', short for 'emotional'.

This is an angst-filled culture which is characterised by youths wearing dark attire, dying their hair black and having long black nails. Such teens are often negative about life and some of them even cut themselves. Such a phenomenon in Malta is a growing concern as incidences of teens inflicting harm on themselves are increasing.

A few weeks ago, a 12-year-old girl in a Junior Lyceum slashed her wrist with a knife in an all-girls collective blood pact and had to be hospitalised as she had lost a lot of blood.

However, the seriousness of the incident came to light after teachers discovered the scars of the other girls. What is surprising is that this angst-filled teen comes from a stable home and that she managed to hide her scars from her parents, who are both professionals. [Ed: A fact which is not surprising at all if you actually read ANYTHING about self-harm but hey journalists are busy people.]

After this incident, the students have been instructed to keep their nails short, while teachers are searching bags for knives and compasses. Parents are particularly concerned because the subculture is spreading steadily over the internet, and thus their children could easily come across the concept and get entangled into it.

[Ed. Is it just me or does this photo seem POSED? Possibly even sensational.]

An investigation made by www.di-ve.com uncovered a trail of internet-based local emo message boards on Hi5.

The Malta Union of Teachers president John Bencini said that the union was not informed about the case.

On their part, the Ministry of Education confirmed the story. However questions sent to the Education Department a month ago remained unanswered despite the numerous follow ups.

We asked if the problem was well-spread amongst Maltese students. We also asked what precautions were teachers encouraged to take and, if notwithstanding such precautions such a case does occur, what they must do.

Furthermore, we also asked if the girls involved in the incident had been counselled and monitored, whether access to internet was harmful to children and how could the parents deduct their children had embraced the subculture.

Education counselling service tackles emos in schools
by -
Local News -- 27 November 2007 -- 11:30CEST
The latest teen fad to spread across local schools is the emo sub-culture, which has generated concern following the reports that self-harm is actively promoted amongst the youths who are often characterised by anger and negativity.
A few weeks ago, www.di-ve.com exclusively revealed that one particular female student in a Junior Lyceum had to be hospitalised after losing a lot of blood when she slashed her wrist in a collective blood pact.

The concern over the incident had grown even more after teachers discovered the scars on the other girls.

The report was also picked up by various other local media, which followed up the story.

Meanwhile, www.di-ve.com caught up with an official spokesperson within the Ministry for Education, who confirmed that the incident took place, adding that immediate action had been taken accordingly in all the cases that had been reported.

“When a school notices that a student is having difficulty or experiencing a situation that is potentially harmful to their development, action is taken in various forms. One service that is offered is the Guidance and Counselling Service, where a student is followed by professionals and work is also done with the family.

”The school at times also refers students to outside agencies who may be able to give a more specialised psychological service if this is needed. Students are then monitored for any progress or regression that may occur,” the spokesperson said.

As yet, there is no scientific study that shows the extent to which the emo subculture has spread in the local schools, but the Ministry for Education has only received a few individual reports.

Such trends are common amongst adolescents, and new fads and modes of behaviours appear in schools from time to time.

Whilst pointing out that all schools have a trained counsellor who works on prevention and intervention, the spokesperson said that in those schools where the emo situation was felt to be present, parents and staff were given information on how to recognise the phenomenon, its consequences, how to handle such situations and where to refer for help through an information session that also included a power-point presentation.

Teachers are advised to consult with their Head of School or guidance and counselling team if they notice, have evidence or strongly suspect that a student is going through a particular difficulty or is in need for help, other than academic support.

“It is to be stressed that such trends often manifest deeper psychological or emotional trauma or difficulties, and what is important is to understand the core reason for engaging in such behaviour,” the spokesperson further told www.di-ve.com.

Given that the internet is probably the main source from where the emo subculture is being derived -- and therefore it is relatively easy for the students to come across and get entangled into it -- the spokesperson was asked whether access to the internet is harmful to children.

However, he dismissed such an argument and stressed on the need of educating students to evaluate and critically think about the consequences of their decisions and behaviour, including the way in which they use the internet.

”Like everything else in life, all tools can be extremely useful but may also be abused of. Medicine is a wonderful ‘tool’ for healing the human being; however, mankind has managed to abuse of this in the form of substance abuse. The internet is a wonderful educational tool, however, has also been manipulated and can be harmful if misused.

“The solution is not to remove internet access but to educate the responsible adults on how to monitor their children,” he concluded.

Skateboarder dies as hero

Skateboarder killed in park was 'a hero' Southern California News

Saturday, November 24, 2007 By PAUL LAROCCO
The Press-Enterprise

Slideshow: Memorial for skateboarder Mike Reed

FONTANA - The two-fingered peace sign was as much a part of Mike Reed's image as his skateboard or colorful bandanas. And if anyone saw it as just a pose, friends will forever point to the last few seconds of his life.

Reed, a 21-year-old Rialto resident, was fatally shot Wednesday when he tried to stop a robbery at Fontana Skate Park.

Stan Lim / The Press-Enterprise

Fellow skaters cover the ground at their skateboards with tributes to Mike Reed, 21, of Rialto. They gathered at Jack Bulik Park in Fontana on Friday to mourn Reed, who was killed there Wednesday when he told a group of teens to leave after they pulled a gun.

According to police and the man Reed aided, Reed saw a teen put a gun to a fellow skater's head, so he asked them to leave. The gunman shot Reed instead. On Friday, as dozens of red-eyed skaters turned the area into a memorial -- tagging peace signs and "Mike's Park" onto signs and sidewalks -- the man Reed helped expressed his gratitude.

"I don't know what the hell would have happened if he wasn't there," said 21-year-old John De La Cruz. "He stepped up for me and I kind of see him as a hero now."

No arrests have been made.

Fontana police said the shooter, described only as a male between 15 and 18 years old, entered the Juniper Avenue park with three accomplices shortly after 8:30 p.m. De La Cruz said the group asked for loose change. When he said he had none, one put him in a headlock and pulled a gun.

Story continues below

Josh Thompson, of Fontana, and other skateboarders mourn for Mike Reed, who died after being shot Wednesday at Jack Bulik Park. "He had so much going for him," a friend said.

That caught Reed's attention.

"Within two seconds, the guy shot him. Just for saying something," De La Cruz said. "Basically he asked the guy what his problem was, and to take it somewhere else."

Everyone froze in shock as the suspects ran off and Reed lay bleeding from the head, De La Cruz said. He died at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center less than an hour later.

"He was a peacemaker down there," said his mother, Carmen Reed. Her son spent upwards of 12 hours a day at the skate park in an effort to turn pro, she said. "It was his life."

Although he also found work through a temp agency, Reed's real occupation was skating. Only weeks earlier, the self-proclaimed hippie known for the 360-degree skateboarding trick "Switch Trey Flips" landed his first sponsor: the Citizen skateboard clothing company.

Story continues below

"He had so much going for him," said Cara Lawson, a 17-year-old Fontana skater who knew Reed for seven years. Behind her, a skater obscured by large sunglasses yelled: "The legend of Fontana!"

Jimi Hendrix played from a boom box and just about every skateboard in the park was tagged with "R.I.P. Mike Reed" during Friday's growing memorial to the skater. The mood was somber, but no one said the shooting would deter them from skating. Josh Thompson, who held back tears most of the morning, said that the park is well-lit after dark, and that most of the time everyone "just chills."

Councilman Frank Scialdone, a former police chief, said the skate park's placement within Jack Bulik Park, along the edge of Juniper Avenue, means that police can drive by and easily peek inside. Plans have been made to have park staff members on site during all hours the skatepark is open.

"I don't think you'll see a reduction in usage," Scialdone said. "But we're always looking for ways to improve security."

The park is a frequent spot for police activity, said Sgt. Jeff Decker, but most calls are skateboard or iPod robberies. He recalled one nonfatal shooting elsewhere in Jack Bulik Park several years back. Reed's father, Michael Lee Reed Sr., said his son loathed war of any kind, reminding him of famed reggae singer Bob Marley. Standing nearby, the victim's 17-year-old brother, Demetrius, couldn't immediately bring himself to add anything.

But an hour later, he sent a text message to a friend at the skate park, wanting it to be passed along. It read: "He was all about peace."

$15000 reward set in investigation of skater's death
Press-Enterprise, CA - 28th Nov


The City Council offered a reward Tuesday night for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever killed skater Michael Reed Jr. last week at Fontana Skate Park.

The council put up $5,000, and, during the council meeting, developer Reggie King, a partner in Young Homes, sent a text message to Mayor Mark Nuaimi pledging another $10,000 to the reward fund. The council -- with Councilwoman Janice Rutherford absent -- accepted King's offer and unanimously approved the $15,000 reward.

Reed, a 21-year-old Rialto resident, died at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center shortly after the Nov. 21 shooting. The skate park lies within Jack Bulik Park, in central Fontana.

"We need (the public's) assistance in solving this crime," Councilwoman Acquanetta Warren said in proposing the reward.

"We have a number of leads we're following up on," Fontana Police Chief Larry Clark told the council.

Clark urged anyone with information to call WeTip, the anti-crime hotline that keeps the identities of tipsters confidential.

Warren and Councilman John Roberts paid their condolences to Reed's parents and younger brother on Monday. The family hasn't finalized funeral arrangements, she said. Clark appealed to grieving skaters to stop scrawling graffiti memorializing Reed, who was slain trying to protect another youth from being robbed.

"As a result of their vandalism, the skate park has been closed ... for several days," the police chief said. Roberts suggested the council consider placing a plaque in Reed's memory at the skate park, or perhaps renaming it in his memory.

Footage of the Concert

Footage of the concert on Saturday on Granada News about 3 mins in will probably go down soon so watch quickly.
http://www.itvlocal.com/granada/news

Campaigning developments

The Epetition at Downing Street website against Subcultural Hate Crime has shot through the 2000 mark and is now on 2105. This increase seems likely to have been caused by the spurt of interest following Sophie's Funeral plus the recent concert. The youtube video of her funeral has now had almost 11,000 views over 2 weeks and can be found all over the net.

Another development is a new campaigning organisation the Gothic Liberation Front aiming to help goths facing discrimination and attack has started in the USA. They too have been inspired by the the death of Sophie. They are setting up branches all over the place they have one in the UK, France and in Germany and hopefully they will prove a useful support for goths and help them out in times of trouble. They seem to be taking a more militant approach to the whole thing, but it looks like their heart is in the right place. Since all they are suggesting is self defence which is perfectly legal that is fair enough. The more organizations addressing this problem the better. Check them out here.

I think part of their stance may have something to with the aftermath of the breakdown of Goth Help Us mentioned earlier - Farewell Goth Help Us.

Glasgow "goths and neds"

I belong to Glasgow ( photos) - 27 Nov 2007 - NZ Herald: Travel News and Information from New Zealand and around the World

A New Zealand reporter gets an interesting view of Glasgow and local divisions from talking to local teens:

The younger folk, teens still at school and wishing they weren't, loiter about on the sidewalks down by the River Clyde. There are two distinct groups; the neds (non-educated delinquents) and emo-following goths.

A goth, explains Fiona, 16, wears skinny-legged black jeans, T-shirts of bright colours and heavy black boots. Hair must be dyed jet black, bleached blonde or coloured pink. The neds have short undyed hair, wear baggy, low-slung jeans, hoodies and sports shoes. Neds are apparently doomed to trades whereas goths will likely attend Glasgow University when they finish school. These smoking, swearing youths are the city's future engineers, doctors and economists.

Stately George Square, in the city's heart, is another loitering place for goths and neds. It's fronted by the grandiose City Chambers built - no expense spared - in 1880, in the days when Glasgow was the trading, shipbuilding and textile hub of the Empire. ...

The riverside goths say architecture is one of the things they love about their city, along with its cheerful accommodation of drinking and carousing. Chances are, in a decade, these dishevelled youths will have finished university and will be designing more impress-ive examples of Glas-wegian engineering and the neds will be muscling-up on build-ing sites rather than slouching about in hoodies.

BBC NEWS | England | Lancashire | Concert staged for attack victim

BBC NEWS | England | Lancashire | Concert staged for attack victim
25 November 2007, 12:48 GMT
A memorial concert has been held to celebrate what would have been the 21st birthday of a woman who died following an attack in a skate park.

Sophie Lancaster died two weeks after the attack in Stubbylee Park in Bacup, Lancashire on 11 August.

The event, for 200 of Sophie's friends and family, was staged at St Mary's Chambers in Rawtenstall.

Some of her favourite local bands played and 21 black balloons were released from the venue.

A one minute "noise" was also held at midnight with all the bands on stage as a show of "solidarity and respect" for Sophie.

Friends' memorial for Sophie's 21st birthday

THE friends and family of a woman who died after being attacked in a park came together to celebrate what would have been her 21st birthday.

More than 200 people attended the memorial event for Sophie Lancaster at St Mary's Chamber in Rawtenstall on Sunday night.

Six bands and DJ Grimly Fiendish from the Misery of Sound, played at the event, which saw 21 black and silver balloons released into the sky in her memory.

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A one minute "noise" was also held at midnight with all the bands on stage as a show of solidarity and respect for Sophie.

Sophie's boyfriend, Robert Maltby, who was also left seriously injured in the attack, attended the event and released one of the balloons.

Kate Convoy-Greenwood, a close friend of the Lancaster family, said: "It was an amazing night. The noise at midnight was amazing - it was measured at 127 decibels which is pretty noisy considering a jet engine is 130!

"Tickets were sold on the night towards the SOPHIE - Stamp Out Prejudice, Hatred and Intolerance Everywhere fund - which has now reached £2,500.

"Next we are going to sell black memorial wristbands towards the fund.

"Sophie's My Space site has doubled since it started out and messages of support have been lovely. People have left pictures on the site and messages have come from as far as America.

"We are very grateful to St Mary's Chambers as the venue would have cost £300 but they waived the fee especially...

Bands at the concert were:

Eustacia Vie, Ded Mole Crickit, In fight, 3 Squid, Coporial and Andy and Luke. All of them knew either Sophie or her family and it must have been very difficult to play such an emotional occasion, when they should have been at her 21st birthday party.
I am proud to know should wonderful, intelligent, caring young people.

We hope to have CDs of the night ready to sell to raise extra funds for the campaign."

Concert in memory of Sophie
This Is Lancashire, UK - 25 Nov 2007

A LIVE bands night is taking place in memory of Sophie Lancaster on Friday, November 30.

Sophie died after she was attacked in Stubbylee Park, in Bacup, in August.

Her boyfriend, Robert Maltby, 21, also suffered serious head and facial injuries.

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The concert, organised by Coun Alan Neal and others, will feature Whiskey Chorus, Ice, Midblue and members of Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School band.

Tickets are £5 from Bacup Leisure Hall, or from Coun Neal on 07817 414721.

All proceeds will go to SOPHIE - Stamp Out Prejudice and Intolerance Everywhere memorial fund. The fund was set up by family and friends of the former Haslingden High pupil.

Sikh, Goth and Chav

BBC - Devon - Community Life - Sikh-ing his Britishness:

Ineresing project here and poem.

Goth & Chav

How long before
they see me as a Sikh
they realise I'm not unique
they treat me like a human
someone cries "Is this true man"
they see that inside we're tougher
we don't have to suffer
they realise?
they start to sympathise
they realise the power to touch
they realise it means so much
my love turns to hate
you become my mate
we get noticed
we stop getting dissed
I've got nothing to fear
They get me out of here

Chav versus Emo division dramatised

Interesting...

The Weston Mercury - Modern twist on Shakespeare classic
20 November 2007

TWO star-crossed lovers in sovereign rings and studded belts will meet on stage in Cheddar next month.

Kings of Wessex School has chosen to give the Shakespeare classic Romeo and Juliet a modern twist depicting the Capulets and Montagues as 'chavs' and 'emos'.

Actors from year nine are preparing to get loved up for the production, which takes place on December 6 and 7.

The cast of more than thirty students, including Ben Champion as Romeo and Sophie Caunt as Juliet, will take to the stage four hundred years after the original play was written.

This modern version includes songs from Hard-Fi, Massive Attack and Justin Timberlake and draws loosely on school life.

Tickets, priced £3 for adults and £2 for students and concessions, are available at the school office.

In fact this idea has been used before:

Goths, chavs and Hell's Kitchen for Shakespeare - Times Online

June 27, 2005

IT’S Shakespeare but the Bard might not recognise it. A Winter’s Tale is now a battle between chavs and goths while the BBC has signed Twiggy to appear in a modern Taming of the Shrew. On Sunday, 10,000 children from 400 schools will take part in an event designed to energise Shakespeare’s works for the MTV generation. After a series of BBC sponsored workshops, they will perform 30-minute abridged versions of his plays at theatres across Britain to create a record-breaking One Night of Shakespeare...

Another school is using Twelfth Night to explore the issues of immigration and asylum, while the tragic jealousies of A Winter’s Tale are relocated to the teenage tribes of chavs and goths.

Why is this significant well it shows in two separate schools these rivalries seem worthy enough to dramatise.

Sophie's Birthday

She would have been 21 today.

SWEET program for students with individuality

The Geelong Advertiser

Danny Lannen

22Nov07

SWEET MATE: Students, from back left, Max Mitchell, Zac Janev, Sam Veal, Jason Janev, Mark Formosa, and Chia Wong Yen and, front, Chris Miller. Photo: ALISON WYND

THEY might have piercings, they might have long fringes, they might wear black and even eyeliner but don't call these teenagers emos, they're individuals.

Jackson, Chris, Chia, Sam, Zac and more, they're all part of the mix at Geelong's school for teenagers who couldn't quite find a fit in mainstream learning _ and they're over being stereotyped.

They say the way they choose to express their individuality means they are often at risk of being bullied.

``Kids in town recently tried to kick the cr ap out of me because of what I was wearing, a lot of people can't accept who you are because you look like someone else,'' Chris Miller, 16, said.

``They want you to be sheep and follow the flock.''

The kids know about acceptance because they've come from diverse backgrounds and met many personal challenges but they don't like carrying the emo tag. Emo is short for emotional and is used to describe a teen culture which is descended from Goth and characterised by the wearing of dark clothing, body piercings, lank hair over an eye and avid interest in metal and Goth music.

The teenagers from Diversitat's Success with Education, Employment and Training program, SWEET, reckon the term also comes with insinuation of depressive behaviour.

``Some people are actually proud of it (being called emo),'' Zac Janev said. ``We're not them. We're dressing how we dress for individuality.''

Many of the teenagers in the SWEET program have experienced bullying because of their choice of appearances and have lived with issues including homelessness, drug and alcohol use and mental health complications.

Trainer and youth worker Deb Isaacs said they focused strongly on respect during their studies in areas including literacy, numeracy, art, electives and environment.

``It's less school based and more jobs based, and we're all entitled to our opinions,'' Chris Miller said.

``We have this instead of dropping out of school and doing nothing. This is our corridor into the workforce.''

Tragic death of girl revealed

The UK has been gripped by news of a mass murderer whose crimes have been uncovered recently. One of the bodies dug up was that of 18-year-old goth and metal fan Dinah McNicol, who disappeared in 1991.

As Dinah grew older, she became, according to her father, a "typical teenage girl".
Her taste in music and clothes, which she made herself or bought in charity shops, was gothic and hippy. She had a couple of boyfriends, but nothing too serious. The room she shared with her sister Shauna was a complete state, he recalls. "There was make-up and clothes everywhere. They used to share everything.

"Dinah was going through a bit of a 'goth' phase. She used to wear a lot of black and was into heavy metal. She was a really lovely girl with such a personality. She could make friends with anyone."

read more...
How I planned my suicide after Dinah went missing, by her heartbroken father | the Daily Mail

The police released a different picture of her last week saying...

Yesterday police released a new picture of Dinah in an attempt to jog the memories of any witnesses 16 years after she disappeared. Detective Superintendent Tim Wills, of Essex Police, said: “This image could be important because the photograph publicised for the past 16 years is of Dinah sporting a striking gothic image in a formal pose.

“This image shows a distinctly different and more relaxed young woman and it may be enough to trigger someone’s memory.”

The man who killed her it seems was a serial killer who would kill any young woman.

Rest in peace Dinah, Vicky Hamilton and all the other victims of these foul crimes!

Bedfordshire - Fear keeps youngsters away from skate park

Sandy in Bedfordshire is latest place to be hit in the UK by the wave of violence and threats against skaters and skateparks. See our previous posts on skaters.

The Comet - Fear keeps youngsters away from skate park

15 November 2007

YOUNGSTERS have deserted a skate park saying they fear being attacked because it has become a meeting place for gangs.

The skate park at the end of Sunderland Road, Sandy, was also where a young schoolboy suffered a badly smashed nose in an attack in August.

Now many young skaters say they are too frightened to go there, especially at night, and many will only go there if they are accompanied by a parent or adult.

"I have spoken to many of the skaters who say they fear being attacked down there," said Mid Beds district councillor Ken Lynch, who led the campaign for the £80,000 skate park to be built with cash from Sandy Town Council and the Lottery.

"It is disgraceful it has come to this and the youngsters are frightened to go down there.

"One young lad has already been assaulted there and skaters fear this could happen again because two gangs go down there.

"The police need to take some urgent action. Many people are telling me about gangs roaming around the town at night and I have seen one group for myself in the Market Square. They are very threatening.

"One gang is called the SG gang, I presume after the town's post code."

Cllr Lynch says the only way to make the skate park safe is to erect floodlights which will make it easier to police and deter gangs from meeting there.

Sandy beat officer Pc Lee Prutton said he will investigate claims of gangs at the skate park and in other areas of the town.

"When I was on duty I did see groups at The Mushroom and by Budgens in the town centre and they were well behaved and not causing any problems," said Pc Prutton.

"I will keep a watch on the skate park and speak to any groups of youngsters who are gathering there. The Comet - Fear keeps youngsters away from skate park:

Meanwhile in Crewe a new park is being built because the old one was vandalised in a familiar pattern:

Work starts on £80000 skate park
Crewe Guardian, UK - 12 Nov 2007

SKATEBOARDING teenagers could be trying out their skills on a new skate area in Alsager by Christmas.

Work has begun on creating a skate park in Milton Park to replace one which was vandalised and used as a late-night drinking den.

The £80,000 skate park is being built on the same site, which has been opened up to deter anti-social behaviour.

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The area is part of planned improvements at the park, which include a new children's play area and a CCTV camera.

The skate area should be much more popular than the previous one because local skaters were involved in its design. The new equipment will be made from concrete, which is less noisy than the metal ramp in the previous skate park.

"The number of local skaters has dwindled because of the lack of a skate park in the town," said Alistair Cook from Groundwork Cheshire, which is overseeing the project.

"However those numbers will grow with the opening of the new facility.

"The need for facilities for young people in Alsager was mentioned by an overwhelming percentage of local people last year. A new skate facility in Milton Park featured highly in the wishes expressed by young people when they were consulted in October."

The new skate park will include seats, litter bins and cycle racks, and will boast a mixture of street features and curved ramps.

Work should be completed by the end of December, and a celebration event is planned for early next year.