Editor's note and language advisory: Below is what Cary-Grove High School student Allen Lee says he wrote, according to his lawyer. The essay contains language some readers may find offensive.
(MG) "Allen Lee says he wrote" suggests to me that he does not have the original. If he had the original, he wouldn't have to "say he wrote it" and the Tribune would not have use that curious language construction ... "says he wrote".
Blood sex and Booze. Drugs Drugs Drugs are fun. Stab, Stab, Stab, S…t…a…b…, poke. "So I had this dream last night
(MG) Ideation and action are NOT the same thing. I had this dream last night is either true or false, but it was a purported dream -- I'd give him the benefit of the doubt and say he either had the dream, OR ... had the common sense to couch the essay within a dreamscape background
where I went into a building, pulled out two P90s and started shooting everyone…, then had sex with the dead bodies. Well, not really, but it would be funny if I did."
(MG) Well, not really ... it's not at all clear about what part "not really" refers to. And this actually makes for interesting writing, because the reader is left to interpret through the lenses of his own experiences. Not really - meaning he didn't really have a dream ... Not really - meaning he didn't really have sex with the bodies he had shot? ... Not really - meaning he didn't actually shoot the bodies ... a wide range of interpretation is possible.
Umm, yeah, what to wright about……I'm leaving to join the Marines(MG) "to wright about" This straight A student has some spelling issues ... OR quite possibly, the Cary-Grove school district teaches "phonetic spelling"
(MG) this statement is factual. That was his plan.
The following is Lee's explanation of the essay above, given to the media by his lawyer.
and I really don't give a (obscenity) about my academics,
(MG) interesting .. once again, the student has been reported as being a straight A student. It is more than possible to be a straight A student and not give a care about one's academics. To be a straight A student, in high school anyway, one must merely be a good parrot ..
Polly want a cracker ...
Polly want a "A" ...
Polly gonna regurgitate ...
What all Polly's teachers say
I was a parrot of a student, all through high school, all through college, although I read stuff from "outside the curriculum"
so why does the only class that's complete Bull Shit, happen to be the only required class…enough said.
(MG) Four years of high school English are required in the State of Illinois, as well as two years of physical education. It seems a reasonable assumption that Mr. Lee finds the class to be less than satisfying ... his feelings might well be deeper than that
The model citizen would stay around to vote in new board member to change the 4 years of English policy, but no one really stays around to vote for that kind of local crap, so whoever gets there name on the Ballet with a pretty face gets to do what the (obscenity) ever they want with local ordinance.
(MG) Mr. Lee has an impressive sense of responsible citizenry. "The model citizen would stay around to vote" ... and an critical eye to reality "but no one really stays around to vote for that kind of local crap" check voter turnout for local school board elections in your community ... and, paraphrasing, the most physically attractive candidates get voted in ... kind of like a popularity contest ... well, it works that way on the national level for sure, why else do you think John Edwards spent $4,000,000 on a hair cut? (just kidding)
A person is smart, but people are dumb selfish animals.
(MG) there is a deep and profound wisdom and understanding here ... I know some republicans, fundamentalist Christian republicans who hear from their pulpits week after week on the sinfulness of homosexuality and the wrongness of abortion ...[ok you caught me in an exaggeration ... I've been to two fundamentalists churches in the area in my life ... the Evangelical Free Church down the road from my parent's Lutheran Church, which had a Sunday evening service that fit my work schedule better at one time ... went there, listened to the homophobic rant, stuck through the entire service, and never went back again. When one has loving, compassionate, articulate, intelligent, humble homosexual siblings, one becomes incensed at hearing such hateful diatribes. One becomes sensitized to such rants.
We can't make rules for ourselves so we vote others to do it for us,
(MG) a fair assessment of the political process
but we can't even do that right, I meen seriously, Bush for President? And our other option was John Kerry who claimed to parktake in Vietnam Special Forces missions that haven't been declassified….(obscenity) Bull Shit.
(MG) "We can't even do that right" ... out of the mouths of babes, comes wisdom. Bush for President? ... incredulity ... I understand that he was appointed in a bloodless coup d'etat in 2000, but by 2004 we the sheeple knew exactly what we were getting
our other option was John Kerry ... I voted for Kerry, assuming that he would remember his "roots", his denunciation of the Invasion and Occupation of Vietnam (Laos and Cambodia too), his moral, principled stand, and, ladies and gentleman, what Kerry did, at the time he did it, was apparent political suicide ... but he was passionate, articulate, and convincing (to me) and in fact TOLD the Senators assembled EXACTLY what needed to be done to stop the war upon the peasants of Vietnam .... STOP THE FUNDING ... and, eventually, the Senate voted, to stop the funding ... after all, who wants to be the last soldier to die in Vietnam
But damn John Kerry to hell for running on the "I can prosecute this war better than governor shrub" platform. That was a cold, calculating, quisling platform, and I will NEVER AGAIN vote for the cold, calculating quisling war mongers. NEVER.
So Power Flower Super Mario. Pudge, hook, rot, dismember "Fresh Meat."
(MG) call me quirky - I like the rythym and cadence of this phrase
Mostly new/young teachers are laid back, and cooperative with students as feedback and input into the curriculum and atmosphere.
(MG) I take this to mean Mr. Lee has had some new teachers that inspire him, and have taken his suggestions to heart in re: ciriculum ... he's had some teachers that LISTENED to their students, and this young man CLEARLY has some ideas about what should be taught. He is LIGHT "YEARS advanced over where I was at his age ... light years advanced as a critical THINKER ... he does not take his universe (up to this point, school is the student's job #1 and their world) for granted ... he understands that he has the wherewithal to impact the system ... this young man is no wall flower
My current English teacher is a control freak intent on setting a gap between herself and her students like a 63 year old white male fortune 500 company CEO, and a illegal immigrant. If CG was a private catholic school, I could understand, but wtf is her problem.
(MG) The metaphor here is astonishingly good ... "setting a gap between herself and her students" ... "like a 63-year old white male fortune 500 company CEO, and [an] illegal immigrant." ... but wtf is her problem ... quite a good question, as events have proven
And baking brownies and rice crispies does not make up for it, way to try and justify yourself as a good teacher while underhandedly looking for complements on your cooking. No quarrel on you qualifications as a writer, but as a teacher, don't be surprised on inspiring the first cg shooting.
(MG) This young man has some brilliant insights ... he was not fooled by her baking attempts to warm her way into the hearts, minds, and stomachs of her students ... for the record, NONE of my English teachers ever found the time to bake us cookies ... they had more important things to do ... like grade papers, and prepare to teach class ... he has looked into her soul ... and found ... mene, mene, tekel parsin ... the hand writing on the wall ... she has been tried, and in the balance, found wanting
(MG) should this asinine overreaction cost the school system what I think it should, I'd fire the lot of them ... AND ESPECIALLY Barney Fife.
This production of writing is done in the most accurate manner I can depict of the original writing.
(MG) evidence that he does not have access to the evidence
Grammar and spelling mistakes are included at the best accuracy possible.
(MG) he's tried to make a faithful reproduction
The first phrase in questions is in fact a Green Day song.
(MG) the kid writes JUST LIKE ME ... peppering his commentary with popular tunes
The second reference to drugs is in relation to the schools history of drug problems.
(MG) book it dano ... CG DOES have drug problems ... all suburban schools do ... hard working parents buying into the American dream of make more money, to satisfy the material desires of a corrupt, decaying society ... and the kids ... well, their allowances tend to be generous enough, and their parents tend to be absent enough so that they seek outlets, they seek escape from the grim realities and emptiness of a material society
I am personally clean of all controlled substances. The statement in quotes is done so as a non personal statement as I would have done in reference to a character for a story.
(MG) no reason to not believe him ... but no reason to believe him ... the statement could be self-serving, but it could also be true ... only the urine specimen taker would know for sure
The reference to the gun P90 is from a video game, combined with a reference to necrophilia as a comment regarding a seriously messed up situation. A situation such as the rape of villagers during a raid by U.S. troops in Vietnam.
(MG) anyone who has read Sy Hersh's documentation about the atrocities committed by US troops at My Lai would be quite familiar with the rapes of villagers ... I have every reason to suspect that Mr. Lee and I have read several of the same books ... and the legacy continues ... with rapes of women in the at Abu Ghraib, and rapes of children (male and female) there ... this is what war does to some soldiers ... these acts are countenanced by the military command ... this is just the facts, jacks
I really do not care too much about by continuing academia as in relation to grades.
(MG) your wish is about to be granted, Mr. Lee
I do however believe on continuing my personal education, and I am actually still working for my classes.
(MG) clearly this young man has seen the face of the American System of Indoctrination, and opts for self-study to get an EDUCATION
My views on the graduation requirements explain themselves.
(MG) Quite
The reference to Mario and Pudge( a DOTA character) are completely random as is this essay.
(MG) No reason to disbelieve him here
The reference to a person being smart and people being dumb is based on a quote from "Men in Black."
(MG) the young man knows his popular "culture"
I generally do believe the public opinion is best.
(MG) Oh, would that politicians and beltway pundits would believe the same. I, too, believe in the basic wisdom of the GAP (great American public) ... I also believe that by and large, they come to this wisdom too late, and at great personal costs to themselves, and the soldiers WE have put in harms way
The rest of the essay is rather self explanatory, the main statement in question I have already released a comment online about. I request that all information I have released is read together, and nothing given separately or as an excerpt as the administration has seen fit to do.
(MG) Yes. Take the whole essay, in context. Selection of the most inflammatory parts, without context, does a grave injustice to Mr. Lee. But then, with media, and with law enforcement, we have wearily come to accept such obfuscations.
On an additional note, I have completed the MEPS (Military Entry Processing Station) examinations, and yes a psychiatric evaluation is included in the process. If I'm qualified to defend the country, I believe I'm qualified to attend school.
(MG) For the love of God, for the love of country, this young man is a PATRIOT, and a CITIZEN of the first order. Would but that our schools could routinely produce such students.
post script: the marine corp has withdrawn their acceptance of his enlistment, pending the results of the criminal charges.
Okay. So, the Corp can be dumber than dirt.
I think joining the marines would be a terrible waste of this man's unique qualifications to serve his country. The CIA has a desparete need for agents to operate in parts of the world where yankees stick out like a John Holmes erection (couldn't help myself on that one .. THAT popular "cultural" reference .. after all, the two biggest exports of the US economy are 1. cannibus, and 2. porn ... ain't that America).
What we have here is a failure to communicate.(MG) Sub-mediocre teacher, manifestly unfit to teach insightful high school students incapable of taking constructive criticism totally lacking a sense of humor
(MG) Impotent English department head, manifestly incapable of essay desconstruction
(MG) Pontius Pilate archetype principal, washing hands of the affair
(MG) Barney Fife police chief pulling out an all-purpose get into jail free bogus criminal charge to teach that slanty-eyed fur-inner a lesson
(MG) Way-too-full of himself States Attorney likely looking to land a job with homeland security for his prosecution of terra-ists
(MG) Young Mr. Lee's only hope is to catch a Seneca-wise judge who will put the kebosh on all this foolishness
(MG) Abused high school student who might yet one day reach his full potential as an elected government official / government agent / citizen / scholar but might become so jaded by this episode that he disengages, seeking out the poorer quarters where the ragged people go ... ain't this America
(MG) If it were up to me, I'd give the kid a 96 on the essay (deducting points for spelling), fire the teacher, demote the department head, and put the principal on unpaid leave for a month ... and that is under the assumption that the young Mr. Lee does not retain the services of competent legal counsel to sue the crap out of the aforementioned individuals AND the school system for:
slander, libel, defamation of character, abuse of process, malicious mischief, psychological pain and suffering ... just a suggestion
Lyrical postscript: Kodachrome Lyrics
by Paul SimonWhen I think back
On all the crap I learned in high school
It's a wonder
I can think at all
And though my lack of edu---cation
Hasn't hurt me none
I can read the writing on the wall
Kodachrome
They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, Oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama don't take my Kodachrome away
If you took all the girls I knew
When I was single
And brought them all together for one night
I know they'd never match
my sweet imagination
everything looks worse in black and white
Kodachrome
They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, Oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama don't take my Kodachrome away
Mama don't take my Kodachrome away
Mama don't take my Kodachrome away
Mama don't take my Kodachrome away
Mama don't take my Kodachrome
Mama don't take my Kodachrome
Mama don't take my Kodachrome away
Mama don't take my Kodachrome
Leave your boy so far from home
Mama don't take my Kodachrome away
Mama don't take my Kodachrome
Mama don't take my Kodachrome away
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