Dawn Is Me

Psycho-Boy is up to his old tricks. It’s annoying but it’s all still pretty funny.

The only problem I have with Gina’s latest blog entry, though, is this: not enough swearing, dear.

I know you can do better than that!

For the record …

Contrary to what I was told by that very nice police officer yesterday, law enforcement officials do not take what my daughter does on her blog any more seriously than I do. Another very nice (and much more experienced) police officer told me today that I was right in the first place: Gina’s blog rants do not violate any harassment laws, we are both pretty much free to say what we like (within reason, of course) on our respective blogs, and our neighbors are advised that they would be much happier if they simply found other online reading material.

Vindication is always pleasant.

Now, all we have to do is persuade Psycho-Boy to stop these kinds of idiot stunts and leave us all alone. Given how closely he is skirting to breaking federal law, I hope he gets the message. In spite of the fact that he has long since become a dead bore, I have no real desire to be instrumental in sending him up the river even for a few minutes.

I also hope he gets a different hobby. Making a nuisance of himself in the name of unrequited love might have its entertaining moments, but stamp collecting is much better for one’s mental health in the long run.

… and they will not make you strong
but only drag you down in the hole they’re coming from

– Janis Ian, “From Me To You”, 1975

Observe this section of the New York State Penal Law:

Now, I bring this to your attention because a certain member of this community (referenced in a previous post here), has threatened to bring charges of harassment against my daughter because of the content of her blog.

She even called the police and had them call me to ask that she cease and desist.

What is interesting to me about all this is that (a) if she were to bring such charges against Gina, she would be required to prove in a court of law that her intent is to “harass, annoy or alarm” her alleged victim (which would likely be difficult to prove, since it’s not the case), and (b) the behavior of that individual’s son could possibly (in light of certain electronic records currently residing on my own hard drive) be established to the satisfaction of a court of law to fall under the category of another section of the Penal Law:

So, on the one hand, I could be childish and encourage this individual (who clearly has way too much time on her hands) to pursue any legal remedies she likes, solely for the entertainment value of meeting her in court.

Or, I could be more adult than she has shown herself to be and suggest that all the parties involved simply knock it off. Since, as I informed the very nice police officer I spoke with, my daughter never writes about this boy except in response to what he does to or says about her, the easiest way to nip this is the bud would be for him to stop all of the above and leave her alone.

Then, too, I find it infinitely and profoundly pathetic that a supposedly intelligent adult human being would take these manifestations of As the Teen Turns this seriously. Go figure.

Overall, I am once again reminded of something my mom used to say fairly frequently:

People make you more important than you are.