http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2007/apr/18/cu-junior-suspended-arrested-for-comments/This headline was looking up at me from the front page this morning. Max Karson, a junior at the University of Colorado, was suspended from the university and arrested by the university police yesterday for comments he made in a class that was discussing the Virginia Tech tragedy.
Multiple CU students reported to the police that Karson was "angry about all kinds of things from the fluorescent light bulbs to the unpainted walls, and it made him angry enough to kill people," and that "he made comments about understanding how someone could kill 32 people." The police arrested him on suspicion of "interference with staff, faculty or students of an education institution" because of these remarks.
Karson was booked into the Boulder County Jail last night, and the Daily Camera said he was scheduled to appear in court this afternoon. I have no idea what happened at that appearance, because the local news hasn't really covered it yet.
Michael Karson, Max's father, was told by police that his son was arrested because his comments were "outrageous and threatening, and they go beyond free-speech rights." As far as I know, Max Karson is still in the Boulder County Jail.
Right now, I have no idea how to react to this developing story here in Boulder. Karson was obviously pushing his First Amendment rights in this class given the context and the events that happened this week, but apparently he's said controversial stuff before (click the link and read the story to see very vague examples), so he's known in the respect os speaking his mind. However, I can't, at this point in time, justify arresting a college student just because he decided to be stupid and say something stupid in front of other people that freaked them out.
There are all sorts of stories peppering the newscasts and on-line papers here that are telling about bomb threats, people with guns, scares at local schools, lockdowns, suicide attempts, and reports of shooting. It seems like there is some sort horrible insanity and irrationality that is sweeping Colorado and the country at large in the wake of these horrible events.
I'm so confused. I think I need to go take a nap.