After all, we grew up being told that “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

That wasn’t true for Missouri teenager Megan Meier, who committed suicide after being told through a MySpace message that “the world would be better off without her.”

The sender of the message was supposedly a 16-year-old boy named Josh who Meier had been in comunication with over the social networking site.  However, it turned out to be a cover for 49-year-old neighbor Lori Drew and an 18-year-old employee of hers.

Drew wanted to know if Meier was spreading rumors about her teenage daughter, a classmate of Meier’s.  So she enlisted the help of her employee, Ashley Grills, to create a false profile on MySpace to try and trick Megan into telling her.

Instead, Meier, who was battling severe depression, killed herself after she thought the boy she had a cyber-crush on wanted her off the planet.  The question is, can someone’s words, however mean-spirited, make someone responsible for another’s suicide?

That’s what a Los Angeles court is deliberating right now.  Drew is not charged with homicide or manslaughter, but instead with conspiracy and accessing protected computers without authorization to obtain information for the purpose of inflicting emotional distress on Meier.  If convicted on all counts, she will face up to 20 years in prison.

My first reaction to this case was abject disgust and a strong feeling Drew should rot in prison for the maximum time allowed.  It has been reported that she knew Meier was taking depression medication.  How can an adult, especially a mother, use such information to her advantage? Or at the very least, completely disregard it?

I do not think Drew wanted Megan to commit suicide, but the truth is, her cyber-bullying led her to it.  And I feel a 49-year-old woman should know better.

As for Grills, her 18-year-old accomplice, well, she received immunity in exchange for her testimony.  I have a problem with this.  I do believe an 18-year-old cannot realize the consequences of her actions as fully as a middle-aged woman, but to let her off with no repercussions sends a dangerous message- work in cahoots with someone who should know better, testify against them and be home by dinnertime.

After careful consideration, I thought about some of the things I’ve said in my 23 years.  Not all of it was nice.  Some of it was downright awful.  Should I be held responsible for my words if someone who is the recipient of my vitrol, however justified, is mentally unstable and chooses to commit an irreversible act?  Think about yourseld.  I’m sure you’ve said some things you regret in your lifetime.  Who is truly to blame when something like this happens?

The sad part is that Meier was getting help.  Her parents say she battled depression and body image issues for a long time and was finally improving.  Drew used that knowledge to her advantage to toy with a child- and it destroyed a family.  Not only is Megan dead, but the strain was too much for her parents’ marraige.  Ron and Tina Meier not only filed for divorce, but also for restraining orders against each other.

Upon furthur consideration, I believe Drew must be punished for what she did, though I think 20 years is extreme.  I don’t think she can be held directly responsible for Meier’s death.  However, her gross disregard for Megan’s delicate condition and sadistic, immature plot to fool her online led to the worst consequences imaginable.  I believe she should face 5-10 years in prison for what she did.

Just as importantly, this case can set the standard for cyber-bullying, a growing problem among all school-aged children these days.  Hopefully people- kids and adults alike- will think twice about misrepresenting themselves or posting vitriolic comments online. 

Because sometimes the click of a mouse and the clack of a space bar-not sticks and stones- can break more than bones.

Nikkee Porcaro
Production Assistant/Writer

17 million watched in the first half hour.  But I thought the funniest part was when Palin appeared on the news set and played along, even got into, a hardcore and hysterical rap number performed by Amy Poehler.  The finale…a moose going down in gunfire. 

SNL is making the most of this political season.  No other impression has been as close as that of Fey though.  The “Mccain” and Obama” impressions just don’t seem to resonate as much as previous impressions such as Will Ferrel playing George Bush and Darrell Hammond playing Al Gore.  Who can forget the sighs and “lock box”.  These skits may go down in political history too.  I wonder how much of a difference they make when voters cast ballots?

So who’s up next we’ve just got two weekends left.  Stay tuned.

Jim Handly

I do have a six-minute commute.  Then again I have a VW SUV that takes premium.  I’ve started mixing in lower grade every three tanks as I did today.  If prices continue to fall I may not have to.

My total fill up was $53.  Over the summer it’s been in the $64-65 range.  Our drop in prices over the past two weeks alone has been the steepest in history.   I’m driving out of town a couple of weekends this fall and feeling much less guilty about it.  I’m looking forward to seeing what the rest of the country pays as I head farther away from D.C.  So if you’re looking for a silver lining in this tough economic climate, turn off the TV and the closing bell and drive by a gas pump.  Those numbers are moving in a better direction.

We’ll see you at 4.  In the meantime continue to let us know where you are finding the cheapest gas out there at nbc4connected@nbc4.com.

– Jim Handly

     Many of you continue to have the holiday weekend off. But we’re back in the saddle here at News4 and the week is off to a brighter start.  As I blog, the dow is up 533 points.  Let’s hope it holds until the final bell sounds and we join you at 4:00. 

   Jim Handly