Buffalo Grove boy dials 911 after parents take away his Xbox video game

The Chicago Tribune ^ | November 18, 2009 | Tribune Staff Report

[Reaganesque]

A 15-year-old boy told Buffalo Grove police that his parents had taken away his video game system and asked whether they were within their rights.

They were, police told him.

The teen called 911 about 12:50 p.m. Sunday but then hung up, said Cmdr. Steve Husak. Officers went to the house, and after hearing the story, told the youth that his parents have the authority to take away his Xbox as punishment.

[Reaganesque]

The brattification of America continues.

[AppyPappy]

A future libertarian.

[lesko]

Punks! Xbox is doing so much for our youth.

[nagdt]

LOL! Dumb kid.

[Eagle Eye]

In Texas the cop would have also offered to witness the spanking or have the parents bring the kid into the station for spanking.

[Wee-Weed Up]

Wow, the mindset of children has changed so much since I was that age. Unbelievable.

[PLK]

This kid comes from the same bucket of youth being raised by clueless parents as the college student who sat in my office complaining about her grade and saying, "My parents and I are paying a lot for my education here, you know."

She wanted me to "do something" because the course teacher wouldn't give her extra credit to get her grade up.

All these kids are entitled to what they want, dontcha know???

[An American in Turkiye]

Taking away an XBox isn’t punishment at all! Now, if it had been his PS3.....

[Jack Black]

Which is better Xbox 360 or Playstation 3? Why?

[MrB]

Discipline your children, for in that there is hope;
do not be a willing party to their death.

Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.

Do not withhold discipline from children;
if you punish them with the rod, they will not die.
Punish them with the rod
and save them from death.

A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom,
but children left to themselves disgrace their mother.

[Reaganesque]

I wouldn’t know. I have neither.

[cranked]

[Telepathic Intruder]

But you can't take away the Xbox, it's the ultimate in home enertainment. There needs to be more laws!

[RightFighter]

XBox is better for online gaming and community. PS3 is better for media capabilities. Both are great consoles.

[Tijeras_Slim]

"My parents and I are paying a lot for my education here, you know."

"Yes, and I hope their other investments are performing better."

[jurroppi1]

Most people use the old “save the rod spare the child” axiom out of context and in the completely incorrect manner. I like the version you quote because it is much more direct!

[toast]

Xbox 360.
Xbox Live is much more established than PS3’s alternative.

My kids have had their xbox rights revoked several times. But they haven’t tried calling 911.

[MrB]

Link to Relevant Proverbs

[latina4dubya]

on the bright side, he was inquiring about his rights and their authority over him... we should all be so bold...

[sport]

Or Democrat.

[Billthedrill]

A bit of an overreaction and a waste of the police's time, IMHO. Now, if he'd murdered his parents with an axe and then called 911 he wouldn't be in all this trouble.

[Buckeye McFrog]

once Obama rams through our acceptance of the U.N. Intenational Rights of the Child Treaty this story will have a very different outcome

[Shimmer1]

It’s emotionally satisfying to contemplate what I would have done to my sons’ Xbox, and my son, if any had pulled this trick.

[MrB]

That little sneaky bit will lead to BITS if they try to enforce it. People WILL take up arms to defend their parental rights.

[POWERSBOOTHEFAN]

He needs a smack upside his head,and a fine he can pay for himself. Little punk.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Is that Zippy? Or Pippy?

[HIDEK6]

on the bright side, he was inquiring about his rights and their authority over him...

Typical skull full of mush.

He should have called the ACLU.

[FrankR]

So, he's 15-years-old, about to get this drivers' license, and pitches this little fit over an X-Box being taken away?

This is what happens when parents fail to establish who is in charge, at a very early age. I can't wait to see what's going to happen when he is denied use of the car later on?

Personally, after he pulled the 911 stunt, I'd take that X-box and another video game he has out to the driveway and back over it several times with the car...never to allow another one to come into the house.

Also, I'd get with the cops and have him (mock) arrested for "filing a false report"...just to scare the pee out of him for that little trick.

[Texan Tory]

“Which is better Xbox 360 or Playstation 3? Why?”

In practical terms, the two systems are roughly comparable in gaming performance. In theory, the PS3 has substantially greater processing power, but it is apparently very difficult for game developers to program their games to fully harness all of that power. The PS3 came out a couple of years later than the XBox 360, so it’s still possible that it will pull ahead in actual performance as game developers become more savvy in exploiting its strengths. The one clear immediate advantage the PS3 does have is that it is capable of playing Blu-Ray discs.

Although I have a PS3 but not an XBox 360, I see no reason to trash the XBox 360 as some PS3 fanboys are prone to do, as both systems have proven to be excellent gaming platforms. If you are into gaming, I think the deciding factor would be the games themselves, particularly those that are exclusive to one platform or the other. For instance, I love Warhawk, which is a Sony (via Incognito) title available only on the PS3. This title alone is reason enough for me to own the PS3. We’re also huge fans of the Ratchet & Clank series, exclusive to Sony. Some of my XBox 360 friends came over and saw me playing Ratchet & Clank Future Tools of Destruction, and they told me there is nothing like it for the XBox 360 in terms of the stunning beauty of its graphics. The XBox 360 has an advantage in offering a greater number of high quality first-person shooter exclusives like the Halo Series.

[Graybeard58]

My son is a cop. He answered a 911 call about an older kid hitting his sister. When he got there he found the two, the only ones at home. A 15 year old boy and his 12 year old sister. The boy had thrown a french fry across the table and hit her with it. She called 911 over that.

[Graybeard58]

Which is better Xbox 360 or Playstation 3? Why?

I don't have the vaguest idea what either one is or does.

[Reaganesque]

Too bad being a whiner isn’t illegal. Sigh.

[Scotsman will be Free]

His effing xbox would be history forever, and the little SOB would be grounded until he was 18, and then I’d kick his traitorous a$$ out the door.

[ASA Vet]

My kids have had their xbox rights revoked several times. But they haven’t tried calling 911.

You meanie! You'd probably further violate their rights, by taking away their cell phones.

[trisham]

Imho, his parents should give his Xbox away as a Christmas present for a needy child.

[ASA Vet]

Christmas present for a needy child

No child needs a Xbox or any other mind numbing device. Sell it and give the proceeds to an organization which helps needy children.

[MrB]

Sell it and buy the kid a set of Legos.

[trisham]

That would be a better idea, I agree!

[eldoradude]

LOL. Spare the child, beat the box. I found that taking a sledgehammer to the Gameboy was VERY effective. Lots of little smashed plastic pieces everywhere and the utterly awakened look on my son was priceless.

[chae]

When my son’s grades tanked, I sold his Game boy to his cousin. He gets irritated every time he sees her playing with it.
Also when I reaqd him this story, his response was “What a wuss” and my son is 14.