Posted on 10/22/2014 7:44:17 AM PDT by GIdget2004
At a Wasilla High School assembly Tuesday morning, U.S. Rep. Don Young didn’t temper his notoriously abrasive personality for his young audience.
Witnesses say Young, 81, acted in a disrespectful and sometimes offensive manner to some students, used profanity and started talking about bull sex when confronted with a question about same-sex marriage.
“We really spend a lot of time at our school talking about how we treat each other,” Wasilla Principal Amy Spargo said Tuesday afternoon. “We just don’t talk to people that way.”
More concerning, school officials say, Young made what they called hurtful and insensitive statements about suicide just days after a Wasilla student took his own life.
That encounter occurred after teacher Carla Swick posed a question about Alaska’s high suicide and domestic violence rates and asked what Young's office is doing about it.
Young started talking about suicide, mentioning the role played by alcohol and depression, several witnesses said. The school didn’t record the assembly.
But then, witnesses say, Young said suicide shows a lack of support from friends and family.
That comment stunned students and staff still mourning the loss of a student who died Thursday, staffers say.
"When I heard 'a lack of support from family' and I heard 'a lack of support from friends,' I felt the oxygen go out of the room, but I gasped as well," Spargo said. "It just isn't true in these situations. It's just such a hurtful thing to say."
Both Spargo and Swick say a friend of the victim, moved by emotion, shouted at Young, “He had friends. He had support.”
“The kid said, ‘It’s depression -- you know, a mental illness,' ” Spargo recalled. As she remembers, Young replied, “ ‘Well, what, do you just go to the doctor and get diagnosed with suicide?’ ”
(Excerpt) Read more at adn.com ...
It’s impossible to talk about any topic that matters these days because somebody is sure to take offense. Especially if it is their own ox that is being gored.
“It’s impossible to talk about any topic that matters these days because somebody is sure to take offense.”
Especially if one talks about it like this simpleton.
What is with all the suicides?
I went to 12 years of school and in our county that had 10 school districts, there not one single suicide at any of them in those 12 years.
Oh and we had bullies. We just actually dealt with them in a manner that precluded to many repeat bullyings!
Don Young has been a big government RINO most of his tenure. It’s too bad we haven’t had a credible primary challenger.
The only answer they wanted was how much money he’s voted to ‘deal with the problem’.
And if he hasn’t voted mega-funds for mental health, it would just be another club to use against the Evil Republican who is only for the rich white guy.
Depression, is a demon’s name.
Suicide is prevalent with the Indians & Eskimos; even when they relocate to mostly White urban Alaska. Alcohol related problems that are multi-generational are tough on the Natives.
Don Young is a straight up guy, old bush guy, and he is abrasive; Alaskans enjoy watching him fire people right up. Over the years, I have gotten into some yelling arguments with state reps up here, in parking lots. Disagreed but always respected them for standing up to me in public. Don Young is the guru on that sort of thing. Big hunter, 2nd amendment, and constitutional guy.
........yyyyaaawwwwwnnnnnn.....someone is outraged.........yyyyaaawwwnnnnn.
“The only answer they wanted was how much money he’s voted to ‘deal with the problem’.
And if he hasn’t voted mega-funds for mental health, it would just be another club to use against the Evil Republican who is only for the rich white guy.”
So he gives them a new club. Brilliant.
No, it wasn’t brilliant. They were setting him up & he walked right into it.
The man is 81-yrs old. What the H*LL is he still doing as a senator?!
81?
Time to retire, Don Young.
Well, he’s a Representative, not Senator.
We can try to get rid of him every two years if it were possible.
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