> Healthy, well-adjusted people just don't say things like that.
Unless they're doing this on an extremely regular basis, I don't even think this is a sign of someone having a problem. I think I'm normal enough, and I know for a fact there have been moments where I've made a comment that was meant to be a little over-the-top or shocking, and ended up being much worse than it seemed in my head. I really think this happens to everyone at some point, don't you? This kid just had the bad luck that the people he was talking to thought he really meant it.
In this particular case, I think it was understandable that they might not see his statement as sarcastic and under that belief, it makes sense for them to call the police. But I agree with you, that to convict him there really needs to be some other evidence besides a single off-the-cuff statement in the context of trash talk.
I don't even think this kid should get community service. His attempt to be sarcastic on the internet didn't communicate what he thought it did, and that's it.
Unless they're doing this on an extremely regular basis, I don't even think this is a sign of someone having a problem. I think I'm normal enough, and I know for a fact there have been moments where I've made a comment that was meant to be a little over-the-top or shocking, and ended up being much worse than it seemed in my head. I really think this happens to everyone at some point, don't you? This kid just had the bad luck that the people he was talking to thought he really meant it.
In this particular case, I think it was understandable that they might not see his statement as sarcastic and under that belief, it makes sense for them to call the police. But I agree with you, that to convict him there really needs to be some other evidence besides a single off-the-cuff statement in the context of trash talk.
I don't even think this kid should get community service. His attempt to be sarcastic on the internet didn't communicate what he thought it did, and that's it.