Stupid Youth

Originally Posted by Malvaro

Ronzo, I have no desire to argue with you this morning.... I agree to disagree with you....

And the heavens opened and the angels began to sing....





lol

Glad to know you were arguing with me... cuz all I was doing was poking you with a stick.

[Malvaro]

Originally Posted by Ronzo

And the heavens opened and the angels began to sing....





lol

Glad to know you were arguing with me... cuz all I was doing was poking you with a stick.

some people on AFF occasionally enjoy serious discussion.... amazing concept, i know....

and yes, I know you participate in serious discussion....

Originally Posted by Malvaro

some people on AFF occasionally enjoy serious discussion.... amazing concept, i know....

and yes, I know you participate in serious discussion....

Just looking to have a little fun this morning, bro...


I guess I'll go bug someone else...

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Chan

The article did state, "Some of the boys were dressed in black trench coats and gas masks." I don't know if that would qualify as deranged killers but remember that the Columbine shooters were dressed in black trench coats.

This is really the whole point. People are living very alarmed by many things these days. We know we can't go running, at top speed, through an airport without being stopped for suspicion.

If I wear a trench coat and a gas mask, that is going to call for some attention.

If it is done in a place, such as where the paintballs wars are held, it wouldn't draw attention and be viewed as playing a game.

It was a stupid place to be playing war, IMO.

[ForeverBlessed]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

Amen...

How many of us played army when we were kids (guys mostly) Good Grief...

Stupid kids... the fall of the church... over some kids playing guns?

I think that this thread does show some serious mindset problems but they don't rest with these kids.

I agree.. I'm with you, there is a lot more activity the police could be investigating other than church kids on private property.

I am not into air guns or this type of activity, but don’t see anything wrong with it. I feel after an explanation from the adult in charge, the police should have left the property and been done with it.

I have little tolerance for police getting involved private matters on private property if it isn’t disturbing the peace around that area. I was raised living on 6 or 7 acres of property with church and parsonages…. There was plenty of room to roam around and hang out as a young person. We spent a lot of time on that property in hours of the day people would think wasn’t necessary. Teens need activities and things to keep them busy.

When I was about 19 or 20, our church young people were harassed by our city police for hanging out… just sitting and talking after a church service. The police pulled up after pulling onto the property to check just as this incident police report states. The city police began questioning each of us as to why we were out so late. We explained we had just returned from eating out at a restaurant in Indy after a late church service. They proceeded to be very suspicious of our activity on the property at about 1 am… and asked about drugs/alcohol and started to shine lights into our cars as if searching for something. We were asked for our ID and treated like we were doing something wrong and asked to leave the property. I finally stepped up and identified myself as the pastor’s daughter, said I lived there (pointing to my house). I told them they were all my friends and part of the church youth group and there wasn’t a reason for concern, we don’t drink or do drugs. I asked them to leave…as it is private property and nothing illegal was going on. They still didn’t…and called for more backup.

The harassment didn’t stop until backup arrived in the form of an officer who was the mom of one of our church members. Linda pulls up with her daughter and another teen from our church that was staying with her. She assured the other police things were ok and said they could go. Linda later told me that the officers were talking over the radio of the suspicious activity but when the police called out my name (with many derogatory comments) asking for backup, she responded as quick as she could.

When I read this post… this incident as a teen came to my mind. I just don’t understand what their problem is when stuff like that is done on private property…and why the police feel the need to patrol private property unless a concern is reported as noise complaint or something.

Paint ball/air gun is pretty common activity w/young people… guns and weapons have always held an attraction to young men.. men in general… so what don’t see the concern… or appearance of evil???

[Malvaro]

Originally Posted by ForeverBlessed

I agree.. I'm with you, there is a lot more activity the police could be investigating other than church kids on private property.

The police officer wouldn't have known it was "church kids" on church property though.... they just saw kids with trenchcoats and guns.... and stopped in as they should have....

Madison is a large college-town with an increasing concern over crime.... a gun-related standoff just took place in the Madison area not even a month ago.... the police have no-doubt been commissioned to crack down on any potential trouble-makers and they have no way of truly determining if a person/group is trouble unless they stop and check it out....

it may seem like these kids were being harrassed by police, but this officer was just doing his job.... we don't have to like it, that's what they're paid to do.... keep our cities safe from potential crimes and criminals.... I'd personally feel safer if police stopped by my church to check out anything fishy, even if it was some of the youth from my church....

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Malvaro

The police officer wouldn't have known it was "church kids" on church property though.... they just saw kids with trenchcoats and guns.... and stopped in as they should have....

Madison is a large college-town with an increasing concern over crime.... a gun-related standoff just took place in the Madison area not even a month ago.... the police have no-doubt been commissioned to crack down on any potential trouble-makers and they have no way of truly determining if a person/group is trouble unless they stop and check it out....

it may seem like these kids were being harrassed by police, but this officer was just doing his job.... we don't have to like it, that's what they're paid to do.... keep our cities safe from potential crimes and criminals.... I'd personally feel safer if police stopped by my church to check out anything fishy, even if it was some of the youth from my church....

I agree with you here, Malvaro. I think they should have taken the fun to a church member's private property.

The media has everyone scared and it just is going to make this church look bad.

Originally Posted by ForeverBlessed

I agree.. I'm with you, there is a lot more activity the police could be investigating other than church kids on private property.

I am not into air guns or this type of activity, but don’t see anything wrong with it. I feel after an explanation from the adult in charge, the police should have left the property and been done with it.

I have little tolerance for police getting involved private matters on private property if it isn’t disturbing the peace around that area. I was raised living on 6 or 7 acres of property with church and parsonages…. There was plenty of room to roam around and hang out as a young person. We spent a lot of time on that property in hours of the day people would think wasn’t necessary. Teens need activities and things to keep them busy.

When I was about 19 or 20, our church young people were harassed by our city police for hanging out… just sitting and talking after a church service. The police pulled up after pulling onto the property to check just as this incident police report states. The city police began questioning each of us as to why we were out so late. We explained we had just returned from eating out at a restaurant in Indy after a late church service. They proceeded to be very suspicious of our activity on the property at about 1 am… and asked about drugs/alcohol and started to shine lights into our cars as if searching for something. We were asked for our ID and treated like we were doing something wrong and asked to leave the property. I finally stepped up and identified myself as the pastor’s daughter, said I lived there (pointing to my house). I told them they were all my friends and part of the church youth group and there wasn’t a reason for concern, we don’t drink or do drugs. I asked them to leave…as it is private property and nothing illegal was going on. They still didn’t…and called for more backup.

The harassment didn’t stop until backup arrived in the form of an officer who was the mom of one of our church members. Linda pulls up with her daughter and another teen from our church that was staying with her. She assured the other police things were ok and said they could go. Linda later told me that the officers were talking over the radio of the suspicious activity but when the police called out my name (with many derogatory comments) asking for backup, she responded as quick as she could.

When I read this post… this incident as a teen came to my mind. I just don’t understand what their problem is when stuff like that is done on private property…and why the police feel the need to patrol private property unless a concern is reported as noise complaint or something.

Paint ball/air gun is pretty common activity w/young people… guns and weapons have always held an attraction to young men.. men in general… so what don’t see the concern… or appearance of evil???

So, I guess when a bunch of teens are standing around in a store parking lot at 1:00 a.m. police shouldn't be concerned that they might be doing drugs or might be planning to break into the store, that the police should just drive on by and not be the least bit concerned? It's only when they're standing around on a public sidewalk or otherwise on public property that police should be concerned?

By the way, many communities have laws against loitering and what you described you and others were doing was loitering.

Children have no business being out at 1:00 in the morning and any parent willing to let their children out that late should perhaps lose their right to be parents.

As for the air gun thing, there are places for doing this kind of activity - a church parking lot late at night is not one of those places!

[LadyRev]

Originally Posted by philjones

My son has a LOT of money (four figures in front of the decimal) invested in both paintball and airsoft guns and gear. He holds the rank of 1st Sgt in his air soft brigade. They travel all over the area playing in tournaments. This is a sanctioned activity that is accepted. The majority of his team mates are military veterans and they condition and train like military.

Can anyone say over zealous prosecution or legislation? Can anyone say an open attack on a church for the sake of attacking a church? Someone is stupid here but i don't think it was the kids!

AMEN AND AMEN!

More like STUPID ADULTS JUMPING TO STUPID CONCLUSIONS!

Good grief...next thing you know we'll be preaching against Hide & Seek cause some stupid neighbor might think our youth are criminals with evil intentions all because they are hiding in the bushes!

[ForeverBlessed]

Originally Posted by Malvaro

The police officer wouldn't have known it was "church kids" on church property though.... they just saw kids with trenchcoats and guns.... and stopped in as they should have....

Madison is a large college-town with an increasing concern over crime.... a gun-related standoff just took place in the Madison area not even a month ago.... the police have no-doubt been commissioned to crack down on any potential trouble-makers and they have no way of truly determining if a person/group is trouble unless they stop and check it out....

it may seem like these kids were being harrassed by police, but this officer was just doing his job.... we don't have to like it, that's what they're paid to do.... keep our cities safe from potential crimes and criminals.... I'd personally feel safer if police stopped by my church to check out anything fishy, even if it was some of the youth from my church....

I think it would depend upon whether the activity could be seen by just someone passing by or did someone have to come on the property as the police did to see the young people and their activity. I sounds like they are on a sizable amount of land with trees…

In our case… you have to turn into a private drive that has two parsonages on either side of the drive to even go back into the church property.

It is one thing for police to patrol for safety of the church building … I feel the police had a right to ask about the activity they saw, but one explained, should have gone on about his business.