Sometimes I loathe my generation

His father . . . questioned whether his
son's free speech rights had been violated.

"I would have hoped that state officials
would know their First Amendment better
than they seem to," he said.

READ THIS, and you'll loathe my Boomer generation, too. From The Associated Press:

A University of Colorado student was arrested after making comments that classmates deemed sympathetic toward the gunman blamed for killing 32 students and himself at Virginia Tech, authorities said.

During a class discussion of Monday's massacre at Virginia Tech, the student "made comments about understanding how someone could kill 32 people," university police Cmdr. Brad Wiesley said.

Several witnesses told investigators the student said he was "angry about all kinds of things from the fluorescent light bulbs to the unpainted walls, and it made him angry enough to kill people," according to a police report. Witnesses "said they were afraid of him and afraid to come to class with him," Wiesley said.

The student, identified by police as Max Karson of Denver, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of interfering with staff, faculty or students of an education institution. He had a court appearance set for Wednesday afternoon.

His father, Michael Karson, told the Camera newspaper that the comments may have been misinterpreted and questioned whether his son's free speech rights had been violated.

"I would have hoped that state officials would know their First Amendment better than they seem to," he said.

University spokesman Bronson Hilliard said privacy laws prevented him from releasing personal information about the student.

LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT. Michael Karson's precious baby boy, Max, makes some truly disturbing public statements that indicate he just might be Columbine- or Virginia Tech-massacre nuts.

The boy, it is obvious, needs some kind of help. He needs to be checked out six ways from Sunday. Likely, he needs a psychological overhaul. And the fact of his arrest might, just might, make sure he can get the help he needs before the Angel of Death can make his next move out there in Colorado.

BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, as John Belushi (who could have used some help himself) used to say. No, Michael Karson is not thanking God, or his lucky stars . . . or whatever. He is not grateful that someone stood up to stand astride his son's raging dysfunctionality and yell "HELP!"

Michael Karson is decrying this awful abridgment of his baby boy's free-speech rights. What Michael Karson needs is a psychiatrist to bust him across the chops and tell him to shut the hell up.

Would that be a Freudian approach or a Jungian one, perhaps?