XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1999 12:45:11 ET XXXXX

GOVERNMENT DEVELOPING COMPUTER PROGRAM TO SPOT POTENTIALLY VIOLENT STUDENTS

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is developing a computer program to help school administrators spot troubled students who might be near the brink of violence, the NEW YORK TIMES is reporting in Sunday editions.

The computer program, known as Mosaic-2000, begins testing at more than 20 schools in December -- and the new system will vet and rate potentially violent students on a scale of 1 to 10!

Francis X. Clines reports in the TIMES:

"The Mosaic school program promises to provide questions carefully crafted from case histories by 200 experts in law enforcement, psychiatry and other areas. A variety of concerns beyond alarming talk or behavior will be included, from the availability of guns to a youngster's abuse of dogs and cats."

The program, still being formulated, will be tested in grades one through 12.

The software will not be connected to any central data program, the B.A.T.F. promises.

"I think it's a wonderful tool that has a great deal of potential...," Andrew Vita, associate director for field operations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, tells the TIMES.

"It's easy to pick out the gang members with tattoos," adds Vita. "It's these other people that kind of surprise administrators, and these are the ones they really need to identify."

[As long as the kids can database their teachers too.]

X X X X X

-- too much (over@edge.now), October 23, 1999

Answers

Maybe Y2K will be a good thing.

-- bingo (NSA@normal.concerns), October 23, 1999.

The computers stay. The government has to be changed.

-- not a troublemaker (but@in.database), October 23, 1999.

Maybe I better wear long sleeves over that tattoo.

-- butterfly (pretty@arm.bracelet), October 23, 1999.

Will instruct my sons tonight to never mention their guns.

-- Dad (leave@my.kids.out.of.this), October 23, 1999.

Big Brother is here.

-- intruder (Y2K@whack.nose), October 23, 1999.

System will vet and rate, questions carefully crafted, grades 1-12.

The software will not be connected to any central data program, the BATF promises.

And who believes them? Like the gun registration program?

"I did not keep information on that woman, Ms. Gun Buyer."

The software loads with the Finger Waggle icon animated.

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), October 23, 1999.

"you're screwed"

-- iconoclast (time@for.revolt), October 23, 1999.

Seems like a constitutional issue to me... Isn't interrogating children, whether it be by computer or by human means just a bit outside the pale?

We will catalogue and store the data locally at each school no doubt. Eventually that data will make it's way into databases...

We are going to check for what else in the mean time? Is this all we are going to check and if it makes a mistake, then what?

What promis do we have that the software will get it correct 100 percent of the time.

What, if any, criteria does the ATF use to decide whether it has the authority to do these kinds of things. Alcohal, Tobacco, and Firearms, regulate those. Let us regulate our children, thank you.

I want a tax refund...

-- Michael Erskine (osiris@urbanna.net), October 23, 1999.

Parents: Tell your kids to not answer any personal or family questions of any kind posed by anyone without going through you.

-- A (A@AisA.com), October 23, 1999.

It is too easy to merely rant against Big Brother. Columbines do happen. Criminal conspiracies do happen. So how best is a democratic republic to protect itself from psychopaths?

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), October 23, 1999.

Lars:

While there's no single answer, being armed would be a good start.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), October 23, 1999.

Who is compiling these case histories?
The people who build prisons?

Home-schooling is the answer.

-- My kids (stay@with.me), October 23, 1999.

Boston's 911 system back in service

Saturday, 23 October 1999 16:42 (GMT), (UPI Focus)

BOSTON, Oct. 23 (UPI) - Boston's year-old police emergency 911 service is back to normal Saturday after a glitch caused the whole system to crash Friday night affecting the number of calls dispatchers could handle.

Police Superintendent John Boyle said authorities don't believe they missed any critical calls since they were automatically transferred to the Fire Department's alarm unit.

Police dispatchers and a supervisor were sent there to help field the influx of calls.

The glitch did not affect the E-911 system, which displays callers' addresses on a screen so dispatchers know where the calls are coming from.

Police Commissioner Paul Evans was to meet with Bell Atlantic officials Saturday morning to try to determine the cause of the crash.

It took two hours to restore the computerized system to full service Friday night after it went down around 8:30 p.m.
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-- fix this (deter@crime.Y2K), October 23, 1999.

Lars; Columbines do happen. The question is WHY they happen. Columbines happen because both parents work and NOBODY works with their own children to teach them the difference between the real world and a fantasy. Unloved children grow up to be unloving. Any parent who thinks that taking their kids to a day care center for the first five years of their life is in ANY way loving, needs to be slapped back to reality. What are we to do? What are we to do? How about stepping back from the freakin' rat race long enough to realize that having enough money saved up to send your kids to college is only usefull IF YOUR KIDS ARE NOT IN PRISON FOR MURDER (and that because YOU did not teach them the difference between what they see on the IDIOT box and real life).

I am sorry, this hits a nerve. I had three. They are grown. One appointed to the Military Academy at W.P. I thank God he couldn't go because of knee injuries in his senior year. He is working FULL time and paying HIS OWN WAY thru William and Mary BECAUSE HIS MOTHER TAUGHT HIM STRENGTH WHEN HE WAS FIVE BY GIVING UP HER MILITARY CAREER AS A RUSSIAN LINGUIST AND MAKING THE SACRIFICE THAT ENSURED HIS VIABILITY AS A STRONG AND HEALTHY MEMBER OF SOCIETY. What are we to do? Oh! I am sorry you hit a nerve and it is not you but a sick and twisted society at which I am pissed. What are we to do? Damn, how about killing a few murderers in a public square where the ten year olds can learn that anti-social behavior is not only unacceptable but truly unhealthy. Oh! Jesus, what are we to do? What are we to do?

Freakn' socker moms and all that crap. We are to SHOW our children the way they are supposed to treat their fellow man and NOT TO LET THEM LEARN IT FROM THE FREAKIN' TELEVISION...

The problem in this country IS NOT THE CHILDREN DON'T YOU GET IT? IT IS PEOPLE WHO WRING THEIR HANDS AND ASK, "BUT WHAT ARE WE TO DO?"

So because SOME people are willing to let their fourth amendmet right back to the system, I AM SUPPOSED TO AGREE. STUPID IDEA.

Well, that feels better now... sorry Lars.

-- Michael Erskine (osiris@urbanna.net), October 23, 1999.

Michael,

I see you're "using lots of capitals." That checks out. Let me see, what else... Do you have any tatoos? How about house pets? Step closer to the truth-detector, please.

Just kidding. Do not despair. They're pushing too far too fast, and while Americans are slow to anger, we get real darned ugly when pushed to the wall. Every affront to our dignity, every accouterment of slavehood they weigh us down with, brings us closer to awakening.

And when we wake up, we're going to have them for breakfast.

Liberty

-- Liberty (liberty@theready.now), October 24, 1999.

Michael, I had to stand back from the screen a bit, the spittle was annoying and the loud caps hurt my eyes, but geez did you trike a bullseye or what!

Are you new here? Welcome to the board if you are.

-- Chris (#$%^&@pond.com), October 24, 1999.

Chris;

I think I whacked you on another thread. Yeah, sorry about the spittle and the caps... I think I have become an inflexible old man. People who want to trade in their own rights for their own security are fine with me. People who want to trade in my rights for their security probably never had a good history teacher in their lives.

Personally I believe the executive branch has grown far too large and had developed a habit of issuing directives that have the effect of law without the process of approval required by the constitution. This I blame on a congress that has passed it's responsibilities off to these agencies as they created them. As far as amendments are concerned, long ago we needed an amendent that required congressional review and approval (both houses, by vote) of any executitive branch directives. Any regulatory agency should be viewed as a 'law proposing agent' any directives having an impact outside their agency should be treated as laws and subject to approval (passage) by the elected representatives.

-- Michael Erskine (osiris@urbanna.net), October 24, 1999.

'Who controls the past,' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.'

-- Spidey (in@jam.lucent), October 24, 1999.

They are NOT going to profile anybody in my family.

Johnny will be told during Christmas vacation why school will resume at home.

-- fed up and alarmed (protect@the.children), October 25, 1999.