Phoebe Prince's Suicide Caused By Relentless Bullying, 9 Teens Charged

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9 Teens Charged With Relentless Bullying Which Led To Phoebe Prince's Suicide


Nine teens have been charged in the "Unrelenting" bullying of a teenage girl from Ireland who killed herself after being raped and enduring months of torment by classmates in person and online, a prosecutor said Monday.

Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel said 15-year-old Phoebe Prince of South Hadley was stalked and harassed nearly constantly from September until she killed herself Jan. 14. The freshman had recently moved to western Massachusetts from Ireland.

"The investigation revealed relentless activities directed toward Phoebe to make it impossible for her to stay at school. The bullying for her was intolerable," Scheibel said.

Six teens — four girls and two boys — face charges including assault, violation of civil rights resulting in injury, criminal harassment, disturbance of a school assembly and stalking. In addition the two boys face rape charges. Three other, younger girls face delinquency charges.

Scheibel said the harassment began in September. She said school officials knew about the bullying, but none will face criminal charges.

"The actions of these students were primarily conducted on school grounds during school hours and while school was in session," the prosecutor said.

Scheibel refused to discuss the circumstances of the rape charges.

Family moved away

Prince's family has moved away from the area and could not immediately be located for comment. Scheibel spoke for them at a news conference to announce the charges.

"The Prince family has asked that the public refrain from vigilantism in favor of allowing the judicial system an opportunity to provide a measure of justice for Phoebe," she said.

Some students accused of participating in the bullying have been disciplined by the school and will not be returning to classes.

Scheibel said the case is still under investigation, and there may be additional charges.

The Massachusetts Legislature cited Prince's death and the apparent suicide of 11-year-old Carl Walker-Hoover of Springfield last year when members passed anti-bullying legislation earlier this month.


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Pres. Obama Praises U.S. House For Passage Of Historic Energy Legislation (Weekly Address)

Whitehouse.gov----

Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
June 27, 2009

Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed a historic piece of legislation that will open the door to a clean energy economy and a better future for America.

For more than three decades, we have talked about our dependence on foreign oil. And for more than three decades, we have seen that dependence grow. We have seen our reliance on fossil fuels jeopardize our national security. We have seen it pollute the air we breathe and endanger our planet. And most of all, we have seen other countries realize a critical truth: the nation that leads in the creation of a clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the 21st century global economy.

Now is the time for the United States of America to realize this too. Now is the time for us to lead.

The energy bill that passed the House will finally create a set of incentives that will spark a clean energy transformation in our economy. It will spur the development of low carbon sources of energy – everything from wind, solar, and geothermal power to safer nuclear energy and cleaner coal. It will spur new energy savings, like the efficient windows and other materials that reduce heating costs in the winter and cooling costs in the summer. And most importantly, it will make possible the creation of millions of new jobs.

Make no mistake: this is a jobs bill. We’re already seeing why this is true in the clean energy investments we’re making through the Recovery Act. In California, 3000 people will be employed to build a new solar plant that will create 1000 permanent jobs. In Michigan, investment in wind turbines and wind technology is expected to create over 2,600 jobs. In Florida, three new solar projects are expected to employ 1400 people.

The list goes on and on, but the point is this: this legislation will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy. That will lead to the creation of new businesses and entire new industries. And that will lead to American jobs that pay well and cannot be outsourced. I have often talked about the need to build a new foundation for economic growth so that we do not return to the endless cycle of bubble and bust that led us to this recession. Clean energy and the jobs it creates will be absolutely critical to this new foundation.

This legislation has also been written carefully to address the concerns that many have expressed in the past. Instead of increasing the deficit, it is paid for by the polluters who currently emit dangerous carbon emissions. It provides assistance to businesses and families as they make the gradual transition to clean energy technologies. It gives rural communities and farmers the opportunity to participate in climate solutions and generate new income. And above all, it will protect consumers from the costs of this transition, so that in a decade, the price to the average American will be just about a postage stamp a day.

Because this legislation is so balanced and sensible, it has already attracted a remarkable coalition of consumer and environmental groups; labor and business leaders; Democrats and Republicans. And I want to thank every Member of Congress who put politics aside to support this bill on Friday.

Now my call to every Senator, as well as to every American, is this: We cannot be afraid of the future. And we must not be prisoners of the past. Don’t believe the misinformation out there that suggests there is somehow a contradiction between investing in clean energy and economic growth. It’s just not true.

We have been talking about energy for decades. But there is no longer a disagreement over whether our dependence on foreign oil is endangering our security. It is. There is no longer a debate about whether carbon pollution is placing our planet in jeopardy. It’s happening. And there is no longer a question about whether the jobs and industries of the 21st century will be centered around clean, renewable energy. The question is, which country will create these jobs and these industries? I want that answer to be the United States of America. And I believe that the American people and the men and women they sent to Congress share that view. So I want to congratulate the House for passing this bill, and I want to urge the Senate to take this opportunity to come together and meet our obligations – to our constituents, to our children, to God’s creation, and to future generations.

Thanks for listening.




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Pres. Obama Uses "Bully Pit" For Climate Bill, Green Jobs Showdown

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WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama pushed urgently Thursday for passage of legislation to confront global warming, billing it as a job-creating machine rather than the costly "job killer" Republicans have been denouncing. He telephoned wavering Democrats on the eve of what could be a historic vote in the House of Representatives.

Speaking in the Rose Garden at the White House, Obama said the United States must not miss the opportunity to work on cleaning the air, creating new "green" energy jobs and moving the nation away from its reliance on fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas.

The White House appeared worried that momentum for the bill might be slipping, although White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said that when it came time for a House showdown, "I'd bet on the president."

Democratic leaders scurried to line up enough votes to get the bill passed. They enlisted former Vice President Al Gore, the country's most prominent voice on the urgency of dealing with climate change, to make phone calls to wary lawmakers — including some who believe the House bill was too weak rather than too strong.

House Republicans for weeks have maintained a drumbeat against the legislation, calling it a massive energy tax on every American and a "job killer" because it will force higher prices on electricity, gasoline and other energy sources as the economy shifts from cheaper fossil fuels, or as companies and utilities are forced to buy pollution allowances.

Close vote because of misinformation:

Obama as well as the Democratic House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, sought to counter that argument.

"This is going to be a close vote because of misinformation out there that there's somehow a contradiction between clean energy and economic growth," said Obama. Rather than emphasizing any impact on pollution or global warming, he called the House legislation "a jobs bill" that will lead to the creation of new industries and "finally make clean energy a profitable kind of energy."

"It will create millions of new jobs," echoed Pelosi at a Capitol Hill press conference.

By late Thursday it still was unclear whether Pelosi, who has been courting moderate Republicans as well as fellow Democrats in the search for votes, had the 218 lawmakers she needed to get the bill passed. It is widely expected that if she is not certain of having a majority, she will not allow a vote Friday.

Meanwhile, 241 proposed amendments, most by Republicans seeking to scuttle the bill, were submitted for consideration, although most likely will be rejected by the House Rules Committee working into the evening Thursday. Exchanges before the panel provided a hint of the tone of the upcoming floor debate.

Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman, one of the chief sponsors of the bill, told the committee the bill "takes a balanced approach" and is supported by many in industry as well as environmentalists.

"It would radically change America as we know it," countered Rep. Joe Barton, a Republican. "It would mean the elimination of all fossil fuels used in America by the year 2050."

Waiting for the House to act:

The Senate, meanwhile, was waiting for the House to act. Approval of a climate bill in the Senate has been viewed as a long shot because it would require 60 votes to overcome a delaying tactics that the Republicans are certain to use. That has made a decision by some House Democrats to vote for the politically charged bill even harder since final passage is so much in doubt.

The legislation would require the country to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions that can lead to climate change — 17 percent by 2020 and about 80 percent by the next century. To do that, electricity producers and industrial plants would have to make dramatic shifts away from the use of fossil fuels through increased efficiency, move toward greater use of renewable energy or pay for ways to capture carbon emissions.

Democrats have sought to limit the economic impact with provisions that would make available pollution allowances to utilities and energy-intensive industries and protect low-income consumers from higher energy costs by providing them rebates and credits.

But some Democratic lawmakers, from regions where utilities and factories rely heavily on coal, remain worried about higher energy prices and the impact that might have on voters.

Still other Democrats complain the bill has been watered down too much with concessions to garner broader support. Gore was said to be making calls from his home in Tennessee to shore up support among those lawmakers as well as others still on the fence.

Obama calling on lawmakers too:

Gibbs said Obama was calling lawmakers, too, although he would not give any names. Carol Browner, the White House coordinator on energy and climate, also was on the phone to members of Congress, as was White House chief of staff Rahm Emmanuel.

Lobbying on both sides of the issue intensified this week as Pelosi said she wanted a bill finished before lawmakers left for the July 4 holiday recess.

While most environmental groups as well as a number of business organizations and corporations have endorsed the bill, other industry groups, including the American Petroleum Institute and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, have urged its defeat. Despite the concession to farmers, the American Farm Bureau Federation said Wednesday it remains opposed, calling the bill "seriously flawed."

"What we see is a job killer. ... There's no question that cap and trade will cost millions of jobs," said House Republican whip Eric Cantor, seeking to rally opposition to the bill. In the U.S. Congress, the whip is the party official in charge of party discipline.

"There's no question the cap-and-trade will cost millions of jobs" and higher energy prices, Cantor said.

A new Washington Post-ABC News Poll said three-quarters of Americans think the federal government should regulate the release of greenhouse gases, and 56 percent say they would approve such measures even if it increased their monthly electricity costs by $10.

Sources: MSNBC, Politico, Sustainable Flatbush