Apparently this story has been kicking around the blogosphere for over a week, but I only noticed it today. Sad to say, I was immediately indignant. I was all set to slip on my crime-fightin' jammies and Pontificate in Unison with all the other freedom lovin' typists. Then I re-read the article.

A George Rogers Clark High School junior arrested Tuesday for making terrorist threats told LEX 18 News Thursday that the "writings" that got him arrested are being taken out of context.

Winchester police say William Poole, 18, was taken into custody Tuesday morning. Investigators say they discovered materials at Poole's home that outline possible acts of violence aimed at students, teachers, and police.

Poole told LEX 18 that the whole incident is a big misunderstanding. He claims that what his grandparents found in his journal and turned into police was a short story he wrote for English class.

"My story is based on fiction," said Poole, who faces a second-degree felony terrorist threatening charge. "It's a fake story. I made it up. I've been working on one of my short stories, (and) the short story they found was about zombies. Yes, it did say a high school. It was about a high school over ran by zombies."

"It didn't mention nobody who lives in Clark County, didn't mention (George Rogers Clark High School), didn't mention no principal or cops, nothing,"

On Thursday, a judge raised Poole's bond from one to five thousand dollars after prosecutors requested it, citing the seriousness of the charge.

Let's imitate Wretchard and try to read between the lines.

First, we have an eighteen year old high school JUNIOR, who was shopped to the cops by his own grandparents, his apparent guardians. This doesn't bode well for Mr. Poole's credibility.

Plus, the boy don't talk too good. As G. Gordon Liddy remarked, "He's guilty...of using double negatives."

Maybe it's the Dan Rather Effect kicking in with a vengeance, but the quote from the obvious bad guy, the Podunk Police Chief, was what got me to slow down and think. It seemed just a little too perfect for this kind of story. And, kinda short. I wondered what else he said that never made the news.

Now, the kid could be a shambling hillbilly mutant for all I know, and still be getting a raw deal. Arrested for a short story? Clearly, that would be an outrage. But, it should be obvious that we don't have enough facts yet to make that determination. Or at least you would think so.

Over at Zero Intelligence the commenters pretty much cover all the bases for possible reactions. Most, like me, were immediately (almost reflexively) sympathetic to the imprisoned kid. There were even a couple snarky foreigners, saying it was all too, too American.

Foreign snark requirements not filled just yet? Go here.

Go beat up some fox hunters, you lot. Tossers.

And yet, plenty of Americans are equally willing to take the poor kid at his word.

If you are willing to credit "Icarus" as a valid source, Mr. Poole looks somewhat the worse on closer inspection.

That's my school. Consider this if you're wondering about the boy's creditbility: his initial story was that it was a short story for vocational school (yeah, the place where you learn carpentry and welding, not creative writing). Then it switched to an English assignment. Funny thing is, he doesn't have an English class this semester. He's also been involved in a number of fights and assaults on campus. His sister is even worried because she read what he wrote and she says it's no zombie story. He had the sites of the cameras on campus mapped out and had timed out how quickly the police could arrive on campus. Heretofore, his grandparents have done everything they could to keep him out of jail.

Not everyone is a gullible fool y'know. Commenter "Dementia" challenges "Icarus" regarding his credibility.

Hey Icarus. How do we know your story isn't the Bullshit one? I read an article that said what you're saying. It was written in an ultra conservative newspaper in Kentucky. Hmm. Now let me be fair, and say I don't know what the true story is, and with the state of the country right now, with our leader being a moron AND an ass, I never know who to trust.

It always comes back to Bush, doesn't it?

I'm dismayed here, but for all the wrong reasons. That the internet is full of gibbering idiocy is not news. This whole sorry episode reminds me of nothing so much as a Slashdot thread. Much sound, much fury, much of it perpetrated by people who clearly never read the article. Or, in this particular case, read it and believed it wholeheartedly, because it fed their favorite prejudices.

thank god i don't live in the states. i would have been drawn and quartered by age 8. if not i would have swallowed the end of a gun. to all you americans out there. stop and think. about what you ask? anything. it would be nice if there was one person in the states that actually had a thought that did not come from retarded officials

Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm giving Icarus the last word.

What's truly disturbing is a public rallying behind this kid like he's the only intelligent life in Kentucky.