Local kids give views on Phoenix DJ

Kids at Rockwood South Middle School took note last month when Phoenix DJ Beau Doran made a rude phone call to the widow of Cardinal pitcher Darryl Kile. In letters to the editor, the kids called him a "jerk" or worse.

Seven-grade students in teacher Allison Seitz's language arts class often have discussions about things that show up in the news. Then, they write editorials or letters to the editor to express their ideas about the situations.

Young Saint Louis.com received copies of some of the letters. We've reproduced some of them in this edition. (To read the letters, click here.)

In addition, YSL.com interviewed the letter writers on their views on personal cruelty. We also asked about the line between funny and cruel in their own words and actions.

Before we give their views, some background:

DJ Doran is what some people call a "shock jock" radio announcer. They are hired to be controversial because their station managers think that builds a bigger audience.

Last month, the baseball Cardinals were in Phoenix for a post-season series with the defending world champion Arizona Diamondbacks. During the season, Cardinal players said the memory of their star pitcher helped them play harder.

The Cardinals invited Kile's widow, Flynn, to be with the team during the playoffs. Just before the second game, Doran called Flynn Kile at her hotel. He told her he thought she was "hot" and asked if she had a date for the game.

Cardinal Manager Tony LaRussa took exception, calling it crude. He and others asked the station to discipline Doran. Soon, the incident was being talked about all over the country.

Doran's radio station responded. First, they got Doran to apologize and suspended him. Later, as the protests continued, they fired him.

Twelve-year-old Adeline Wider admits she listens to some "shock jock" announcers on St. Louis radio stations. She said some "pranks" are funny but "sometimes they go too far."

She admits her efforts to be funny sometimes backfire. "I made what I thought was a funny comment about a girl's clothes. But, she thought she was well dressed."

She added that most of the time she follows her parents' advice on good manners. She added, "They said, 'If I know it would hurt my feelings, I shouldn't say it at all.'"

Twelve-year-old Maggie Blume said, "Being funny is when you are laughing with someone. Being cruel is when you are making fun of them."

Maggie thinks she has a good sense of humor, but admits that sometimes another person may not think she's funny. "It happens all the time with my Mom. I try to make jokes but she takes it seriously," she said.

Twelve-year-old Melissa Haley said she learned good manners from her parents. She said she usually gets instructions before she goes to someone else's house. "If I don't behave, I have to go back and apologize to them," she added.

Thirteen-year-old Curt Singer said cruel is "when someone is sad about something and you make fun of it." He said he can tell when he's over the line between funny and cruel.

Curt said he learned a lot about manners in school. "In elementary school, they were really big on it with the Manners Matter program."

Thirteen-year-old Melissa Keating also mentioned the Manners Matter program. "It was pretty cool. People would wait to hear who won the monthly award. You went to the office and got a medal." She said she won a monthly good conduct award three times.

She said the secret to treating others well is thinking before you speak. "Cruel is when you're rude to someone," she said. To avoid that, she said, "That's where the whole 'watch what you say' idea comes in."

Twelve-year-old Courtney Redman remembered one time when an attempt to be funny backfired. She said she was at a birthday party sleep-over. Some girls put clothes that little girls use when they play "dress up" over one girl while she slept.

"She was really mad when she woke up," Courtney said. She said the line between funny and cruel is "when something is normally funny until that person gets emotionally upset."

Teacher Seitz said the kids were "pretty much split" over what should be done to DJ Doran after his phone call. "Some thought he should be fired but others thought he was just doing what he was paid to do," she said.