Dad sells pot-smoking son's video game as punishment

[Jenna]

A Canadian man who said he sold his 15-year-old son's prized video game, a Christmas gift, on eBay after catching him smoking marijuana has sparked an online debate on who is wrong -- father or son.

The unidentified man decided to punish his son by selling the popular and hard-to-find Guitar Hero III videogame he had bought him for Christmas for $90 on the auction site where an Australian buyer bid $9,100. It was not known if the sale at that price actually proceeded.
"I had finally got the Holy Grail of Xmas presents pretty much just in the nick of time. I couldn't wait to spread the jubilance to my son," the father said in a letter accompanying the posting on eBay.
"Then, yesterday, I came home from work early and what do I find? My innocent little boy smoking pot in the backyard with two of his delinquent friends."
The seller, who describes himself as an elementary school teacher but could not be contacted to verify his story, said that by selling the game he intended to teach his son a lesson.
But whether true or not, the five-day auction, that ended on Dec 10, elicited more than a 100 comments.
Some sided with the disgruntled father and others accusing him of "publicly humiliating" his son.
The father has since updated the posting with more responses to the feedback, including accusations that the sale was a hoax.
"All I can do is assure you that yes, the auction is real," he said on the site.
No one from eBay was available to comment.
"I am still considering getting him a game for his Nintendo. Maybe something like Barbie," added the father.
(Reporting by Claire Sibonney; Editing by Patricia Reaney)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071217/...27Sq_lv0QE1vAI
December 17, 2007

[Hannibal]

If his story is true, good for him.

If it were my kid, the Nintendo itself would be next to auction along with any ipods, or anything else the kid has of value. Then I would take the proceeds of the sales to enroll his ass into a hardcore rehab program followed by a very structured military school.

Sounds to me the kid got off too easy.

[jmur5074]

Good for him.

[Star Man]

I agree good for him.

[Ducky]

THAT is parenting.

[phoenix]

Pretty good 'non boot' parenting.I also would have had to show a little justice to the punks who were with his son...and parents too??And would HAVE to find out where the haides my boy got that weed...That would be some real BOOT.

[mack]

I can't see how anyone could disagree with the actions of the parent. How is it wrong to not give him a present he wants when he is caught doing something illegal? I would venture to say that the ones disagreeing with the parent are other pot-smoking kids.

[armsmaster270]

We need more parents like that!

[k-9max]

Umm, yeah, he wouldnt be able to sit down, until i found out who gave him the weed, and where they got it from.
A ass kickin xmas sounds a little better.

[gwebb1981]

If true, good idea on father's behalf.
I smell a hoax though. If that story was included within the auction for 'buyers' to read... If you took the same story, put it in email form and received it in your inbox, you'd see it as spam and delete it.