Keen and Runaway Laws

Here, you can get help with anything or just chat about the original Commander Keen games.
jpb6891
Grunt
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2012 5:20

Keen and Runaway Laws

Post by jpb6891 »

I was looking up runaway law information regarding the place Keen was from. According to this information, it is illegal to run away from home where Keen was. I would say Keen did run away. We have to consider that this was the 90s. When were runaway laws made? Do you think if this had been real life, Keen would have gone to Juvenile Hall?
User avatar
TerminILL
Skypest
Posts: 589
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 8:59
Location: In a box.
Contact:

Post by TerminILL »

ah, but Keen never got caught - Billy was always careful to get back before his parents arrived/his sitter woke up/etc.
Shonikado wrote:Looking back on what we've done and wanting to change it is the first step in becoming a weakling that cannot do anything.
User avatar
Flaose
Vorticon Elder
Posts: 568
Joined: Sat Oct 27, 2007 20:30
Location: The Frozen Hell
Contact:

Post by Flaose »

I was this close to deleting the message, thinking it was spam :)

TerminILL's right, as Keen was never caught it's not really an issue. However, Billy Blaze was only 8-years old at the time of his adventures as Commander Keen and from what I understand no one younger than 12 is ever sent to Juvenile Detention, though his parents may have been fined and/or he may have been taken away by Child Protective Services.
Cerebral Cortex 314 - For All of your Commander Keen Needs.
Eat at Joe's
User avatar
Bubbatom
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 348
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2010 0:55
Location: South Australia

Re: Keen and Runaway Laws

Post by Bubbatom »

jpb6891 wrote:I was looking up runaway law information regarding the place Keen was from.
Where is keen from? I always thought it was just the 'Suburbs' somewhere in America?
Image
jpb6891
Grunt
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2012 5:20

Post by jpb6891 »

I need to look up the place where Keen is from again. The reason I brought this topic up was that it was bugging me. I doubt that Keen would have gone to Juvenile Hall anyway. There is evidence from Molly that he saved her. If anybody would have gone to Juvenile Hall, it would have been McMire for kidnapping his sister. If you think about all that Keen has done in order to save the universe, do you think he would have been arrested for running away? The more I think about it, no one in their right mind would arrest a child for saving the galaxy. I think Keen is from Milwaukee. His father became a talk show host in Milwaukee according to the Wolfenstein 3D Hintbook. Milwaukee is located in Wisconsin. In Wisconsin, it is illegal to runaway.
Benvolio
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 976
Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 12:43
Location: Ireland
Contact:

Post by Benvolio »

I always thought he was from Madison in Wisconsin - I am not sure where I got that idea from! Development of the original games certainly occurred in that city.
RetroKittycat
Grunt
Posts: 30
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2012 19:23
Location: Up against your window.....watching you.......INTENTLY .........

Post by RetroKittycat »

It is illegal to run away? O.o ??

wtf not that I think its a good thing to try it, but that law is just plain bull XD
What if the parents were beating the child?

And you gotta remember that this is only a alternate reality thing considering that a 8 year old boy built a rocket and flew to mars with aliens, saved the planet multiple times from his arch nemesis (who I presume is the same age as Keen)
Anything could happen rofl C: I doubt it'll be an issue
User avatar
Scarlet
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 1065
Joined: Mon Jul 05, 2010 2:56

Post by Scarlet »

Do running away laws include situations like these where the kid did not intend to run away forever? Can the law even be applied considering that the kid did not leave his property - just went up into space?


What if the parents were beating the child?
This opens up a whole new can of worms. Well, two cans.

When is spanking for discipline considered beating?

And, did Keen ever get spanked or was he a near perfect good kid?





Would Keen have run away from home eventually???
Join us for netkeen! irc://irc.foonetic.net/netkeen
Stay classy, Scarlet.
Ha, you really are a fucling legend aren't you you neocon netnanny.
By jove... You have exceptional taste in games, Scarlet!
RetroKittycat
Grunt
Posts: 30
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2012 19:23
Location: Up against your window.....watching you.......INTENTLY .........

Post by RetroKittycat »

I'm unsure about answering that, I mean,
I was never spanked
I was probably grounded like... 3 times in my whole life (one I remember not allowed going out for the day and the other two were like... 5 minutes literally. I was so young I didn't even know how long 5 minutes was, I kept on counting to five then five lots of fives then five lots of those and five lots off that... you get it lol
Also I had never known what grounded meant until highschool - I thought it was like quicksand) But thats a bit off topic O.o

Personally, I don't believe in beating your child
it obviously did some good for me, (sure I got into a lot of fights but I never got punished for them because I was defending either myself or other people from attacks soo.... thats the most I've ever done... XD )

But if you HAVE to beat your child as punishment (even if I think its wrong) I think one quick soft whack, just enough to get them to pay attention before you send them to their room (without internet connection/TV/games etc) Nothing hard.

Ohh and technically he did leave his property,
I doubt that his family own Mars XD
User avatar
guynietoren
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 886
Joined: Sat Mar 13, 2010 2:57
Location: Kansas City
Contact:

Post by guynietoren »

It is wrong to run from home, whether or not it's known to your parents.

Although the need to obey your parents is under the assumption that they have more wisdom and maturity than the child, which is an easy assumption in most cases.

Keen probably broke more important laws such as possession of alcohol and flying an unlicensed aircraft without a license. And what ever other airspace laws apply.

I'm curious how he landed an interstellar rocket in the back yard without anyone noticing. Maybe his doesn't require the use of explosions to operate...
jpb6891
Grunt
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2012 5:20

Post by jpb6891 »

Could Keen have been sent to Juvenile Hall for running away considering his age? Do you think the justice system would even arrest a child for saving the world?
User avatar
Scarlet
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 1065
Joined: Mon Jul 05, 2010 2:56

Post by Scarlet »

jpb6891 wrote:Could Keen have been sent to Juvenile Hall for running away considering his age? Do you think the justice system would even arrest a child for saving the world?
Sure. Some people would follow rules no matter how good or dumb they might be.


Remember the monkey thing?

Monkey Business: How Company Policy Begins

Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the other monkeys with cold water. After awhile, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result - all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon, when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it.

Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.

Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm! Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked. Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea why they were not permitted to
climb the stairs or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.

After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the banana. Why not?

Because as far as they know that the way it's always been done around here. And that, my friends, is how company policy begins.
Join us for netkeen! irc://irc.foonetic.net/netkeen
Stay classy, Scarlet.
Ha, you really are a fucling legend aren't you you neocon netnanny.
By jove... You have exceptional taste in games, Scarlet!
jpb6891
Grunt
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2012 5:20

Post by jpb6891 »

I wonder if Commander Keen's grandfather went with him? If he did, it would not be running away. BJ might have gone with Keen to save the world. If this was the case, Keen did not break any laws. BJ going with Keen on his missions makes sense actually considering that BJ took on the Harbinger of Doom in Wolfenstein RPG and several Nazis.
User avatar
Lava89
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 1087
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2007 15:28

Post by Lava89 »

Was Keen running away? If he had intended to stay gone for good he could've, instead he came back on his own. I always assumed he went out into to space to explore or dispense galactic justice and then he would return.

Unless I misread the original story of Keen 1 or I'm misunderstanding the definition of "running away".
jpb6891
Grunt
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2012 5:20

Post by jpb6891 »

Running away from home is still running away from home even if you intend to come back. There was a teen who ran away and stayed over at his friends house. He did not tell his mother that he was staying the night. His mother called the police and the police put him in juvenile hall even though the teen returned home. Keen is 8 years old. It is possible for an 8 year old to get arrested. We do not know if BJ went with Keen on his adventures. I would certainly hope BJ did, but he probably did not. I have consulted two lawyer sites over this matter. I did not mention Commander Keen. I only mentioned an 8 year old.
Post Reply