took the top off, and started driving

You really don’t know what you’re talking about, do you? Minimal research would show you that she was a passenger in the car at the time.

TRiG.

As for Chris Armstrong, the fact he’s decidedly not trying to cash in on this case makes him nothing short of a hero in my book.

The scholarship was announced at a celebration for the 40th anniversary for the University of Michigan’s glbt support office (now named the Spectrum Center). I am a UM graduate, so I know how important that support center has been. So does Chris Armstrong.

From glbtq.com link above:

“In announcing the new scholarship, Armstrong said that he and his parents want to make sure that other young people who have been bullied because of their sexual orientation can attend the University of Michigan.

“The scholarship is endowed with an initial donation of $100,000, and is intended for incoming freshmen.

“Armstrong’s father, Steve Armstrong, an attorney in Connecticut, said that the University community helped the entire family cope with the difficulties caused by the bullying Chris endured. He added that the scholarship will allow the Armstrong family to continue to show its gratitude.

“[We] endured the events of the past year only because of the strength and courage of our son, but we soon came to realize from where that strength and courage was coming,” Steve Armstrong said. “We saw the University respond with one powerful, resounding and unified voice to shameful attacks on Chris.”

“Chris Armstrong has described the Spectrum Center as “truly a place where out LGBT leaders can grow and develop. It connects students to the many resources that are around them and shows them the larger community they are a part of. If I had not found Spectrum my first week on campus, I would not have succeeded on campus the way I did.”

“The Spectrum Center dates its history to 1971, when, in response to pressure, including from student members of the Gay Liberation Front, the University of Michigan established the Human Sexuality Office and funded two quarter-time staff positions to be filled by a lesbian and a gay male, who were known as “Advocates.” This was the first staff office for queer students in an institution of higher learning in the United States.”

I doubt that Shirvell will be able to pay them. But note that Armstrong has said that whatever he receives will go to the scholarship fund that he and his family established at the University of Michigan for students who had been bullied in high school.

I do remember that action alert! The ADF treated this Armstrong’s appointment as if it was some egregious and wrongfully obtained job.
They skated the line of libel, by inferring that gay people do things like that in order to further their ‘militant gay agenda’.
And only because Armstrong had been the first gay person to achieve this and had participated in some equality work.
You’d have thought he was a terrorist the way the ADF carried on about him.

That’s the problem with people so rabidly anti gay, they DO engage in slander, and libel and provoke weirdos like Shirvell.

At least the stalking didn’t take on seriously violent proportions.
But considering the recent shootings, it’s not THAT hard for an object of obsession to become a murder victim.
Which is why this reward appears to be taking the seriousness of such a possibility with the gravity it deserves. Even if the actual reward doesn’t come down to that, this is still the most important statement to make.

In this case, the award is not so ridiculous because Chris Armstrong didn’t do anything to bring this on himself. Shirvell instigated this, so he should be punished.

In the end though, as several commenters noted, this will be reduced, but I’m sure Shirvell will appeal. Being unemployed, he doesn’t have anything else to do. Others suggested less money, restraining orders, counseling, etc. While all of those things are probably appropriate for Shirvell (does anyone not believe he’s unbalanced), civil juries generally have only money or things of value available as remedies.

As for Shirvell, that guy is just creepy.