What is it with criminalization in the US?

[Chacal Profile Website]

What's wrong with these people?
http://www.news-journal.com/news/content/region/ETtoday/stories/2007/05/03/Diboll_prank.html

I'm seeing more and more of these reports. Everyone nows calls the police and get the law involved for any stupid reasons. We hear of 7-year-old girls getting carried away in handcuffs for misbehaving in class, harassment charges put on toddlers who kiss each other. At the school I used to work at, we'd call police for suspicion of drug selling, nothing less. Any other police enquiry about our kids would be met with resistance and even hostility.
Listen to that stupid school principal invoking policy and procedure for justification. Nobody ever told him procedure is NEVER a valid reason for explaining any action?

Making kids behave is for parents and schools.

When are you going to get fed up with that police state mentality?

[smikey Profile]

I totally agree with you Chacal,when I was in school the only time the law was called was for damage or someone got the crap beat out of them other wise the school handled it them selves(warnings,detentions,suspentions things like that),Today there's to much passing the buck.

[[ecgn] btt Profile]

When are you going to get fed up with that police state mentality?

I have been fed up with it. Since it started happening when I was in H.S. in the early 90's. One reason I am single with no kids is because I don't feel I would be able to raise a kid the way I would want these days.

I like this part of the article.

In the meantime, Hawkins said he is looking into what can be done in the community and school system to prevent future senior pranks — a "fad" that he hopes can be addressed by implementing certain school procedures.

A fad, A FAD, senior pranks have probably been going on since the first senior class.

[King Profile]

"We are a society of men raised by women..." Tyler Durden (Fight Club)

[petersapien Profile]

Chacal is pretty much right. Being in highschool myself I would have to say that if these kids arent gonna be presuaded by their parents or the school, the polica aint gonna do shit to influence them. Its rediculace just how much the polica is involved. Hell we have a friken officer stationed at our school who is armed. I mean come on? If people are this hopeless then why should we waste our time on them and not on things that are more important?

[smikey Profile]

That's my point exactly ,when I was in school (35yrs ago) you never had police stationed in schools they only came there for things like drugs, fights if they were big enough and stuff like that not for this petty crap.

[Mugzy Profile]

Here is another good reason to kick someone out of school..
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/05/03/student_counterstrike_map_texasschool/

"A Texas high school suspended and then expelled a student for creating a map of his school for the PC shooting game Counter-Strike."

[cavalierlwt Profile]

Must be something in the water here, but whatever it is, I'm not drinking it
People need a boot to the head to help them remember the reality of the situation: years ago, you were once young. You drank, you pranked, you had sex with your girlfriend, you drove too fast, you did stupid things.....and yet the world kept turning and you're alive and well today.

[TChicken Profile]

Thats an interesting story Mugzy, surprised nobody else mentioned it here...

here's some quotes from another source on the story:

“They arrested him,” Chen said of FBISD police, “and also went to the house to search.” The Lin family consented to the search, and a hammer was found in the boy’s room, which he used to fix his bed, because it wasn’t in good shape, Chen said. He indicated police seized the hammer as a potential weapon.

“They decided he was a terroristic threat,” said one source close to the district’s investigation.

http://www.fortbendnow.com/news/2847/chinese-community-rallies-behind-student-removed-from-clements-over-pc-game-map

I own 2 hammers, but I think that's ok as I don't live in the states, and
what exactly is a terroristic threat anyway?

[Namloot Profile Website]

1984
1984
1984
1984
1984

[Darknut Profile]

Thats an interesting story Mugzy, surprised nobody else mentioned it here...

here's some quotes from another source on the story:


http://www.fortbendnow.com/news/2847/chinese-community-rallies-behind-student-removed-from-clements-over-pc-game-map

I own 2 hammers, but I think that's ok as I don't live in the states, and
what exactly is a terroristic threat anyway?

Wait, what can the school do about something you do at home? Last time I checked their rules end at the property line.

A hammer? Who gives a crap if he has a hammer in his room or not? Would it make a difference if it was in his garage? Shit, I have a toolkit in my room I hope I never get searched because of this danger kit I possess would incriminate me with hostile intent or wanting to repair something or being too lazy to put it back in the garage after using the kit.

[-HaVoC- Profile]

I could have followed this conversation and contributed, but I am going to avoid it because instead of dealing with the problem that occurred, the topic takes a weak stab at the US. Problems such as these are being dealt with around the world as we slowly encroach on each others territory and we rapidly increase our populations. It's not merely an American problem and I find the cheap shot lazy and offensive.

[King Profile]

I could have followed this conversation and contributed, but I am going to avoid it because instead of dealing with the problem that occurred, the topic takes a weak stab at the US. Problems such as these are being dealt with around the world as we slowly encroach on each others territory and we rapidly increase our populations. It's not merely an American problem and I find the cheap shot lazy and offensive.

Don't worry Havoc, taking shots at the US is what gets everyone else off these days.

The seniors got arrested for trespassing, (which is an offense) and got their punishment which was 40 hours of community service and a fine of $130 bucks from the school. The prosecutor has, according to the article, filed the necessary paperwork for the case to be dismissed. Whats the problem here? They broke the law. They were arrested. So what?

I've got to be honest, if i owned a store and one of you fuckers were in it after hours to play a prank on me, I'd want you arrested too. Whats the message to the rest of the students if the school or the municipality DON'T do anything? Its ok to play a senior prank all the while creating a mess for someone else to clean up?

Forgive me but im about to take this to the bigger picture. Seriously, this is like getting pissed off about a cop who gives a guy a ticket for littering while jaywalking. And everyone else around here are just like the rest of the sheeple who don't want to associate themselves with the mythos that the government led by George W. Bush and the conservative, militant, Jesus-freak fascists control what you do, what you say and when you say it. You all need to realize that you ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACTIONS OF THE FEDERAL OR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND DO NOT HAVE TO ANSWER FOR ANYTHING THAT IT DOES BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER ITS ACTIONS. I don't take responsibility for anything I myself don't do and neither should you.

If you want a police state go visit Venezuela.

[Chacal Profile Website]

This was no cheap shot at the US. This is about the current paranoid mindset about criminalizing everything, which only adds an un-needed level of aggressivity to everyday life. King's post sums up this mindset pretty well.

I get a lot of it from the US and only the US, but if it happened elsewhere it would be just as bad.

[King Profile]

Can we please change my title from Forum Whore to Facist?

My point is this: crime and the law are not arbitrary subjects. If a crime is committed, then a punishment should occur. The punishments are laid out in levels of severity, much like the crimes committed.

Driving while intoxicated is a prime example. Should someone who is barely over the limit, alcohol limit not speed you twats, be treated any different than a person who is exceedingly over the limit? I say no.

Should age be a factor when treating theft? Is a guy who steals a car worse than a kid who steals candy in the store? I'd say yes, and the punishment for each offense is different in relation to the crimes.

In the case of the students, who is responsible for the door they broke? The school, the students who broke it, or the taxpayers who put money into the school district? Same goes for the catfish bait they smeared all over the place. Where is the accountability?

I see the punishment as a valuable tool which can be applied in later life. What happens to a person when they stick their hand in a fire? It gets burned and it hurts like hell. Do you stick your hand back in after its healed? I say no unless you are a thick-headed moron.

Police-state mentality? So be it. I'm not saying be an informer, call the FBI when some muslims move into the neighborhood but if you don't do a crime, then you don't have to worry about being punished by the FBI, KGB, SS or evil group.

On a lighter note, Chacal, I do find it rather ironic that you are against a police-state when your own avatar is a pic of an iconic figure who established probably the biggest police state in all the universe.