Have we gone too far?

[Dmitri]

What happened to America: Land of the Free, Home of the Brave?

When did we turn into such a country of shivering little mice, afraid of our own shadows?

"Morton insists all he wanted do was put a blow-up doll in a girl's bathroom as a joke. But when school officials saw surveillance video of a hooded figure wearing latex gloves entering a women's bathroom carrying a suspicious package and leaving empty-handed, they tipped off authorities.
..
Investigators recovered the inflatable doll and arrested the teen, who has had no previous run-ins with the law. Morton has been charged with felony criminal mischief."

The kid faces 8 years in prison.

Tyell Morton, Indiana Teen, Could Face 8 Years Behind Bars For Blow-Up Doll Senior Prank

(edit: To be clear, this isn't political. It isn't left vs right.)

 

[SilverEF88]

This is truly a sign of the deplorable condition that America is in today. This poor kid's life could be ruined over a prank that would be considered tame 20 years ago. It is a shame that Americans have become so paranoid over everything. I am moving to a place where people aren't scared of everything and there aren't big brother laws to protect me from flying out my windshield.

 

[Overread]

I wonder if he is actually facing 8 years in gaol or if he's just got a police charge (to avoid wasting police time charges) and a wrist slap and the reporters have just found out the potential max sentence possible for the charge and tacked it on to make the story more newsworthy.

 

[SilverEF88]

I am sure that it is just the max but all it takes is a judge to feel a little pressure and decide that he has to make an example for all the other would-be pranksters, and then this boy is f-ed.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

I wonder if he is actually facing 8 years in gaol or if he's just got a police charge (to avoid wasting police time charges) and a wrist slap and the reporters have just found out the potential max sentence possible for the charge and tacked it on to make the story more newsworthy.

Very possible. However, just a couple years ago, a kid in my neck of the woods (Georgia, bible belt) got sent to jail for a few years for getting a bl*w job from his girlfriend... The charge was one of sex with a minor or some such BS. The fact that he was a minor himself was of no consequence.

 

[SilverEF88]

I wonder if he is actually facing 8 years in gaol or if he's just got a police charge (to avoid wasting police time charges) and a wrist slap and the reporters have just found out the potential max sentence possible for the charge and tacked it on to make the story more newsworthy.

Very possible. However, just a couple years ago, a kid in my neck of the woods (Georgia, bible belt) got sent to jail for a few years for getting a bl*w job from his girlfriend... The charge was one of sex with a minor or some such BS. The fact that he was a minor himself was of no consequence.

Hmmm, wonder if the private prison boom has anything to do with this? More Convicts=More Money.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

Hmmm, wonder if the private prison boom has anything to do with this? More Convicts=More Money.

Don't know about the kids thing but it most certainly does with the fact that the US has one of the highest percentage of jailed citizens in the world. I don't remember but it could even be the highest.

Cheers for democracy!

 

[subscuck]

It was really an eye opening experience when my kid was going through public school. When I was a kid, kids with asthma carried their inhalers with them, cause, you know, they might need them. Not allowed. They have to be kept in the nurses office now. If I had a headache or a fever at school, I could always find a female classmate who had aspirin in her purse. Get caught with aspirin on your person now, automatic three day vacation. For Hallowe'en we dressed up as cowboys, pirates, soldiers, etc., and carried around toy guns, wooden swords, etc. Bring a toy gun or sword to school now, three day vacation. Oh, and we had Christmas programs where we sang Christmas songs and all the parents came and it was fun, and we looked forward to it. Now, nothing. You know, can't offend anyone whose atheist, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, etc. **** all this political correctness.

 

[Dmitri]

I wonder if he is actually facing 8 years in gaol or if he's just got a police charge (to avoid wasting police time charges) and a wrist slap and the reporters have just found out the potential max sentence possible for the charge and tacked it on to make the story more newsworthy.

I doubt he'll actually get 8 years, but its the point that he even got arrested, let alone faced with prison time, for a prank. With the stuff kids are doing these days, one would think that a boring prank like this would be welcome.

But instead, someone panicked, called in the bomb squad and now that paranoia is being taken out on this kid. Annoys the hell out of me.

 

[Overread]

Worst thing is a lot of this restriction isn't actually endorsed by things like "health and safety" or the political correctness group - its often just one or two parents who raise a stink (or one or two governers) and the rule gets brought in to hit all the students because the school does not want to weather the possible backlash that could occur.

 

[Dmitri]

It was really an eye opening experience when my kid was going through public school. When I was a kid, kids with asthma carried their inhalers with them, cause, you know, they might need them. Not allowed. They have to be kept in the nurses office now. If I had a headache or a fever at school, I could always find a female classmate who had aspirin in her purse. Get caught with aspirin on your person now, automatic three day vacation. For Hallowe'en we dressed up as cowboys, pirates, soldiers, etc., and carried around toy guns, wooden swords, etc. Bring a toy gun or sword to school now, three day vacation. Oh, and we had Christmas programs where we sang Christmas songs and all the parents came and it was fun, and we looked forward to it. Now, nothing. You know, can't offend anyone whose atheist, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, etc. **** all this political correctness.

You had me until the end. Don't try to turn this into political grandstanding... one has nothing to do with the other. Keep that "christ in christmas" crap on fox.

 

[subscuck]

You had me until the end. Don't try to turn this into political grandstanding... one has nothing to do with the other. Keep that "christ in christmas" crap on fox.

Uh, sorry pal. I'm one of the least political or religious people you will ever meet. I celebrate Christmas in a totally secular way. You know, Santa, North Pole, elves, etc. You missed my point, so apology accepted.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

Plenty of people who are not christians do celebrate christmas. I'm not one of them but it doesn't keep me from seeing that the anti Xmas thing is a lot of PC BS. And I hate PCness even more than Xmas.

 

[subscuck]

OK, my last post may have been a wee bit snarky, and I apologize. I realize we've never met or talked and you know nothing about me. My point was a Nations cultural holidays shouldn't be zero toleranced or PCed out of the schools for the so called "greater good of society". I realize you're not a mind reader, so please accept my apology for my knee jerk reaction.

 

[subscuck]

And I hate PCness even more than Xmas.

But Santa loves you. And he's watching...