Originally, I thought about post a rant about Facebook. But then I saw and read this:
Source article: The US schools with their own police, from The Guardian
Video from The Young Turks.
At Fulmore Middle School in Austin, 12-year-old Sarah Bustamantes has attention-deficit and bipolar disorder and is overweight. And because middle school kids are complete bastards, she was being bullied during class. While not ADD or bipolar, I can relate to the whole being overweight and bullied during class thing. And of course, showing that despite the PSAs such as "Stop Bullying: Speak Up" and programs such as "It Gets Better" and the "Be A STAR Alliance" (all worthwhile efforts that I hope one day will actually gain ground), the teacher does jack shit to stop it. The kids were taunting her about how she smells. So, she sprays two burst of perfume on her neck, hoping that it makes the kids stop. Of course, now they say it's the "most terrible smell [they] ever smelled". So the teacher finally has enough, and calls one of the cops in the school.
12-year-old Sarah Bustamantes was then charged with a criminal misdemeanor and ordered to appear in court for disrupting class. A student, who was being bullied and trying to make the bullies stop, was charged with a criminal misdemeanor. Due to her disabilities, a disability rights group took up her case and had the charges dropped, but they never should have been given in the first place.
Another example includes a 16 year old boy with an IQ below 70 (meaning, by definition and law, he is considered mentally retarded) was pepper-sprayed in the hallway because he didn't understand what the police were saying. He began swinging his arms in pain and hit one of the officers while his eyes were shut. He has been charged with two counts of assault of a public servant and could be thrown in prison for this. A 15 year old student, while doing something incredibly stupid (point a realistic air gun at police) was shot and killed, including a shot aimed for the head. No trying to disable him and no tasers. Just a bullet to the head.
In 2010, 300,000 misdemeanor charges where given out across the entire state, to kids as young as six. Over the period of six years, 1,000 of these were given to children under the age of 10. While for kids under the age of 10 these don't actually have any legal standing, the fact that they do this is insane. More and more school districts since the 90s are hiring their own private police departments, increasing 20-fold during this time.
Examples of things that can get you arrested include "disruption of class", "making unreasonable noise", throwing paper airplanes, being late, swearing, offensive gestures, pouring milk on each other, and fights on the playground that aren't enough for assault charges. These fights can often have trumped up charges for the use of weapons, despite only using fist. While police might be necessary for breaking up the fight, charging people for those other things when in the past detention, suspensions and alternate schools were the way to go is insane, nor trumping up charges about the use of weapons in a fist fight. Possession of drugs (legal or otherwise) and alcohol are also grounds for being arrested, and 20% of all the fines handed out are for these. Admittedly though, these actually are considered crimes for minors, and for all in the case of illegal drugs.
I know for a fact that I would have been fined several times, especially when I once got into a fight in 8th Grade, Because I didn't start it and only defended myself, I didn't get into much trouble. The vice principal had to suspend me for the day for policy reasons but that was it, because I didn't start it and was only defending myself, a claim all my friends (pre-AP or IB students) backed up. Nor did I get into any trouble with my parents. If that was to happen now, I'd be a criminal, even if it was self-defense (because in these situations, teachers and administrators usually don't give a shit, you could be beaten and bloodied and never throw a punch and still be viewed the same as the attackers). These things are not criminal charges. If an adult did these things, no charges would normally be filed (unless you're part of an Occupy protest).
Now, for those that don't get pepper-sprayed, tasered, have guns pointed at them or get shot in the head, what happens? Well, if found guilty, they can be charged with a fine up to $500, or sent to juvie. If in a poor family and then fine doesn't get paid, the second they turn 17 they are thrown into full on jail. Imagine that for a second, being thrown in jail because you received a fine you or your family couldn't pay for swearing at someone. As well, because these are criminal charges, if found guilty, now you might have a hard time finding a job, be denied entry into a college or university, or denied loans. For something you did when you were 12, you could be lose any chance for a high paying job.
I'm not saying police shouldn't be on campus. In case of an actual serious incident, having police on the scene might actually save lives. But for most of these charges, no lives are being save. Lives with many years of potential are being destroyed before they even begin. This has to stop.
I wrote about this, instead of my rant about Facebook (I plan to do that later) for a couple of reasons. The first is because of the story of Sarah Bustamantes. I think it illustrates the lack of compassion for victims of bullying, and how a blind eye is turned when it comes to bullies, allowing them to get away with this.
The second is because I'm from Texas. My entire family lives in Texas. I have two cousins in elementary school, and this is the kind of world they are going into. They are good kids, but they also have ADHD, asthma, and you know how much of pricks kids can be to other kids. Add this to the fact that we are charging kids for even minor things. If this kind of thing keeps up and gains more ground in other school districts, one of them is bound to be charged at some point in their lives. Hell, almost every kid will be. While I despise how this state is run and wish those who run it (like Rick Perry) would get kicked out, as someone wanting to get into video games this is a very good state for me to live in. As such, if all goes well I will at some point be raising a family here myself, and I don't want this to happen to my (hypothetical future) kids.
The building of the "school-to-prison pipeline" has to stop.
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