November 11, 2009

25 Students Arrested for a Food-Fight?

Think back to your childhood: you've thrown food at least once, right?  Maybe it wasn't at school.  Maybe you chucked some peas at your brother while mom's back was turned, or you and your cousins ended up covered in turkey at the kids' table at Thanksgiving.

Apparently this type of childish fun can now get you arrested.  After a massive food fight at a Chicago school, twenty five students were arrested and charged with reckless conduct.  25 frightened children, aged 11 to 15, spent a day in jail and now face misdemeanor charges.  For a food-fight.

This is appalling.  The administration at this school and the Chicago police should be absolutely ashamed of themselves.  They chose to traumatize and damage the reputations of these children instead being grown-ups, taking charge and saying 'stop.'  The school should have handled the situation privately, but instead they called in guns to a food fight.

If these charges aren't laughed out of court by the judge, my disgust will be forced to extend to our legal system as well.  My message to adults: don't put grown-up judgments on the behavior of children.  They're kids.  So let them be kids.

[NY Times]

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