Comments on: Morning Links

By: Leon Wolfeson

Leon Wolfeson — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:14:02 +0000

@22 – Removing benefits or rights for an unrelated criminal record is wrong, period. If someone commits benefit fraud, sure, strip them of the right to claim benefits. And someone committing voting fraud should lose their voting rights.

Otherwise? No.

And neither should drugs testing be legal unless there are issues of public trust (i.e. police, teachers) or safety (i.e. ATC’s, pilots).

By: Belle Waring

Belle Waring — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 04:14:09 +0000

Studies reliably show that, starting at the earliest ages, Black students are treated more harshly for identical defenses than white students are. This means that by the time they reach high school a Black student may have a serious record that requires immediate suspension for even a minor offense (e.g. lateness.) I’ve been to Milledgeville, and I defy anyone to imagine that a golden-curled little tot of 6, looking like the Sunbeam bread girl, would end up handcuffed in the back of the squad car. Uhh huhh. No. This is one of those “you know how THEY are.” A crazed little Black kindergardener is like someone on meth–she has the strength of 15 men! True fact! The principal would have figured out a way to subdue the Sunbeam bread girl that didn’t involve getting ready to work on the chain gang.

They’ve still got’em in S.C.! I’ve many a time seen a couple of white overseers in the cab of an air-conditioned truck making a chain gang of all Black guys clear weeds at the edge of the canal in the nature preserve, which is all shimmering marsh grass in 105-degree heat (we go to see birds). The weeds don’t need clearing, it’s just that that’s where all the gators are, and the overseers like to watch the guys scramble and then order them all back to the waterline. If you think they never sneak a six-pack of tall-boys in that air-conditioned cab, I have some real estate for you in Florida. (I know, you’re going to say the guys on the chain gang would take off. There’s an armed, sober, hot as hell Black foreman standing by the idling truck in a pith helmet kind of thing, keeping watch, wishing cold death on the two pig-f&8kers in the truck.) America’s justice system, finest in the world. We should export it more. Oh, wait…

By: C. S. P. Schofield

C. S. P. Schofield — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 02:05:53 +0000

If, and I say IF, the six year old’s behavior was as described, then I’m not sure what people want. The school is unlikely to have anything that would be appropriate (unless they deal with disturbed children all the time, which I’m not seeing anywhere). What would an ambulance do? Are they likely to have some magic drug that could safely tranquilize a six year old? While I’m sure straight jackets come in that size, I’m equally sure that they are rare.

I do wish the cops had said something like “The child had gone berserk, and we had no better options. We are looking into what to do about that in case, God forbid, it comes up again.”, but I’m sure that official reaction was put together by some PR flack and I don’t really expect anything but bushwa from that type.

By: derfel cadarn

derfel cadarn — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:53:12 +0000

In a realistic world one might except their law enforcement officers be held to a level of law exceeding that of the common people. After all they are suppose to know the law. So it is not to much of a stretch of thinking to believe that upon committing felonies they would be denied disability or perhaps even any pensions or benefits. Having said that I will point out that it takes a real PROFESSIONAL law enforcement officer to need to handcuff a six year old. This is definitely grounds for dismissal.

By: clarkcountycriminalcops

clarkcountycriminalcops — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 23:47:49 +0000

Concerning the 6-year-old handcuffed by police I have a couple of questions. If SCOTUS ruled in Terry V. Ohio that a suspect can only be detained if the police officer has a reasonable suspicion that the person has committed, is committing, or is about to commit a crime” and since the common assumption is it that prior to age six or seven, juveniles lack mens rea, or criminal intent to commit a crime, how can this officer justify his behavior? If nothing a six year old does can be considered criminal, then what other legal justification can an officer employ to detain an American Citizen who has neither committed nor about to commit a crime?

By: plutosdad

plutosdad — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 22:27:07 +0000

If the child is jumping on furniture, smashing things, and trying to break glass and bite doorknobs, they should have called an ambulance and taken her to a hospital, not jail. that is NOT “having a bad day” that is something seriously wrong.

I think, as Ben says, nothing anyone could do would not look bad. But what would look worse? The kid lacerating herself and/or breaking teeth because everyone was too afraid to restrain her. The only way an authority could probably do it is if the EMTs come and strap her on a gurney.

Sorry but, that is not a tantrum. Suspending her won’t help her deal with her problems. And the police didn’t help matters either. It seems like no one involved is actually interested in the child’s welfare.

By: Xenocles

Xenocles — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 21:15:40 +0000

Did they put the six year old in a booster seat? If not, did they ticket themselves for child endangerment?

By: Greg Beaman

Greg Beaman — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:46:17 +0000

From the Montgomery County, Maryland story:
“The union called the county’s proposal to take disability benefits away from someone who has committed a criminal offense “draconian,” according to the opinion.”

I’d like to take a survey of individuals who support the right for police officers to keep disability benefits once they are released from prison. I would ask them questions to gauge how they feel about giving welfare benefits to individuals who fail drug tests. Any thoughts?

By: Onlooker

Onlooker — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:21:27 +0000

Why the hell are the police involved with a six year old having a tantrum?? That principal should probably be fired (though I reserve judgment without having much more information).

And this: “Our policy is that any detainee transported to our station in a patrol vehicle is to be handcuffed in the back. There is no age discrimination on that rule,”

Oh brother. Really? Death of common sense continues.

By: Onlooker

Onlooker — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:10:53 +0000

“No hugging”

The continuing death of common sense in our society (if there’s any left at all at this point, that is).

By: GeneralGarbage

GeneralGarbage — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:07:48 +0000

Anyone think GA cops would have treated a white 5 year old the same way?

By: Boyd Durkin

Boyd Durkin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:48:12 +0000

Gay Stroke: Although a funny headline, I’ve learned to always be open about what the brain can do. The think box is weird.

By: Ben

Ben — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:16:35 +0000

@EH – As a matter of fact, I do have a son. He’s never had a flip out like THAT description, though. As to what I would do if he did, I can’t honestly tell you right now. But what a parent can do to calm down a flipping out child is very different from what a school admin or cop can do to do calm down a hysterical child. My question is what the latter could have done that would actually 1.) calm the child down or restrain them from breaking anything or harming anyone including themselves and 2.) would be viewed as an acceptable action by a school admin or cop.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:15:23 +0000

Santorum wants to outlaw strokes.

By: Cyto

Cyto — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:20:57 +0000

It seems I recall a recent story about a man turning gay because of a brain tumor. They removed the tumor and he turned back straight. Something like a year later his homosexual feelings returned and his wife took him in for a scan… yep, the tumor was back.

Interestingly, he didn’t want to have the surgery the second time, because he liked “who he was”. Just one more story confirming the fact that we are just the meat we are made of. Change the meat, you change the person. Somehow I don’t find that a terribly comforting thought.

By: Geez

Geez — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:18:12 +0000

Yeah, the “hug” story sounds like crap. The kid’s statement is hilarious – those really sound like the words of a middle school-aged boy?

By: Burgers Allday

Burgers Allday — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:37:56 +0000

So I have no idea what the right answer is

the correct answer is to roll video.

if we see the video there will be a much wider concensus about whether police did an appropriate thing.

why are we even talking about this other than to simply demand the video?

By: EH

EH — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:13:42 +0000

Ben@8: Can we assume you don’t have any children?

By: CSD

CSD — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:11:01 +0000

With this “no hugging” story am I supposed to believe the child’s side of the story? So let me get this straight. He was in a fight and then the teacher “hurt” him because he hugged her after the fight was broken up.

By: CSD

CSD — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:04:16 +0000

Can we know how the officer tried to calm her? I am not sure calming is a skill set I associate with police.

“The report says when the officer tried to calm the child, she resisted and was cuffed. “