Saturday, April 28, 2007

Boing Boing: Write an essay in Chicago, go to jail:

In Chicago, it is apparently a criminal offense for a high school student to write an essay that "alarms and disturbs" the teacher.

Dion says: "A straight A student is arrested and charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct (and removed from the school) for writing an essay that mimics the content of violent video games, in the context of a creative writing class assignment. While some concern about the content is well-understandable, and some investigation appropriate, the reflex to criminalize represents a view that sees adolescents and young adult expression as a dangerous series of risk factors that increasingly require arrest and preventive detention."