Exactly how did we get to this point?

[.13.]

I suppose when someone drew their attention to the fact that a crime had been committed.

At that point, they could have said "Sorry, the law doesn't protect children from crime", but that wouldn't be true. Or they could have said "Sorry, the law doesn't hold children accountable for the crimes they commit", but that wouldn't be true either. So I guess they did their job instead.

If this means that some racist bully gets what he deserves, then this is a small price to pay for the rule of law. Indeed, I must confess, I can't really see it as a downside.

Based on a news report and not knowing the specifics it is hard to say anything definite.

But given that the boy being charged is ten years old he may not even yet understand what it means when you use racial insults specifically. When I was ten I sure didn't understand that. Insult was an insult. If a kid hears an insult he is likely to repeat it if it seems effective. He hears the word '******' and sees how some adults react to it and figures: "Hey, thats a good one I'll use it at school." And uses it without fully understanding all the implications.

The other thing that we don't know about is the context. Was the kid just a racist bully or was there somekind of mutual feud and the kid used whatever insults that proved effective.

I don't know if the people involved had tried other measures before and restorted to court as a last resort, which it should be.

 

[bigred]

Stupidity knows no political bounds. Trying to classify this as a left problem or a right problem misses the point.

Somebody else gets it

 

[Lonewulf]

Based on a news report and not knowing the specifics it is hard to say anything definite.

...

I don't know if the people involved had tried other measures before and restorted to court as a last resort, which it should be.

Wow, some actual common sense in this thread. Bravo.

(Not being sarcastic)

 

[Beerina]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/4886014.stm

How did we get to the stage where the police prosecute a 10 year old child for racist language in the playground? Is this just me or is this not totally insane? These are children we are talking about. I fail to see what this has gained that a few hundred lines wouldn't have solved - except of course they are banned from some schools as unfair punishment.

I'm trying to figure out which part of the politcal spectrum is the cause of this madness? Socialists, libertariansim?

I think the article sums it up well. The judge noted, that back in his days, the teacher would have just given them "a good clouting" and send them on their way.

When you've emasculated the population so the only response left is the legal way then that's what you end up with. If your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Also there's the well-studied notion that, with no real problems, smaller and smaller ones reach hysterical proportions as "must be solved, now!" issues. Your grandpappy used to say, "What this country needs is a good war."

 

[NeilC]

Based on a news report and not knowing the specifics it is hard to say anything definite.

But given that the boy being charged is ten years old he may not even yet understand what it means when you use racial insults specifically. When I was ten I sure didn't understand that. Insult was an insult. If a kid hears an insult he is likely to repeat it if it seems effective. He hears the word '******' and sees how some adults react to it and figures: "Hey, thats a good one I'll use it at school." And uses it without fully understanding all the implications.

The other thing that we don't know about is the context. Was the kid just a racist bully or was there somekind of mutual feud and the kid used whatever insults that proved effective.

I don't know if the people involved had tried other measures before and restorted to court as a last resort, which it should be.

I agree entirely. It's ludicrous to treat a 10 year old this way. But then I wouldn't make it a legal offence to say Pakki anyway. I'd punish the school kid but I wouldn't prosecute him or an adult. People need to get used to being offended even if it's racially. I've been called "f***ing white bas*ard" before when I was in a predominantly black night club. I didn't like it but then I wouldn't have liked 1001 other insults. Seems to me that the race card is played too strongly.

I must say, this story pales into insignificance besides that jaw dropping hugging story.

 

[jj]

I must say, this story pales into insignificance besides that jaw dropping hugging story.

Yeah, at least the kid in the racism story was doing something rude. The other kids appear to have been doing nothing wrong at all.