19 year old given $500,000 bail for Facebook status

[Malthus]

This is a supremely stupid law enforcement decision.

[Ed Anger]

Seems to be an Anglo-saxon failing to me, this sort of nonsense is rife in the UK too.

I like the Daily Mail stories about ASBOs. 

[Neil]

This is a supremely stupid law enforcement decision.

What choice do they have though?  Sure, the chance that kid goes nuts and shoots up some little kids is remote, but if that happens then everyone gets fired and nailed by jackpot justice.  Our society trains people to be risk averse, so there's only one safe decision to make.

[Neil]

You bitch about law enforcement all the time.

Which clearly means I think no laws should be enforced?

I wouldn't put it past you.

At any rate, as a gay, this is your fault.

[Eddie Teach]

11B4V, Texas Ranger

More like Det. Holder I think. Especially the use of street slang.

[Jacob]

No kidding.  Eurofascism comes to America.  Christ.

[Neil]

No kidding.  Eurofascism comes to America.  Christ.

What's not to get?  Criminal penalties for speech and thought-crimes is a European staple, although the severity of the punishment is certainly Made in the USA.  Either way, it's a symptom of society that isn't actually a society anymore.

[Jacob]

What's not to get?  Criminal penalties for speech and thought-crimes is a European staple

How you come to have that impression?

although the severity of the punishment is certainly Made in the USA.

[merithyn]

Some punk kid types some stupid shit on the internet and you throw him in jail for months on end? That's some deeply stupid, dysfunctional shit.

Agreed, but not nearly so dysfunctional as those say "Yeah, he deserved it" and no doubt there are probably 'commentators' now joking about the rape of a teenager in prison.

To be fair, mostly what I've heard people saying is, "What an idiot." No one, to my knowledge, thinks he deserves four months in prison, to be raped and beaten, and to be kept in isolation naked "for his own protection" over this. At the same time, he posted something insanely stupid two months after someone went postal at an elementary school.

He doesn't deserve what he go, but he was supremely stupid.

[crazy canuck]

He was stupid, but kids say stupid things all the time. 

There may be more to this story to explain why the criminal justice system became engaged in this instance.

One hopes that the facts reported in the story are not the only reason this kid is behind bars.

[Eddie Teach]

At the same time, he posted something insanely stupid two months after someone went postal at an elementary school.

At the same time, she wore something provocative two months after he'd been dumped.

[Malthus]

Some punk kid types some stupid shit on the internet and you throw him in jail for months on end? That's some deeply stupid, dysfunctional shit.

Agreed, but not nearly so dysfunctional as those say "Yeah, he deserved it" and no doubt there are probably 'commentators' now joking about the rape of a teenager in prison.

To be fair, mostly what I've heard people saying is, "What an idiot." No one, to my knowledge, thinks he deserves four months in prison, to be raped and beaten, and to be kept in isolation naked "for his own protection" over this. At the same time, he posted something insanely stupid two months after someone went postal at an elementary school.

He doesn't deserve what he go, but he was supremely stupid.

That doesn't excuse or even make explicable the justice system from reacting absurdly - taking such a charge at all seriously is silly, even without the rapes, beatings, solitary, $500K bail, etc., and the fact he said his dumb thing after a national tragedy doesn't make it any less silly. 

Lots of us Languishistas have said stuff that, taken out of context, someone could (idiotically) interpret as "terrorist threats". Hell, how many times has Neil wished death on gays? We know it is part of his schtick, but some dumbass Texan prosecutor may not - if Neil was so unfortunate as to live in Texas. Or CdM, telling someone they should be beaten to death with a bag of wet fetuses. 

[Siege]

He is 19. He can defend himself.
When I was 19, I could fight all day, fuck all night, and never get tired.

[Siege]

Or CdM, telling someone they should be beaten to death with a bag of wet fetuses. 

[Richard Hakluyt]

He is 19. He can defend himself.
When I was 19, I could fight all day, fuck all night, and never get tired.

Yes indeed........but did you put on women's clothing and hang around in bars?