Well not necessarily. Null the possibility that there were drugs, sex, nudity, violence, etc. in the picture, his art could be shown at my school. However, if he took another person's half-finished artwork of Bush holding up the globe in one hand, and drew the other hand holding a pistol pointed at earth, that would not fly.
I don't think the situation has any influence on when the SS investigates things like this - they simply investigate them all when reported. If a 14 year old is running toward the President with a hurried expression on his or her face - damn sure they will stop that child before coming within a predetermined range. That threat is obviously more immediate since the President is right there...but the location of the President has no bearing when there is a possible threat...possible is the key word. There is absolutely no way to be 100% sure that 14 year old was NOT a threat without at least visiting with him and talking/interviewing him. Lee Malvo was pretty young and although probably brainwashed by an adult, fully capable of delivering a fatal wound from a long distance. Now, the SS is at least sure the public will not remember this kids name for a similar reason.
It's still ****ing wrong. I used to do stuff like that all the time. We even held anti-war demonstrations outside college. It's hard to believe that if I lived in the US, I'd have been arrested by now simply for expressing my point of view. ****ing bastards.
As long as no laws are broken, nothing stops people here from holding anti-war demonstrations. Anti-war demonstration and depicting the President dead are not the same. Regardless of what anyone thinks, our laws treat the latter as a violation of law. In this case a law was broken. case closed really...if it was so wrong people should petition to get the law changed...until then, glad there are people who enforce them. No, you would not have been arrested (neither was this child) for holding anti-war demonstrations, people here do it all the time. You might get arrested if you destroy property during your 'fight for peace' though...or do something really stupid like drag a simulated body that appears to be the President...or something that has the President's head in a noose...that is just breaking the law. Period.
We burnt a Guy Fawkes of Bush on a bonfire. Is that wrong? It doesn't mean we're going to walk up to Bush himself with a lighter and try and set fire to him. It just shows our utter distaste and contempt for what he stands for. Don't see how that could be considered breaking the law in any country.
nonono, see, COLLEGE students can do anything they want in protest, but if a high schooler or, worse, a middle schooler should do such a thing... CALL THE SECRET SERVICE! CODE BLUE! CODE BLUE!!!
I can't believe that under American law this kid was allowed to be questioned by the SS. The fact that it is a law does not make it right. There used to be laws saying it was legal to own slaves. This entire thing reminds me of the cold war era, where the government would tell you to report your neighbor if you thought he was a commie. The teachers may have felt that it was their american duty to report this "commie *******" kid, but it's completely ridiculous. I know it's not the SS's duty to hunt down terrorists, but this is exactly whats wrong with American homeland security. Osama is still out there, legitimate terrorist are infiltrating your borders, but instead you bust Bobby the 15 year old and bring down his paper-route of terror. I laugh at the amount of tax dollars spent on this... tens, if not hundreds of thousands.
Yeah, lol, as the saying goes.... There's a time and a place for everything...and it's called college. MikeTitan Just to clear any misunderstandings up, I do think it was OTT regardless of what pictures were drawn. I just posted that out of the article that was linked to, because I was under the impression that you had not read the full article, hence thinking all of this was only becuase of....
Jeezus... It's a crime in the States to draw a picture of a dead president? WHAT THE ****??? You guys have serious issues... Sam
It's not a crime, that's the problem. It's NOT a crime, and the kid wasn't "arrested" but he WAS taken out of school and questioned by the Secret Service. Absolutely rediculous. And ask yourself how much money went into that little venture... even if there is a SS office in Seatle... You're talking a full day of work for 2-3 Secret Service employees... Let's assume $30/hr (I think that's reasonable for our argument) *8=240*3=720 + gas say $20 = $740 Plus the local PD... $15/hr *8=$120*6 (you know half the force was on the ball once the Secret Service was called in) = $720 So that's $1,460 right there. That money could've paid that kid's college tuition for a semester. Could've hired someone doing some carp job for a few months... but no, let's go interrogate a 15-yr-old kid... just because we can.
Damn right it's ridiculous... But if it's not a crime, why the hell were the police and SS (nice initials there, kind of appropriate the way US civil liberties seem to be going) involved in the first place? If I were a kid in America and I'd heard about this, I'd be making sure that me and all my buddies were drawing similar pics- perhaps if 30-35 people in each school did it it'd show them how fscking stupid they're being about this... Sam
Because it is the school's policy to bring the police in with all of their trouble makers... My bet is that the cop on duty decided he was bored with his shitty job and he could use this as an excuse to make life interesting for a while. Even though i think it was ridiculous for the principal to bring in the police, it was infinitely more ridiculous for the cops to call in the SS. In short. ****ing retards.
Ummm, is everyone else missing the bit about mailing it? This makes the rest of the law irrelevant - I havn't seen anything indication he posted the picture, so no matter how much of a threat to the President it depicted it doesn't matter. Also, back on the "kids growing up too fast" thing - it really ticks me off that am required to follow our laws our laws and carry damm nearly all adult responsibilities yet I don't have the right to have a say in anything. I don't get to vote, I can't drive (and thanks to the woefull lack of puplic transport around here that means I really can't get anywhere) and there is *nothing* I can do about it. I also drives me nuts that at school I am basically not allowed to think for myself, God forbid have/express an opinion or criticise something.
I saw it too, no worries. And for the responsibility stuff... I doubt you hold the responsibilities of an adult. However, if you look around you it shouldn't be difficult to see WHY kids aren't allowed to have a say in anything. Ask yourself "Who would be my governor if the football team could vote...?" If that doesn't scare you, I don't know what will. And for driving, I personally think our driving laws should be stricter. I think it would help contain cities to smaller areas and allow the few open areas of the US to be conserved. Not to mention, if cities were more confined there would be better public transportation... I would kill to be able to take a bus to uni. But to be honest, you're not helpless. Reguardless of your age you are still protected by the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America because it is a natural, unalienable right to hold and express your views. In short, you are allowed to be as stupid as you want, and I have the right to tell you you're stupid, so long as I'm careful not to fall under slander/libel laws. But as long as you're sensible and have a good point, most school officials will listen. Trust me, I know. Even if you do things in a very akward way D), when it comes down to it, and you get called into the principal's office, you just explain your view, listen to their view, and find a compromise... and everything will work out.
If the kid isn't in jail, I don't see what the problem is. I remember a time when a friend and I threw rocks at a (very strange) neighbors house. I was 8 and he was 9. The Police came out and took us for a short ride around the block. We never did it again. If at the age of 15 you see the consequences of your actions, you might think twice about something before you do it. This does go both ways (over reacting). There was a teacher in New York who had a picture of Bush in her class..the parents of one child complained and she could either take the picture down or get canned. Posting a picture on the wall of the current President in a public school is not malicious. Try going into an American public school with an anti-gay shirt on and see what happens..or wear a shirt with a Confederate flag on it. Some things demand attention...what if a kid wears a shirt with a swastika on it and says heil hitler? Should that be allowed at a school? Kids have gotten in trouble for possessing a bible at public schools...gotten in trouble for praying before they ate lunch. Liberals in this country are (maybe even more?) just as guilty as Conservatives are of limiting rights. The objection some share with the prospect of gays getting married is a fair argument under the 1st Amendment yet you will be confronted about such things in some public schools. Maybe this was overkill but had the kid done something, heads would roll when his drawings were discovered. A 15 year old is very capable of deciding that he wants to kill the president. You say kids are able to make their own decisions...they aren't stupid..right? I would like to point out that I am 19, my mother and sisters are liberal atheists and my dad is a scientologist. I am a Christian and I have come to my view honestly. If you want to be held to a standard of being informed and the capability to make your own decisions, you may have to face up to your actions.
I'm gonna kill bush *watches out for secret service* Just in case: Can I just note to members of the United States Secret Service who may be reading this thread that I do not actually mean this, so please do not come climbing through my window threatening to arrest me for treason. Thank you for reading this.
Yes, but what chance does a 15 year old kid have of actually being able to do this? Surely if the President's security is even remotely good then he wouldn't have a chance! C'mon, get real. If a 15 year old kid is a threat to the president then I am Ronald McDonald... Anyway, where do we stop? Should we start interrogating everyone who says something silly like "I wish the president would drop dead"? What about people that question the President's actions? Where exactly do we draw the line? Sam
