Posted on 11/22/2019 4:50:57 AM PST by karpov
Authorities arrested a 14-year-old white male student at Naperville High School in Naperville, Illinois, and charged him with committing a hate crime.
What the teen did was genuinely bad: He took a picture of a black classmate and posted a "slave for sale" ad on Craigslist. The school suspended him, and it was right to do so.
But now the police are involved, and the teen faces two felony hate crime charges as well as a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge.
...
For the authorities to charge someone with a hate crime, there must be an underling crime. Simply holding or expressing hateful views is not illegal—indeed, it is protected by the First Amendment. Prosecutors can consider hate crime charges only when hate is the motivating factor in the commission of a crime, such as assault or vandalism.
Since disorderly conduct is the only other item here, the hate crime charges presumably stem from that. Disorderly conduct is often a broad category of offense, and such is certainly the case under Illinois law: "A person commits disorderly conduct when he or she knowingly does any act in such unreasonable matter as to alarm or disturb another and to provoke a breach of the peace." The disorderly conduct charge is a misdemeanor, but the hate crime charges are felonies, making this an extremely serious criminal matter for a 14-year-old kid.
I don't know what was going through his head when he posted the Craigslist ad—news article suggest the two boys were former friends—and I do not object at all to the school itself taking punitive action. But should the cops really be arresting 14-year-olds, and subjecting them to life-derailing felony charges, for incidents of nonviolent bullying?
(Excerpt) Read more at reason.com ...
“What the teen did was genuinely bad: He took a picture of a black classmate and posted a “slave for sale” ad on Craigslist. “
OFFS! A hate crime? It was stupid and childish at worst. And that would be about right for a 14 year old. Where was the “crime”? Did he actually sell the classmate? The kid shouldn’t need to lawyer up for causing hurt feelings. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the black kid thought it was funny, and his parent raised the stink about it.
In a sane world the felony charge will be dropped (unfortunately, this characterization applies less and less to America), but the hateful and intolerant Left has reaffirmed their clear message: Any word or phrase that has not been specifically approved by your superiors in government will deemed to be hateful and intolerant.
What's not included in this Reason Mag article is the fact the young man who was the target of the Craigs List ad has been bullied, threatened with violence and there was minor vandalism at the home of the young man and his family.
I can understand the police getting involved, I do not understand where the school has the ability to suspend the perp in this case since the actions he took were OUTSIDE of school property and not on school time.
That part I don't understand.
Finally, being charged with a hate crime may not stick and that's probably not the point. The point in charging him is obviously to smear the kid and make his family's life a living hell and likely to drive them to bankruptcy to force them out of Naperville. This kids defense in court and all the associated costs with it (being shunned, etc..) is going to take a heavy, heavy toll.
Don’t forget about the civil suit against the kid’s family.
That's interesting. It's certainly wrong. But what crime is committed? Slander?
Nothing wrong with having fun and being creative...
Is that free speech?”
It is. I believe that would be the modern equivalent of writing “For a good time, call Jenny 867-5309” on a bathroom wall out of spite. A silly thing to do, but hardly a crime, let alone a “hate crime”.
He took a picture of a black classmate and posted a “slave for sale” ad on Craigslist.
That is just funny.
A belt across his butt by his dad should have been sufficient.....and take away his smart phone and video game player for about 6 months.
No wonder they say kids are very depressed these days with this kind of crap hanging over their heads. It’s insane.
What injuries were suffered?
If Jenny was 14, and you posted her picture on Craigslist offering to sell her as a sex slave, you would have serious problems.
Probably not if you didn’t have the girl in your possession and your motive was to prank her, not to actually exploit her , and you never accepted money for services rendered.
To quote the impeachment hearing witnesses, “I believe” the boys did this as a joke. They probably got a big laugh over it. Now the white kid is in deep trouble.
Somebody please stop the insanity!!
Why aren’t we celebrating the friendship of the 2 boys?
You could be charged for offering a child for prostitution, enen if at that moment you do not have the child with you.
“ If Jenny was 14, and you posted her picture on Craigslist offering to sell her as a sex slave, you would have serious problems.”
I would think you might be subject to a police sting of some sort, but in absence of an actual transaction, where is the crime? (I am not a lawyer)
He’s underage. Kids make dumb mistakes. He didn’t kill anyone. Let him go.
“Does that make me a racist?”
____________________________________________________________
Yes, it does. How I don’t know. Hell, I do not even know what a racists is. I suspect that it is one of those politically correct words that means what they want it to at any given time. But all that being said, everything you, I, and the targeted segment of the population does or says is racists.
Maybe.
But I also said it was a stupid 14-year old level prank.
He’s a minor. He hurt sensibilities and feelings. He didn’t maim or kill anyone.
I don’t like ‘hate crime’ laws. Reason tends to go out the window when they are applied.
Today Jonathan Swift would be slapped with a felony hate crime for advocating Irish genocide.
Even though he intended to illustrate the exact opposite. Liberals see nothing funny in satire.
Making a gag about slavery is strictly verboten.
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