Free Republic

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A new Tennessee law is enlisting the power of shame to discourage drunken driving — even though law enforcement, the governor and various experts are calling it an expensive and bad idea. Starting Jan. 1, convicted drunken drivers are required to do 24 hours of roadside cleanup while wearing orange vests emblazoned with the phrase "I am a Drunk Driver." The new law is aimed at first-time offenders, says one of its sponsors, state Rep. Charles Curtiss. "You cause them to go out and pick up trash in front of their friends and neighbors, the embarrassment is...

Reprimands did not work. Neither did detentions or suspensions. Frustrated over their inability to stop high school students from cursing aggressively, educators and police officials decided it was time to get tough. In November, they authorized police officers assigned to two of the city's public high schools to begin issuing tickets to students who hurl expletives. The fine: $103. The officers have issued about 60 tickets to students at Bulkeley and Hartford High Schools in what several experts think is the first such effort in the country. There are already signs that the new approach may be working, some teachers...