I found, on Joanne Jacobs' blog, a story that just irritated the heck out of me. It reminded me of all of the "zero tolerance" policies that are carried out without regard to common sense.
Basically, a bunch of girls at a slumber party took pictures of themselves in their bras with their cell phone cameras. Like any stupidity, the pictures got out. The prosecuting attorney in the county decided that it was child pornography, despite the bras covering more than some bikinis, and decided he was going to bully the girls into taking a class on pornography and sexual violence. With adults. Who had been on the edge of sexual offense.
Two of the girls refused. And the prosecuting attorney says he's going to charge them with sexual molestation and child pornography.
I know that "sexting" is a dangerous trend among our young teens, potentially damaging their self-image and leaving them vulnerable to predatory adults. I know that, when the pictures that these kids take of themselves get out, that the pictures are out there forever.
I do not, however, consider it on the same level as an adult taking nude pictures of a child. It's stupid, not criminal.
This sounds like a public official whose puritanical* bent, combined with his personal political power, went to his head and deleted his common sense. This sounds like a major case of bullying.
Honestly, where's the common sense?
*Puritanism: the fear that someone, somewhere, is having fun.
I'm glad you put the definition of Puritanism, cause I didn't know what that meant, and still can't say it lol. I agree with you complerely, these girls are way to young to get charged with adult crimes. Sad these girls get a bigger punishment than the kids who kill someone. Maybe it is a personal political view.
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