Where did they get all of that from? I'm guessing the racist apple doesn't fall far from the racist tree.
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The district attorney initiated forward-looking steps to "prevent future harm, encourage empathy, and build stronger communities free of hate."
They include a curriculum around hate and bullying being delivered to the Southwick school community and a partnership with the attorney general's office to create a program that addresses and remediates the harmful forces of bigotry, racism and bullying in schools.
I appreciate that the response, at least, wasn't "Crucify these specific kids and ignore the underlying symptoms".
Other than a few pockets of blue, Western Massachusetts is very rural and leans conservative. I try to avoid going out that far if I can help it.
These kids would be right at home in the South.
Boston has had its share of racism issues too.
Southwick is basically Connecticut. It's literally the little weird bump at the bottom of Massachusetts (called the "Southwick Jog"). It is also, unsurprisingly, one of the most Trump-leaning areas in the entire state.
WESTERN Mass is actually deeply blue like eastern Mass. It's really central Mass and then the area around the Southwick Jog that are the "pockets" of red. I.e., https://media.wbur.org/wp/2020/11/1105_Mass-Map-1000x531.png
As disgusting as this event was, I’m not sure pressing charges against 8th graders is good practice. These are kids, they need education, not the criminal justice system.
Ironically, this is the same practice that has caused incredible harm to students of color. But not all equality is equally good.
I couldn't agree more. This will ruin these kids lives over stupid kid shit
It’s a tough issue because I’ve also seen similar behavior defended as “it’s just kids being kids” to dismiss the seriousness of what happened and deflect from any corrective actions. This is not healthy or harmless behavior for kids to be engaging in and it does need to be addressed. I just don’t think the courts are the best tool for the job.
Unfortunately, our society has largely failed to develop any rehabilitative or restorative forms of justice and so we often get stuck between doing nothing or turning to state violence. Neither of which is going to make the situation better.
How is it ruining their lives? They haven't even been tried yet, let alone sentenced.
These are the kids who will turn into the adults that will ruin, and end, many lives. Early intervention is the best option.
Not that the US criminal justice system is good at this kind of thing but ... they're white, middle-class kids. The chance of them getting a custodial is way, way lower than if one of them accused a Black kid of, say, stealing their rucksack.
Because our legal system is awful and not at all focused on rehabilitation, it's all punishment and making minor offenders into life long felons. You're acting like this is unheard of
How is it ruining their lives? They haven't even been tried yet, let alone sentenced.
And...you think that's not going to happen? You know something we don't?
It does seem vanishingly unlikely, yes. For all the reasons already given.
Certainly too soon to be demanding they be let off with a pat on the head.
They have been suspended from school without a trial, for a crime which didn't happen at school.
I'm sure the retaliation-only US justice system will work wonders, can't have the private prison industry lose money after all.
Oh no, suspended for bullying. So cruel, making them face the consequences of their actions. You should go on hunger strike or something, to highlight the plight of these poor little angels.
You're arguing in bad faith and putting words in my mouth
Suspending students from school for weeks, while protecting the victims temporarily from contact, has the side effect of withholding education from children. Surely they won't miss anything important while suspended for 4-8 weeks, it's not like education (or rather the lack thereof) and crime has a strong correlation.
Any justice system should have these priorities:
- Protecting current victim(s)
- Preventing future victimizations.
- Rehabilitating the perpetrator(s)
The U.S. justice system sole priority is bloodlust. That's part of the reason police brutality goes largely ignored: it only affects "criminals" and they deserve it anyway.
Now: how does the "tough on crime" attitude of the prosecution as reflected in the article protect current or future victims for more than a few months?
Massachusetts is very puritan to this day. This punishment makes sense when you consider the state it happened in.
I’m afraid you don’t understand what’s happening here. Pressing charges is what leads to actual budgeting to develop and engage education to improve the situation for everyone involved, including the perpetrators.
Is it? I have not heard of any such process, can you provide more information?
Well at least we're not teaching proper American history to these kids, or they may have realized that what they were doing was monstrous and felt guilty about it. We can't be making white kids feel guilty, y'all.
What is a "mock slave auction"?
Joking about setting up a venue in which white people bid on black chattel slaves. Literal human trafficking and insanely racist. It's what Americans did in the Antebellum (pre-Civil War) South.
Seems kind of self-explanatory...?