Is it too much to ask for a student to bring his ID with him to the library, resect the library staff, and respect law enforcement officers? Are kids these days so disrespectful that they have to fight every authority figure? I remember when I used to do that...I was 8. This kid acted in a most pathetic manner but I really liked that he brought up the Patriot Act, very classy and a heck of a way to take responisbility for his own actions. Gosh, he must be so oppressed.
The sad thing is that he probably will sue and his parents will tell him what a victim he was and how it was all so terribly unfair and he will probably win. Never mind that he was breaking the rules and causing a disturbance. Just another victim of this horrible police state we live in where everyone's freedoms are trampled upon on a daily basis.
Like others have said, he should be thankful that we live in a time of tasing and not the old days of good old fashioned punk stomping.
I guess a better solution would be a nation without laws and police where we all live by our own rules and rely on the goodwill of our neighbors to keep us safe. And there will be rivers made of chocolate and houses made of doughnuts with unicorns and elves prancing along the streets. Cats and dogs would happily coexist and we could call our new country Candyland and we will all live happily ever after. Geesh.
Cliff Stryker Buck, Ph.D.
Department of Oceanography
Florida State University