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The effects of unchecked criminalization: Teen charged with felony for science experiment

laurennmcc:

fuckyeahfeminists:

This is what the school-to-prison pipeline looks like. This is how black youth are criminalized.

She was doing a science experiment

She’s being charged as an ADULT

She’s being charged with a FELONY

If this all goes the way the prosecution wants, this young woman will be LEGALLY discriminated against for the rest of her life. No voting, housing discrimination, employment discrimination (as if getting a job while black isn’t hard enough), etc. etc.

Perhaps instead of fighting about who is tougher, Batman or Iron Man, we could spend a little internet rage making sure this young scientist doesn’t go to prison?

From the comments section:

“To everyone commenting on this thread that is outraged by this chain of events: I am just as outraged as you. But it is not enough for us simply to vent on message boards because nothing gets accomplished. I strongly urge you to write a letter to the school district, local authorities, AND to the Principal. Or just pick one…but DO SOMETHING!!! And let us remember that in order to get our points across we must be INDIGNANT and DIGNIFIED! I am in the process of starting a petition, once I have gathered some more crucial facts. Please be on the lookout for this petition and be sure to sign it ( via Change.org ) in addition to your letter or letters to Polk County Law Officials, The school Principal, and the School Administration. Contact Info Can be found below:

Bartow High School Principal Ronald Pritchard / Address: 1270 S Broadway Ave Bartow, FL 33830 / EMAIL: Ronald.Pritchard@polk-fl.net PHONE:(863)- 534-7400 Fax: (863)534-0077

Polk County Superintendent: Dr. John Stewart /Address: 1915 South Floral Avenue, Bartow, FL 33831 Phone: (863) 534-0521 Fax: (863) 519-8231 Email: Dr. John Stewart

Polk Regional Juvenile Detention Ctr

ADDRESS: 2155 Bob Phillips Road, Bartow, FL 33830

TEL: 863-534-7090
FAX: 863-534-7024
EMAIL:
pio@polksheriff.org

If we can all take 5-10 minutes to read this story, comment, and read posts by others then surely we can take the same amount of time to act on this child’s behalf.”

This story makes my eyeballs spin in their sockets and smoke come out of my ears.

Her “experiment” was actually a class activity when I was in high school. My teacher taught me how to do this in class 7 years ago. No one went to jail.

Comments (View)

February 26

“ I find many adults are put off when young children pose scientific questions. Why is the Moon round? the children ask. Why is grass green? What is a dream? How deep can you dig a hole? When is the world’s birthday? Why do we have toes? Too many teachers and parents answer with irritation or ridicule, or quickly move on to something else: ‘What did you expect the Moon to be, square?’ Children soon recognize that somehow this kind of question annoys the grown-ups. A few more experiences like it, and another child has been lost to science. Why adults should pretend to omniscience before 6-year-olds, I can’t for the life of me understand. What’s wrong with admitting that we don’t know something? Is our self-esteem so fragile?

Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark (via fornicating)

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