Calling a schoolmate gay gets a 11 year old arrested

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I wonder if they would send four cops after an ordinary regular bully. It's at least somewhat stupid to call people gay as insult if they aren't so, but if someone actually were gay, how much of an insult would calling him gay be? Perhaps some kind of bullying, mobbing, if some kids were to point fingers at others and single them out for being gay. So now what? You tell your friend his pink shirt looks gay and you'll be on trial for a crime? You comment on this or that politician from some party, you say he's gay, boom, cops on your doorstep?

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[ October 11, 2007, 14:23: Message edited by: chevalier ]

 

Exaggeration to say the least. We'd probably have half of the children in jail instead of schools if we went for such legistlation. Complete insanity in my opinion.

 

Since this was England how do we do know the kid wasn't asking for a "fag" and was mistaken?

 

This is absurd. A 11-year old is probably not very clear about sexuality, much less gender relations. Committing most crimes, especially "hate crime" should involve understanding what you're doing. What happened to the good old "talk to the parents first?"

 

Unless the English dialect is extremely different in England than it is in the U.S., when kids call something or someone "gay" they don't necessarily mean than person is homosexual. In fact, they will even call objects "gay" and objects obviously don't have a sexual orientation. When kids say something is "gay", they could just as easily say stupid, wrong, incorrect, etc.

So chev's example of saying "Those pink shorts look gay" could be contrued as a homosexual comment. However, if a kid doesn't like a certain rule at school, he may say "That rule is gay" and that certainly isn't a homosexual comment.

I think this issue even goes beyond exaggeration and absurdity - it's an error of not understanding the way kids talk to one another.

 

Political correctness gone mad.

 

Having an eleven year old boy, I can tell you that there is a definite fear of being called "Gay". There are all sorts of things he will not wear (even colors) as he considers them "Gay". My wife and I haven't been able to figure out the rhyme or reason. The only thing we can think of, is that the kids are making up their "standards" as they go.

 

This connects to an earlier thread where the discussion of free speech and freedom of expression was discussed -- while I don't think calling people "gay" as a generic insult is indicative of a high intelligence, it certainly does not merit such a response. IMHO, it's the Politically Correct Thought Police once again demonstrating their utter stupidity. This time it's the Left Wing Branch of said Police, but next time it will just as likely be the Right Wing one.

 

Politicians and lawmakers in the UK are so gay.

 

Oh, that's so gaay!

Seriously though, that's really damn ridiculous. Nothing more I can add.

 

I gaily laughed over Colthrun's post.

I'm old enough to remember a time (long ago) when gay actually meant merrily cheerful.

Seriously, I think lawmakers are wrong when they pass laws like this one. The first approach should be to the parents. I get the feeling parents are losing responsibility for their children.

Why don't we just turn them over to the State to raise? Obviously parents are too stupid or irresponsible to raise their children. I wonder how those lawmakers will feel when it is their child or grandchild who has the police after him or her.

 

Nakia, you're not that old.

In Bringing Up Baby, Cary Grant states (when asked why he is wearing a woman's robe) "Because I just went GAY all of a sudden!" The term was not common in 1938 which is probably why the line got past the censors. It's had a dual meaning since the 30's (perhaps even longer).

 

T2Bruno. Thanks. You are right but when i was but a little one it still was used commonly as indicating a cheerful, lighthearted something.

I even had a dog who was described in the Breeders' book as "a gay breed" and did not mean that in a sexual sense. That wasn't that long ago either. Maybe 25 years ago.

Alas, words change their meanings overtime. Political Correct, hogwash! But that's really a different topic.

 

But of course and that's something I can easily say myself or some of my friends saying to another one... and supposing we were on UK soil and a cop overheard us, then we'd be arrested? Come on. The criminal lawyer in me is chuckling.

@LKD:

Actually, I think the right wingers leave you alone with what you think so long as your hands stay in your pockets.

Note two fallacies: first is the use of the word "homophobia" to imply that people who oppose homosexual unions are phobic, i.e. they act out of an irrational fear. Next is making said phobia into a crime, i.e. in that logic, it may be a crime to be phobic. Personality issues and mental disturbances are actually mitigating circumstances in crime, not aggravating and they certainly can't make a crime on their own in the light of any sane legal doctrine. The criminal lawyer in me is seriously worrying. Where is this world going?

/me chuckles gaily

 

Not in North America, they don't.

 

thats as bad as the zero tolerance policies in the us schools, where a preteen was expelled from school for having nailclippers!! woowoo deadly weapon here!

as has been said political correctness at its finest

 

WTF? Sending a child to jail for 7 years? For this?

As much as I object to to calling someone gay when used in a derogatory manner, this is ridiculous. Take them aside, explain why such behaviour isn't appropriate, maybe give them a half-hour detention, and move on.

Good grief.

 

Now, if we had such a law we could put the Coultergeist in prison for being the blathering idiot that she is, calling Johns Edwards and Al Gore "Faggots:"

She recently decided to demostrate even more of her bigotry and hate-mongering:

The Coultergeist went on with her usual irrational rant:

While it's true that she is not 11 years old, she certainly acts like it, giving most 11 year olds a bad name. She must be out to destroy the conservative movement single-handedly. Sorry, Ann, I didn't recognize without your white sheet on. Don't you have a Klan meeting, or something to go to, Ann?

 

bad chandos, showing a little hate speech yourself there at the end. "klan meeting to go to"
do i sense just a little dislike of ann coulter there? maybe just a bit?