Last week, the Boston Globe reported a story about Ontario’s thought police:
“A 16-year-old boy whose hero is Stephen King spent his birthday, Christmas, and New Year’s Day alone behind bars after writing a horror story for his drama class, in which the protagonist — a troubled teenager ‘at the brink of insanity’ — plots to blow up a school.”
The article goes on to note that a raid by the OPP found no evidence of bomb making equipment at his home. And, then they decided to stretch their credibility even further by arresting the writer’s brother (described as “a ‘special needs’ student” by the Boston Globe) in a “midnight raid” after he responded angrily to his older brother’s arrest.
Despite several sources noted that the subject of this story was often bullied and ridiculed (for difficulty speaking, apparently), Crown prosecutor Elaine Evans is reported to have “said that ‘a typical student doesn’t dwell on death and violence,’ and that the boy exhibits ‘psychologically disturbing’ attitudes.” Can anyone honestly be surprised that a boy who is regularly harassed at school, and is a fan of Stephen King, created violent horror story for a class assignment?
Sean Wilson, Artistic Director of the Ottawa International Writers’ Festival, clearly wasn’t surprised noting that the boy “was venting frustration in a nonviolent way, expressing his anger through writing, not action. Isn’t that what we encourage kids to do?” (Note: A statement from the OIWF about this story is featured on their website, which is linked to above.)
The article concluded with a statement by the boy’s mother that sums this ridiculous situation quite well:
“I have always been so proud to be a Canadian, because we are supposedly a country of freedom and ideals,” she said. “Now I have two young boys behind bars in what feels like a police state.”
The True North, Strong and (Not So) Free
Last week, the Boston Globe reported a story about Ontario’s thought police:
The article goes on to note that a raid by the OPP found no evidence of bomb making equipment at his home. And, then they decided to stretch their credibility even further by arresting the writer’s brother (described as “a ‘special needs’ student” by the Boston Globe) in a “midnight raid” after he responded angrily to his older brother’s arrest.
Despite several sources noted that the subject of this story was often bullied and ridiculed (for difficulty speaking, apparently), Crown prosecutor Elaine Evans is reported to have “said that ‘a typical student doesn’t dwell on death and violence,’ and that the boy exhibits ‘psychologically disturbing’ attitudes.” Can anyone honestly be surprised that a boy who is regularly harassed at school, and is a fan of Stephen King, created violent horror story for a class assignment?
Sean Wilson, Artistic Director of the Ottawa International Writers’ Festival, clearly wasn’t surprised noting that the boy “was venting frustration in a nonviolent way, expressing his anger through writing, not action. Isn’t that what we encourage kids to do?” (Note: A statement from the OIWF about this story is featured on their website, which is linked to above.)
The article concluded with a statement by the boy’s mother that sums this ridiculous situation quite well:
Update: Apparently, some important details were omitted from this story.
Hat tip to Free-Market.Net’s Freedom News
This entry was written by the proprietor, posted on 15 January 2001 at 12:45 am.
Filed under Commentary Unbound and tagged ontario, politics, school.
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