My article on LRC today, which was actually early this year and first published in hard copy for FFF, describes a young man who got in trouble with the authorities for writing a work of fiction. A number of readers have correctly pointed out that since his arrest new information has come to light about his being more a potential threat as was first disclosed in the papers. However, the point still stands that you shouldn't bust someone for what they write, especially a work of fiction. One officer in the case said that "Any time you make any threat or possess matter involving a school or function it’s a felony in the state of Kentucky.” This statement is equally outrageous, regardless of whether the young man was a bad seed or not.
It is a disgrace that the state would resort to thought crimes to go after even potential criminals, just as it was a disgrace that the state used tax laws to nail Al Capone. Furthermore, the authoritarian school system is just as bad as it was when I wrote the piece, and its tendency to treat people as cogs or worse rather than individuals is still the rule of the game.
