Blogger Ta-Nehisi Coates at the Atlantic magazine is doubtful about the success of a new law in New Jersey that allows classmates to report lunch-line bullies in the East Hanover schools to the police through anonymous tips. He excerpts a New York Times story in the opening, which explains the reason for the law.
I suspect this won't end well:
"The law, known as the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights, is considered the toughest legislation against bullying in the nation. Propelled by public outcry over the suicide of a Rutgers University freshman, Tyler Clementi, nearly a year ago, it demands that all public schools adopt comprehensive antibullying policies (there are 18 pages of 'required components'), increase staff training and adhere to tight deadlines for reporting episodes."
Filming a gay dude making out and posting it online is pure thuggery, and should be punished to the extent of the law. It's instances like the Clementi case which give pause to my uneasiness about hate crimes.
But it also was a heinous act committed by a college-age adult, not a school-child. The specter of law enforcement involving itself in bullying at school, based on anonymous tips, really scares me. I say that as someone who spent a good portion of my own middle school years enduring random beatdowns.
Read Ta-Nehisi Coates' entire blog entry at the Atlantic.