I remember second grade fairly well. Lots of letters and numbers, learning how to tell time with an analog clock, listening to stories and getting hooked on phonics. I also remember the mentality of that classroom. It was an odd mixture of the primitive and herd mentalities. Anyone perceived as outside the norm either physically or by action would have to withstand the recess ridicule. It seems to me that the wo I remember second grade fairly well. Lots of letters and numbers, learning how to tell time with an analog clock, listening to stories and getting hooked on phonics. I also remember the mentality of that classroom. It was an odd mixture of the primitive and herd mentalities. Anyone perceived as outside the norm either physically or by action would have to withstand the recess ridicule. It seems to me that the world hasn’t moved much farther than second grade.I recall the kid who clapped the erasers on the teacher’s chair. A few kids knew who did it, but wouldn’t tell for fear of being labelled a snitch. The teacher would then address the class and declare that the perpetrator either owned up to his actions or the whole class stayed inside for recess. More than a few times, the whole class stayed inside.As I read about more laws appearing on the books with the intent to address a problem presented by 0.01% of the population, but that effects the other 99.9% of the population, I can’t help but think of the kid who clapped the erasers. Examples abound; from the DMCA, proposed draconian DRM and IP laws, to the bizarre laws that prevent the sale of drink specials in the state of Massachusetts, to the PATRIOT act. There are countless laws that exist at state and federal levels that seem more focused on exacting punishment on a stastically irrelevant part of society at the expense of everyone else.New Hampshire has a few, Massachusetts (warning, horrible banner ads) has many more. Some are laughable and wouldn’t make it into a courtroom, but the ones that might are a little scary. One that particularly bothers me is that it’s perfectly legal for police to lie to suspects during interrogation about anything. Witness the case of Mike Crow. He was 14, interrogated for 11 hours without his parents or lawyer present, and forced to confess to the murder of his sister. He was told a barrelful of lies by the interrogating officers, including tales of his sisters’ blood found in his bedroom. He was subsequently proven innocent by DNA evidence.So we continue to shoot first and ask questions later. Soon enough, common sense will be outlawed, and we will find ourselves stuck in a maze, where all decisions are made for us by people that we’ve never met, who’s reality we may not share. Should laws be used in this manner? Will the whole class be kept in for recess permanently? When will we stop defining ourselves by the lowest common denominator?