Attempted Conspiracy - Thoughtcrime?
I laughed this morning when I found out they were charging a New York 15 year old with “attempted conspiracy”. For those not in the know about the law, conspiracy is defined as knowingly plotting to break the law. It is usually tacked on to other charges, however in this case it was the only charge, a fifth degree misdemeanor. The kid apparently joked in a notebook about attacking his high school with a classmate on the anniversary of the Columbine Massacre. Unable to find any evidence he was actually going through with this, they charged him with this fifth degree misdemenor, to which he plead guilty and got even less. I find it rather disturbing a notebook filled with thoughts - no matter how perverse - can lead to punishment. It is akin to thoughtcrime as seen in George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel 1984.