You're right, as part of the Me generation this guy's actions totally reflect on me.

Hey Doc. Tell all the people that don't do that. It's sure not me as I don't walk around with children anymore, so not sure why it was directed on something I said.

On a different note people live in different places. Could be here in NJ where I am is where I see it all the time. It just seems to be a trend that continues to grow. Bottom line it comes down to the parents as there are some very polite children I know.

Where I went to school Civics was considered a major, like English and Social Studies. Alien concepts methinks. 

Being a 'civil libertarian' isn't a 'political view' it's a social stance or opinion of Law...

When I mentioned 'probable permanent record' it's because he's a minor and records are 'expunged' when you become an adult.... though I don't believe that's an absolute....there are some things that remain...

Nothing like a properly frightened society - ready to run screaming like a well trained dog.

Meanwhile, "innovators" like Mosanto have been quietly poisoning your food, land, air and water, and who gives a damn? Nobody. Even Coca Cola has killed more than all terrorists combined via diabetes and obesity-related problems, but if it does not look like a threat, well, it's probably nothing.

Meanwhile - a bomb - whoooo, scary thought. And even though some of us were not there, we might at least talk about it, and psych ourselves up, so that we can panic properly next time. 

Better install more cameras, and increase NSA budget. And manufacture and sell more guns. Frightened people armed to the teeth often form safe societies to live in.  

This was Australia, not the USA.

Last time Pink toured here I was at that stadium to see her [it's Melbourne's concert arena and home to center court of the Australian Open Tennis].

....and the last time I was at Rod Laver it was to see Black Sabbath - a brilliant concert it was too...

We should save terrorism charges for people with actual intent to commit terrorism.

Reckless endangerment is a more appropriate categorization.

And yes, this kind of thing is frowned upon because it has resulted in deaths and injury.

Always blame someone else. Never take personal responsibility for obesity and its related problems like eating to excess and insufficient exercise.

Coca Cola did that. The person didn't overdo...no, never. The man from Coca Cola came to their houses, tied them up and put tubes down their throats while pouring bottle after bottle down. Poor victims!

Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for your own acts and demand others do the same. We might actually get a civil society that way.

Demand the same from politicians and go after them when they give companies a free pass to pollute (big campaign contributions = bribery). Take responsibility for the society you live in and demand others do the same.

last time I was at Rod Laver was for U2's Rattle and Hum tour concert....

I agree that we all must take responsibility for our actions.  Doc, I'm surprised at your short response.  Doesn't sound like you.  However, given the immense power and influence of 'public relations enhanced' advertising, magnified thru the almost totally pervasive media (mass and others), it has become more and more difficult for lone individuals to ignore the sirens' call.   The ants (individuals) in the 'free market place' have little chance to resist  the extremely well funded campaigns waged against them by the massive Giants in the 'free market' place.  These giant corporate behemoths have learned extremely effective propaganda, manipulation, and influencing techniques that 'bypass' the conscious attentiveness of most individuals.  Such scientifically based manipulation techniques would amaze Freud's brother (founder of the original 'Madison Ave mindset). His technological kin/descendents have taken manipulation via images, sounds, voice, etc., to an incredible degree of effectiveness. 

This same media is being used to systematically wage war on any competing organizations that might counter their profit making campaigns:  labor unions (ants attempting to get work together and get big enough to go 'toe to toe' with corporations); disparage 'big' government and push states rights, get everything done 'locally, 'get the gov't out of the way,' so no group ant-citizens (or political body) is big enough to challenge the giants.  Divide and conquer.  Yes, fat Americans are responsible for their choices.  Chinese people forced to use burning coal to heat their homes are responsible for the loss of 5 years off their life spans because they poison their home air with burning coal fumes.  Nothing happens in a vacuum, its all connected.  No, a gun was not put to the head of that 'consumer/profit center.'  But an army of savvy, full time advertisers, using techniques gleaned from 50 years of research by full time scientists, engineers, artists, and others, amplified by an almost 24 a day deluge did influence that individual.  Giants in the market place will continue to wage war on individuals. And a lone individual, unless a very exceptional person, stands little chance of shaking off all the influences of these giants. The blame belongs on a system that places short term profit above individual long term health.  Yes, Coca cola did not put a literal gun to the head of the obese person, so true.  But that giant corporatist behemoth, along with its co-conspirators, did place an info gun against that persons head, and its 'data' penetrated its target, in many cases, bypassing the target's conscious facilities.  Who is to blame?  How do we fix this?  Do we even have a right to interfere with the relationship between the giants and their ant size prey?  Do we want to interfere with with social Darwinism?  Should we let the giants consume the ants?

It'd be 'handy' if we just kept on topic.

Hint....Coca Cola has exactly diddly-squat to do with this issue/topic/thread.

Elana, my response had to do with rejection of Kamamura_CZ's abrogation and negation of personal responsibility for acts. That and only that. I agree completely with Jafo that Coca Cola is extraneous to the OP. It was not my example. 

The youth in the OP did something dangerous and criminal. He did it, not his daddy, mommy or Sigmund Freud. 

The responsibility lies with him, not his school, not the foods in his diet, not his church, political party nor Zodiac sign.

"He chose...poorly.", as the line goes.

My answers are becoming more laconic as I "grow older".

Here's my opinion on this, and I do want to say up front that at this stage if everything in the OP turns out to be true, an arrest has to happen.

First, going solely off the information provided, we don't know that he did that. I could much more easily see someone swiping someone's phone and sending tweets like that as a prank rather than going all the way there and tweeting pranks. Why even go if that's what you want to do? Also could have been high on something and freaking out, who knows. Who ever sent it was stupid and the prank was in very poor taste.

Second, if the kid had nothing on him and they had no other reason to believe he intended anything, I think charging him with terrorism is overkill. People are always more flamboyant on the internet, it shouldn't be taken more seriously then necessary. I said an arrest has to happen now, but I think that's because it has become a news/political story. I don't see terrorism without a weapon. Maybe some other criminal charge would make sense for the threats, but terrorism is ridiculous. Without question, he should have been immediately removed from the concert just as they did. I'm arguing about how he is charged after the fact when they clearly know it was a bad prank.

On the subject of scaring kids to teach them a lesson (or whatever), I disagree. I don't think kids have a lack of fear of ramifications when it comes to things like this. In fact I think there's too much fear. Everyone over reacts to hints of terrorism to such an extent that a kid might do something for that attention or the thrill of such fear. My opinion is that things like this, if valid, are evidence that terrorism is actually working. Don't let it.

Sure, what age? 3 year old yells it? 7? 11? 13? 16?