Hash House Harriers is a drinking club with a running problem. In this organization, “hares” are sent out to mark a trail for fellow route runners – the trail will have some dead ends, false leads, and shortcuts and almost always ends in some sort of beer consumption.
In Connecticut, two hares sprinkled flour in a shopping center parking lot to mark the trail. Apparently, this is a felony.
New Haven ophthalmologist Daniel Salchow, 36, and his sister, Dorothee, 31, who is visiting from Hamburg, Germany, were both charged with first-degree breach of peace, a felony.
. . .
“You see powder connected by arrows and chalk, you never know,†she said. “It could be a terrorist, it could be something more serious. We’re thankful it wasn’t, but there were a lot of resources that went into figuring that out.â€
They should probably also round up this guy:
Another example of the consequences of governing through crime. We’re turning ourselves into cowards, essentially. If we get ourselves worked up into a panic over every potential threat, we’re not going to be much of a country. Sure, the potential threats are out there, but you have to weigh them against their actual likelihood. At times, our perception of risk far outpaces the actual risk (and, at times, we underestimate our risk — say, getting in a car, eating frankenfoods, or (probably) doing nothing about global warming.)
Shouldn’t a felony require some element of intent?
Littering, maybe…but holding them liable for the over-reaction of others?
Seems unduly harsh, to me.