Autistic Child Charged With Terrorism Over School Drawing

Shane Finn, 14, is an autistic eighth grader with the mental capacity of a third grader. He did something not unknown to kids around the world. He drew a stick figure of himself shooting his teacher. He is now an accused terrorist in Georgia.

The childish drawing included the helpful labels “me” for the figure pointing the gun at the other figure, labeled “Hartman.” Hartman was not amused and, despite the fact that Finn has only 75 IQ, Finn was charged with a terrorism felony.

We seem to have become a society where any infraction must be expressed in criminal terms, even when committed by a child (here). Even sketching a gun can get you suspended, here. Once again, the question remains the judgment and professional responsibility of the prosecutors in advancing these charges. If a 14-year-old autistic boy is now considered a terrorist for a drawing, we have lost this fight.

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