This makes me sad/angry

I'll get off of my soapbox here one of these days and start posting new content again, rather than just syndicating other news items, really I will.

However, I couldn't skip this one. The original slashdot link for this story is here. The summary from there is:

"A student at the Houston-area Clements High School was arrested, sent to an "Alternative Education Center" and banned from graduation after school officials found he created a video game map of his school. School district police arrested the teen and searched his home where they confiscated a hammer as a 'potential weapon'. ' "They decided he was a terroristic threat," said one source close to the district's investigation.' With an upcoming May 12 school board election, this issue has quickly become political, with school board members involved in the appeal accusing each other of pandering to the Chinese community in an attempt to gain votes."

I hate close-minded people screaming terrorism, censorship, etc. and running for the hills in general. I do my best to try to educate people when this is happening, to stop it from spreading. This one hits close to home though.

When I was in high school, I made a DOOM 2 map of my high school (a wad, for those who remember). It turns out our school was old enough that it had all sorts of cool, hidden areas that I had found my way into over the years. My personal favorite is the lofts above the auditorium, where there is likely still tagging with my name to do this day.

All of it combined to make a really cool world for my friend and I to play DOOM 2 over 9600 bps modem. Good old days indeed. Would I have had an inkling in my mind that anyone would ever consider something like that a threat? Hardly, and I bet this kid didn't either.

Texas, I'm seeing proof that your education system ranks near the lowest in the country. You don't have to look farther than the political personnel that have risen from your ranks in recent (or not so recent in certain executive examples) years.