I've heard horror stories about the state of America's public school system (in so many words: IT'S F*CKED UP), but this story is extraordinarily sad. Tanya McDowell is a homeless single mother that used her friend's address so that her son could go to a better performing school. When this was found out, she was charged with 1st degree larceny and conspiracy to commit 1st degree larceny (that seems like a bit much...how are you going to charge someone with conspiracy to commit a crime AND the crime itself. Isn't just one enough?). These charges can place her in jail for up to 20 years and a $15,000 fine. If that's not enough, the friend that whose address she used? She was evicted from her public housing apartment. There's just so much wrong with this picture...Ms. McDowell didn't commit a violent crime...but she could potentially receive more time than some murders and rapists? Let's further examine the ass-backwardsness of this situation: so to punish her for "stealing" schooling (funny concept since it's a public school...that's like stealing a public road because you're driving when your license is suspended), you're going to place her in prison (paid for with tax dollars) with her son having to go to foster care (also costing tax dollars)? On top of that, you're going to punish her friend from public housing? She was in public housing because she needed the assistance...but now she's on the street. Too many lives turned upside down for something that could have been remedied by moving the school to the proper school in his district. And you know the one that's losing the most in the situation? The kid who not only can potentially lose his mom for his formative years, but has to learn in a school that's less than. Sad day when a parent can go to jail for wanting the best for her child. They'd crush her but not say/do ANYTHING to the housewives that recieved over $200 million in bailout money. *Don King voice* ONLY IN AMERICA!
-Dub
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