SIX YEAR OLD, Salecia Johnson was handcuffed and arrested at Creekside Elementary in Baldwin, GA for having a temper tantrum. According to the petition on Change.org, Salecia was charged with battery and suspended for the remainder of the year all without having notified the parents. The petition goes on to state that the child was in police custody for more than an hour before the parents found out.I understand that sometimes children can get unruly, and without having the full details regarding the incident or the child's past behavior, there was no reason or need to ever give this baby a police record. With incidents like this, it is not that the child is a "problem" child, but it is more than likely that there are pressures and environmental issues going on at home. The correct response to a situation like this is to help the child and/or parents work through their issues, not arrest the child who is clearly acting out in reaction to familial matters.
The prison system is a way to keep blacks and other unsightly peoples out of the general population. Giving African American Youths a police record is important to keep African Americans living in poverty.
The cycle is vicious: a person gets arrested/gets a record, cannot get a job or qualify for financial aid in college or get decent housing- so the person turns to crime or drugs (to escape their life), and then eventually ends up in prison.
Let's Fight to end this cycle!
Please go to Change.org and sign the petition to help the Johnson family.
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