Today I saw a local television news report (I know, my fault for watching) that was more asinine than most.  Apparently a high school senior was given a sociology assignment to go out into the community, do something “unusual,” and write a report about the results.  He chose to don a Halloween mask and go trick-or-treating in March.  The mast he wore, it was scary.  Apparently he frightened an 85-year-old woman pretty badly.  (Edited to add:  Someone emailed for the link to this story.  I didn’t post it because I didn’t want to contribute to more people knowing the kid’s name.)

She didn’t have a heart attack.  She didn’t die.  He didn’t hurt her.  But he is being criminally charged and it is splashed all over the news.  The ABC Boston reporters (I use this term loosely) made plain their opinion that the boy was a terrible person for poor decision making.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I am by no means in favor of scaring the elderly.  I am not in favor in hurting anyone.  However, I have also been given these types of assignments by graduate school professors.  Once for statistics class, I was charged to “violate social norms” in a public elevator.  I had a great deal of fun in the Boston Harbor Hotel until I was asked to leave.  (Travel tip:  do not ride up and down signing show tunes and expect to be allowed to stay there).  I had to go to the grocery store and annoy people in line.  I never wore a mask, but it isn’t outside the realm of possibility that it would have occurred to me to do.

The thing that gets me is how the media is treating this kid.  Dude, the woman didn’t die.  She was scared.  While his methods would probably not pass the review board for use of human subjects, again, it wasn’t a bad idea for a sociology project.  Was it a crime?  Not in my mind, though he did owe that women a pretty big apology.  It is only a crime because of the people making this an issue and a “news item” at all--the media.  They are major contributors to the culture of fear that pervades our world today.  We are taught to be afraid and then the very thing that perpetuates this fear calls the kettle black.

I’m surprised no one has punished the teacher for assigning something that provoked so much thought. 

I also think the kid should get an “A” for what his experiment proved about society.  He should probably get an “A” for the whole class.

Maybe I’ve just been in school too long.