Stop clowning around

Many have cried foul at the idea of 14-year-olds being charged with felonies for making threats in the name of some menacing clown profile, arguing that a kid’s life shouldn’t be ruined over a prank.

Consequences are an important part of life because it is the only way people learn.

No matter how many times someone can warn another person about a danger, they usually still have to make their own mistakes for them to understand what they were being warned against.

Personal responsibility has gone extinct as people look to blame others and make excuses for their own actions.

The world has become a place where people champion the idea that we have the right to do and say whatever we want but are crushed when there are repercussions; somehow they believing they are exempt from the natural order of cause and effect.

When anyone decides to walk around public streets dressed as a clown, they are subject to public laws which include possible violations such as disturbing the peace and posing a legitimate threat.

When kids or adults make a threat to a school thinking it will be an easy way to get out of class or at least get a few laughs, they must realize that the man power required to insure the lives of those at the school are safe is significant.

Safety officials and administrators should not have to spend time on juvenile pranks, but each incident must be investigated because the risk is too great if it’s not a prank.

People need to think before they act and show respect for themselves and their community.

Viral trends seem to be the norm now, but when they pose a danger, they have gone too far. People should stick to things that are positive like the ice bucket challenge or things that are just plain silly, but still important, like making sure your eyebrows are on fleek.