Mug shot in paper a scarlet letter
I was blessed with a rather uneventful, some may even say boring, adolescence. I didn't hang with the wrong crowd, drink or do drugs. I even turned in my homework and went to church. Nonetheless, I made my fair share of humiliating mistakes which come along with those tumultuous teen years, but I was fortunate to learn and grow without public scrutiny.
This past week the Herald ran an article about a high school student who was not so fortunate. A young woman made some very poor choices and now must suffer some very serious consequences. This is only right. As is the responsibility of a newspaper, the Herald covered the story. I found no fault with this but did struggle with one simple element: the mug shot.
People love to gawk at mugshots: a drunken Mel Gibson, a strung-out Lindsay Lohan, and now a local high school student. While the paper was totally within its rights to publish the picture, it deeply disturbed me. High school can be a fishbowl, and this young girl must now return there to face hundreds of judgmental eyes. The addition of this picture to the article sensationalized the story and raised unnecessary publicity.
Many students will be kind and understanding. But as is human nature, there will also be judgment, whispering and probably even open taunting. The comments posted below the article give a glimpse into how unforgiving, compassionless and downright mean people can be. A high school is a unique microcosm, and I don't believe anyone, including adults, would want to deal with the incredible pressure cooker it can become at a time like this. At the most difficult moment in this young girl's life, she must not only deal with all the issues she's facing, but she must do it publicly, and her mug shot is her scarlet letter.
I would ask the Herald to rethink its policy of printing mugshots of students who are still in high school. I believe it serves no positive purpose. While I believe consequences must be faced, I also believe that dignity should be preserved.
Nancy Rizzo
English Department
Geneva High School