I don't get the point of this:
Zachary Tutin, a 14-year-old from north Manchester, has been made the subject of an anti-social behaviour order which prohibits him from using the word "grass", after he repeatedly abused his neighbours, claiming that they were police informers.
The order bans him from saying grass at any time in England and Wales until 2010.
A Manchester councillor, Basil Curley, said: "Tutin has acted in a thoroughly nasty and dangerous manner. This order is intended to prohibit his terrible behaviour and to protect defenceless people, especially women, against his foul-mouthed attacks.
"If he breaches this order he can be arrested and brought to court, where he could be sent to detention."
Um, okay. What does saying "grass" have to do with his anti-social behavior? How can his speech be monitored that closely? What makes the courts believe that Tutin can't use other words to harass people? This sounds like one of those goofy parlor games where people see how long they can go without saying the word "No" while everyone tries to get everyone else to say it.
Honestly, it's hard for me to understand what the first half of the article - the anti-grass rule - has to do with the conclusion:
The youth, of Blackley, was said to have waged a two-and-a-half year campaign of terror against his local community. He picked on his neighbours, swearing at them and insulting them, carrying knives and baseball bats, and stealing and damaging their property. He used other offensive words such as "slag".
He has convictions for theft and assault and has previously served a custodial sentence. He also used racist language towards an Asian shopkeeper.
With no offense towards Asians (or slags), such language should not be made illegal; among other things, such "hate speech" laws can't be fairly enforced, and they don't impact dangerous behavior anyway. Direct threats, waving weapons around, thefts, and assaults ARE illegal and actions can be taken. I won't bore you with my pro-NRA beliefs here, but it seems sad that Tutin's neighbors have no means of protection than to hope for the boy's words to be made illegal.
But "grass"? I'm mystified. Even if, as some Fark commenters claim, "grass" is slang for "police informer," the little punk can continue to terrorize his neighbors with a whole host of other words.
Posted by kswygert at January 15, 2004 11:31 AM