Red state authoritarianism gone wild: Texas teen jailed for missing school

This is what the US would be like with the new far-right Tea Party Republican party in charge. Canada under Harper is not that far off, either.

Red state authoritarianism, when combined with barely-veiled racism, is the new black (emphasis mine).

A Houston-area teenager has been jailed and fined for missing school by a judge who hopes to make an example of her. 17-year-old Diane Tran is working two jobs while taking advanced placement and dual credit courses at Willis High School in Willis, Texas. Some mornings, she is simply too exhausted to make it to school on time. Some days she misses classes altogether.

She was warned by Judge Lanny Moriarty in April not to miss any more school. When she missed school again last week, he sentenced her to 24 hours behind bars and a $100 fine

“If you let one of ‘em run loose, what are you gon’ do with the rest of ‘em, let them go too?” the judge offered as justification.

Watch the video at KHOU.

X-posted at Let Freedom Rain.