what are we doing to our children

[Tgace]

I just saw this article on FB.

http://www.southvalleyjournal.com/p...-with-four-felony-counts-for--homemade-bombs/

The reigning Miss Riverton, Kendra Gill, who was arrested in the early hours of August 3, along with three friends, Bruce Stone, Shanna Smith and John Reagh, for suspicion of making and detonating homemade explosive devises in Riverton, has now been charged with four felony second degree felony counts of use of an incendiary devise. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 1-15 years in prison.

What these "bombs" are are called Pressure Bombs, or Works Bombs/Draino bombs. In a nutshell, chemicals that produce gasses are put in a plastic bottle that expands and "pops"/explodes.

In the military we used to make these out of MRE heaters and toss em at each other...great fun unless an NCO caught you. Which only resulted in a chewing out....not felony charges.

While I don't recommend letting your kids do this I think that statements from officials describing these things as being analogous to pipe bombs are overblown. While the chemicals used can make a big difference in the danger of whats sprayed out of them they are not really "bombs" in the "put these kids in prison" sense. If property is damaged or someone is injured sure...arrest them. But felony charges for making explosives is really more for Boston marathon style bombs...not these.

 

[Tgace]

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-bomb-boys-book-project

3) Good kids are being convicted of life-changing felonies for more trivial devices, many of which are simple like dry ice, acid, and Drano “bombs.” None of these contain explosives. Cases occur daily. Last week, five boys, aged 13 to 15, were charged with “criminal use of a weapon of mass destruction,” a Class C felony in Kentucky, carrying a possible 5 – 10-year sentence, for a chemical “bomb.” I have never heard of a fatality from a chemical pressure bomb—a “weapon of mass destruction.” Yes, fatalities can happen, but “pressure bombs” are far from WMD. Roman candles are more perilous.

Which is an interesting point when kids may be getting charged with "bomb felonies" in states where possession/detonation of an M-80 would either be legal or a simple violation.

 

[granfire]

Oh he**....don't you know that poptart could go off in your hand?

It's only 10AM...to early to get drunk....

We have certainly jumped the shark.

 

[Makalakumu]

Oh he**....don't you know that poptart could go off in your hand?

It's only 10AM...to early to get drunk....

We have certainly jumped the shark.

How many Jimmy Buffett songs remind you that it's five o clock somewhere?

 

[Makalakumu]

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-bomb-boys-book-project



Which is an interesting point when kids may be getting charged with "bomb felonies" in states where possession/detonation of an M-80 would either be legal or a simple violation.

Ever wonder how many felonies you might have racked up if you were a kid now? The things I did thirty years ago are like describing things from a different planet.

 

[granfire]

Ever wonder how many felonies you might have racked up if you were a kid now? The things I did thirty years ago are like describing things from a different planet.

Life without parole....

 

[Flying Crane]

Ever wonder how many felonies you might have racked up if you were a kid now? The things I did thirty years ago are like describing things from a different planet.

I was thinking the same thing. If my dad knew what I was up to, he would have brought thunder and lightning down upon my head. I guess it was easier to get away with things in a small town, in the 1980s, than it is now.

I can think of any of a number of things I did as a kid that, if I did them in today's environment and got caught, I'd likely be in prison for a good while. Nobody got hurt, no property was damaged, we were just having fun. But yes, someone COULD have been hurt by what we were doing.

I don't regret it. I've got some interesting stories to tell my kid and grandkids (if I ever have any) about.

 

[jks9199]

While I do agree diversion or some other alternative to hammering these kids with a felony is probably in order -- I don't want to minimize the danger of these bombs. Bottle bombs can be made numerous ways, including dry ice, drain cleaner/foil, and more. They can pack a surprising degree of bang when they're made from soda bottles that are made to hold a fair amount of pressure before they fail explosively. Don't discount them because they're not high tech...

 

[Sukerkin]

:chuckles: We used to make nitro glycerine in chemistry at school and set bottles of it off with air rifles :lol:.

 

[Ken Morgan]

:chuckles: We used to make nitro glycerine in chemistry at school and set bottles of it off with air rifles :lol:.

Sooo... how do you do make that stuff again.......?

 

[Ken Morgan]

I guess I shouldn't have my grade two's this year make baking soda volcanos....

 

[Tgace]

I'm not saying discount them as "safe toys"...but if that same kid with an M80 would be legal or a low level misdemeanor at worst....charging a kid up with felonies over these is preposteorus IMO.

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[pgsmith]

I'm not saying discount them as "safe toys"...but if that same kid with an M80 would be legal or a low level misdemeanor at worst....charging a kid up with felonies over these is preposteorus IMO.

I agree completely. I made bombs with dry ice when I was a kid, and my eldest son did also. To charge kids with a felony for something like that is just assinine. I'm not saying it's safe or a good idea, but it's hardly something to ruin a kid's life over.

 

[Sukerkin]

Sooo... how do you do make that stuff again.......?

It was a long time ago but I don't remember it being very hard - you just had to be careful with it. Bearing in mind my memory of some parts of my youth has been blanked by my motorcycle accident, I recall doing some distillation for nitric acid (with cooling of the resultant product being quite important to prevent premature BOOM-age). There was some nervous stirring of the nitric acid covered in a layer of glycerine and we used sulphuric acid to 'dry' the mix and then we used sodium bicarb to stabalise it.

That's very vague I know but this was thirty five years ago :O.

Of course, in those days we also used to play with liquid mercury on the lab tables, have radiation sources laying around, play 'flame-throwers' with the gas taps and throw huge lumps of sodium and potassium down the sinks :lol:.

 

[DennisBreene]

It was a long time ago but I don't remember it being very hard - you just had to be careful with it. Bearing in mind my memory of some parts of my youth has been blanked by my motorcycle accident, I recall doing some distillation for nitric acid (with cooling of the resultant product being quite important to prevent premature BOOM-age). There was some nervous stirring of the nitric acid covered in a layer of glycerine and we used sulphuric acid to 'dry' the mix and then we used sodium bicarb to stabalise it.

That's very vague I know but this was thirty five years ago :O.

Of course, in those days we also used to play with liquid mercury on the lab tables, have radiation sources laying around, play 'flame-throwers' with the gas taps and throw huge lumps of sodium and potassium down the sinks :lol:.

Wish I could have gone to your school. We weren't allowed to do anything cool.

 

[Makalakumu]

Sooo... how do you do make that stuff again.......?

I think you just summoned the NSA.

 

[Steve]

I think you just summoned the NSA.

I think you guys should bookmark this thread to inform your posts in the threads regarding trayvon Martin.


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[Makalakumu]

I think you guys should bookmark this thread to inform your posts in the threads regarding Trayvon Martin.


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I lost a few friends who made bad decisions back in the day. One of my friends rode in the back of a pick-up when he knew the driver was drunk. This lapse of judgement cost him his life. It's no different for Trayvon. The lapse of judgement that caused him to assault a grown man cost him his life. When you live in a free society, these kinds of things can happen. People can make bad decisions and pay the ultimate price for them. In today's super nanny society, if someone ever makes a bad decisions, society tries to take away people's ability to make bad decisions. I think the same principle applies to TM. Some people can't stand it knowning that TM lived in a society where he could actually suffer for his bad decision...so they try to throw everyone's right to self defense down the toilet.

Whereas, back in the past, people might have said, "Ya poor dumb kid. Why'd ya do that and get killed?"

 

[Tgace]

Making "pop bottle bombs" is analogous to assaulting a stranger???

 

[Ken Morgan]

I think you just summoned the NSA.

LOL. I was going to say that too bad I live in Canada, but they would likely contact our spy agency!
Seriously, all the information is easily found online if you really want it. Use proxy servers, VPN, WI FI in a coffee shop, lots of ways to hide.