Much was lost in America on September 11, 2001. Thousands of lives. A sense of innocence and invulnerability. Peace of mind. Peace, in general. Given the events and policies that have ensued, one could argue that much else was lost. Tolerance. Patience. Common sense. A sense of humor. Such losses seem to have most acutely afflicted those in positions of authority, from the highest officals in the land to the lowest public servants, many of whom have been in such a chronic state of HIGH ALERT that their sphincters and judgment seem permanently contracted. They now take themselves and their responsibilities—which, admittedly, can be great—so seriously that they frequently have difficulty distinguishing the malignant from the benign. The good news is that they are not oncologists interpreting biopsy results. The bad news is that they are, in a growing number of instances, treating youthful pranksters as serious criminal offenders. Consider the following recent cases:

Naked student Tasered during lunchtime prank

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – A high school lunch period was disrupted Monday by a greased, naked student who ran around screaming and flailing his arms until police twice used a stun gun on him, authorities said. [full text]

Teen faces charges for laxative brownies

LYLE, Minn. –What seems to be a high school prank gone terribly wrong is getting no laughs from authorities. Collin Wayne Orth, a Lyle High School student, allegedly laced brownies with laxatives and served them to several students and school staff on Feb. 6.

Later that day, seven employees and five students suffered symptoms of discomfort, diarrhea, stomach cramps and bloody stools.

The 18-year-old is now facing two felony charges.

Orth has been charged with felony adulteration resulting in bodily harm, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine, and felony adulteration not resulting in bodily harm, with a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. [full text]

3 Wooster students arrested in snow-related prank

WOOSTER, Ohio (AP) — Police arrested three College of Wooster students participating in a campus tradition of packing snow into a two-story arch in hopes of getting a snow day. [full text]

MIT prank no joke to authorities

Equipped with metal tools and engineering know-how, they crept into the MIT Faculty Club late one night. They pried open a wall panel, gaining access to crawl spaces in the ceiling and walls. And then the alarm sounded.

The intruders that October night were actually three students at the tech-savvy university participating, they say, in a time-honored tradition of elaborate pranks.

In most contexts, such pranks could be considered criminal, but at MIT they are called hacks and are cause for celebrating student ingenuity. Offending students have rarely received any punishment sterner than small fines or community service.

But in this case, the three students face up to 20 years in prison if they are convicted of felony charges of breaking and entering and trespassing. [full text]

Muslim leaders condemn CW Post video

A video by five students at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University depicting ski-masked “hostage-takers” speaking in cartoonish Middle Eastern accents has drawn condemnations from local Muslim leaders.

The university dismissed the students from their jobs as residence hall assistants in Brookville Hall, saying they had engaged in activity that violated their employment contract and that reflected “insensitivity.”

In the video, which mocks those aired by real-life terrorists, five figures speak in exaggerated accents as they threaten their captive, a rubber duck dubbed “Pete.â€? [full text]