The Montgomery County Curfew will have a negative effect on teens.
The curfew will take away many teens' freedom. Freedom to walk outside their house at 11:30 to get away from their screaming little sister. Freedom to walk home late after studying for a Chemistry exam at a friend's house. Freedom for friends to make that completely pointless late 7/11 run on a Friday night, that we all love.
While some teens do abuse this freedom, provided mostly by their parents, others do appreciate it. To take it away from teens who may, perhaps, be using it constructively because of those who do the opposite, is why I object to the Montgomery County curfew.
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Sure, it sounds like a good idea now, to those who have an issue with the youth being out late at night. Also, to those parents who can't seem to control their teen's whereabouts after hours.
However, what the Montgomery County Council needs to consider, are the teens whose intentions for being out late at night might have nothing to do with crimes and felonies.
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Many people want to know, why would a teen be out past 11 pm on a school night anyway? Regardless as to why, and there are many various reasons, the fact is: all motives for being out late aren't criminal.
There is also the issue of profiling: “Use by law enforcement personnel of an individual's race or ethnicity as a factor in articulating reasonable suspicion to stop, question or arrest an individual, unless race is a part of an identifying description of a specific suspect for a specific crime.”
The odds of the police stopping a Caucasian boy with glasses holding books, over an African-American boy with say, "sagging pants," are slim to none.
As teens, it is in our nature to rebel against authority. Maybe not blatant rebellion. but a little here and there. The curfew will be no different. Knowing that there is a curfew, teens are more likely to say "Oh, they're trying to keep me inside?!? I think not," or maybe that's just me. Regardless, teens don't like restrictions. Especially ones who don't deserve them.
What the Montgomery County Council needs to realize is that not only the "bad guys" will be affected by this proposed curfew. The good ones will be too.