Racial injustice and disposable youth in the age of zero tolerance

The author argues that economically, politically, and culturally the situation of youth in the U.S. is intolerable and unforgivable. Childhood has been demeaned by popular news media and no longer is regarded by society as the future of democracy. Rather, young people are increasingly isolated, treated with suspicion, and subjected to diminished rights of privacy and personal liberties. Zero-tolerance policies in communities and schools amount to the criminalization of youth, and schools grow more like prisons than institutions of education. The multiple social and political costs of negative perceptions of youth are considered. It is argued that repressive social policies and neglect of children, as evidenced by the growing state of poverty, hunger, and homelessness among America's children, threatens the future of democracy. The author encourages policy reforms and individual and community commitment to policy reforms.