It's Just a Book, Right?
_In an age of greater threat levels and heightened fears, it is not unusual for the definition of “dangerous items” to be expanded – and now one of those items is a simple notebook. Such is the case in Death Note, an anime series centered on high school student Light Yagami, who discovers such a book by accident. He finds that the “Death Note” – as it is called – contains a set of instructions stating that if a particular person’s name is written in the book, that person will die instantly. Light is sceptical at first, but like any sensible human being, he decided to try it out, specifically on a set of criminals he saw on the news. Surely enough, the Death Note works according to its instructions.
Unethical Medium: [*]
Unethical Medium: [*]
_This show’s popularity prompted a Richmond, Virginia student to bring a replica of the Death Note to school and write names in it, presumably as a joke. When the school staff figured out what it was and where it came from, they weren’t laughing along, and they then suspended him from school. With that, they distributed a note to be sent home explaining the context of the Death Note.
Normally, when I look at something like this, I would regard the whole affair as too alarmist, and accuse the authorities of overreacting. While I understand that this replica won’t actually kill anyone, my only advice to the student is that he ought to be careful about carrying certain items around in public, especially at school. The fact that they are being sold online may not help matters either. Therefore, my rating is based on an unethical/ethical dynamic where the more unethical aspects mean fewer points.
Rating: 5
Normally, when I look at something like this, I would regard the whole affair as too alarmist, and accuse the authorities of overreacting. While I understand that this replica won’t actually kill anyone, my only advice to the student is that he ought to be careful about carrying certain items around in public, especially at school. The fact that they are being sold online may not help matters either. Therefore, my rating is based on an unethical/ethical dynamic where the more unethical aspects mean fewer points.
Rating: 5