Debbie Schlussel: Strange Discipline: Thai Police Must Wear "Hello Kitty"
Even though their government was taken over in a coup by a Muslim, you gotta give the Thais credit for creativity in punishment.
The country is requiring Thai police officers who break rules to wear hot pink armbands bearing the icon "Hello Kitty"--the cute cat embraced by little girls and Japanese pop culture--as a form of shame and punishment. They don't have to wear them in public, though. Just in the office.
I think it's a mistake to shame law enforcement personnel who do wrong by making them wear girlie paraphenalia. Perhaps it is effective, but demeaning people is certainly not the way to earn them respect or make them respect rules. Still, it is definitely a novel and original idea.
Posted by Debbie on August 7, 2007 11:49 AM to Debbie Schlussel