Seven Arrested at Graduation…For Cheering

So, your kid is finally graduating. You see them climbing the stairs to the stage to get the diploma, hear their name called, and almost cheer. Almost, because had you cheered, you would have been arrested.

Yeah, arrested. I just don’t understand why this would even be considered:

Authorities say seven people attending high school graduations in Rock Hill, South Carolina, are facing charges after police say they cheered while students’ names were being called.

Authorities say six people at Fort Mill High School’s graduation were charged Saturday and a seventh at the graduation for York Comprehensive High School was charged Friday with disorderly conduct.

You can’t applaud the graduation of your child from high school now? Does this make sense to anyone? Same story, different source:

More than 500 Fort Mill High School Students graduated Saturday at Winthrop Coliseum. The audience and the graduates were told in advance that cheering during the ceremony was forbidden. They were even warned that if they did make noise, they’d be removed from the coliseum by the Rock Hill Police.

But one family says they had no idea just how far the police would go. “I think this was one time for my son to go out of his box. And it was the wrong time to do it,” said the father who asked not to be identified.

Two of his children were arrested and handcuffed by police for cheering when their sibling’s name was called.

“There was no profanity,” said the dad. “And they were both put in handcuffs,” he said.

The siblings were also slapped with a criminal charge. Four other people at the Fort Mill High Graduation were also arrested. Another man was arrested at the York Comprehensive High School commencement for cheering as well.

Conform. Do not stand out. Become part of the collective. Resistance is futile. Welcome to the Educational Industrial Complex.