We aren't headed for a police state - we are there! If this can happen to this kid, it can happen to any of us. ---- A Texas teenager who has been in jail since March faces an eight-year prison sentence because of a threatening joke he made while playing an online video game. In February, Justin Carter was playing âLeague of Legendsâ â an online, multiplayer fantasy game â when another player wrote a comment calling him insane. Carterâs response, which he now deeply regrets, was intended as joke. âHe replied âOh yeah, Iâm real messed up in the head, Iâm going to go shoot up a school full of kids and eat their still, beating hearts,â and the next two lines were lol and jk,â said Jack Carter, Justinâs father, in a statement to a local news channel. The statements âlolâ and âjkâ â meaning âlaughing out loudâ and âjust kiddingâ â indicate that Justinâs statement was entirely sarcastic, said his father. But a Canadian woman who saw the post looked up Carterâs Austin address, determined that it was near an elementary school, and called the police. Carter was arrested one month later, and has been in jail ever since. He recently celebrated his 19th birthday behind bars. Authorities charged him with making a terrorist threat. If convicted, he will face eight years in prison. âThese people are serious. They really want my son to go away to jail for a sarcastic comment that he made,â said the elder Carter. Authorities noted that recent school shootings like the one in Newtown, Connecticut have caused them to evaluate all potential threats seriously. Newtown was still fresh in their minds at the time of Carterâs arrest. âIn light of recent situations, statements such as the one Justin made are taken seriously,â said an Austin police detective in a statement. Carterâs father said his son didnât follow the news at all. âJustin was the kind of kid who didnât read the newspaper,â said Jack Carter. âHe didnât watch television. He wasnât aware of current events. These kids, they donât realize what theyâre doing. They donât understand the implications. They donât understand.â Carterâs parents have launched a change.org petition to convince Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot to release their son. âRelease Justin Carter from jail,â the petition reads. âToo many teenagers are being arrested, jailed and having their lives forever altered because of anti-terrorism laws and investigations that impede their 1st Amendment right to freedom of speech.â A hearing to review Carterâs case is scheduled for July 1. http://dailycaller.com/2013/06/27/t...-joke-during-video-game-is-jailed-for-months/