MORE zero-tolerance ridiculousness

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I read some years ago that a girl was expelled for distributing drugs, too.

What she'd done was save another kid's life on the bus by giving him a dose of her inhaler. They were both asthmatics.

Sickening.

[Savannah]

I'm not a fan of any kind of "crime X must have punishment Y" type of rule. I can sorta see how it would prevent bias, but so often there is no consideration of the circumstances.

[Kimmik]

Here is what most likely he had, example .

The Knife is a butter knife. Most interlocking silverware does not include a sharp knife. Especially those aimed at the cub scouts and small children. I think that the school really over reacted. Was it wrong to bring it to school, yes.

In today's society people have become paranoid ninnies. We will not solve anything with the rules that we have in place now. We will not stop someone intent on causing harm. Everything you find in a classroom can be a weapon.

Zero tolerance is a one size fits all and in reality doesn't work. The world is not black and white. Nothing ever is in cases like this. Does the child deserve a reprimand? Yes but nothing like reform school.

[XCashier]

I read some years ago that a girl was expelled for distributing drugs, too.

What she'd done was save another kid's life on the bus by giving him a dose of her inhaler. They were both asthmatics.

Sickening.

Something similar happened in my school. A girl gave another girl Midol for her cramps, and got busted for dealing drugs.

As for the OP; okay it wasn't smart for the kid to bring his cutlery to school, but it's hardly an offense worthy of reform school.

[Dreamstalker]

The Knife is a butter knife. Most interlocking silverware does not include a sharp knife. Especially those aimed at the cub scouts and small children.

Interesting...the "example" used on a local news segment earlier tonight was a Swiss Army tool with an obviously sharp blade (I'm sure the Scouts would never give something like that to someone that young).

Zero tolerance is a one size fits all and in reality doesn't work. The world is not black and white. Nothing ever is in cases like this. Does the child deserve a reprimand? Yes but nothing like reform school.

I'm very interested as to why the entire case wasn't looked at before deciding on a punishment. Someone there had to have known that the boy wasn't a problem child.

[Nyoibo]

I'm very interested as to why the entire case wasn't looked at before deciding on a punishment. Someone there had to have known that the boy wasn't a problem child.

But there in lies the joy of zero-tolerance, you don't have to look at anything or think about anything.

[Dreamstalker]

True...no wonder I gave almost everyone in public school such a problem, I actually thought for myself

[Greenday]

(I'm sure the Scouts would never give something like that to someone that young)

Is this sarcasm? I can't tell. Because if it were me writing it, it'd definitely be sarcasm. We handled knives pretty early on in boy scouts. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he had a knife with a sharp edge.

[LadyMage]

No one here seems to be debating the punishment. Everyone seems to just say how it's so terrible that the school has banned kids from bringing knives into school. I agree the punishment is ridiculous, but banning knives is kinda practical.

actually they are, they are pointing out everything that is wrong with zero tolerance

what should have happened is the tool gets taken until the end of the day (its a cub scout tool so no longer for a first offense), parents called at worst and kid told 'it has a knife, harmless or not we can't risk someone getting hurt, either by you using it or someone swiping it and using it' and hopefully the kid never brings the thing to school again the end

to op: any updates on the story btw

[DesignFox]

This is beyond fucking ridiculous. We need to do away with this "zero-tolerance" bullshit.

Let's THINK about the goddamn situation before setting a punishment, ok? OH WAIT, I guess that would be too hard or something.

I partially blame our sue-happy society for this. I also blame fucking helicopter parents and their nanny-ing and special snowflake syndrome.

The tool should have been taken away for the day and it should have been explained to Zachary why it was inappropriate to bring such a tool to school. His parents should have been notified if only to get his camping tool returned to him (can't let him carry it home on the bus. which is understandable) That should have been the end of it.

How 'bout we wrap the kids in bubble wrap, put special helmets on their heads, lock them in padded rooms, and give them nothing but crayons to write with...oh and gloves to protect their pwecious fingers from papercuts.

I'm glad I grew up in the dark ages.

[Kimmik]

Update here

[DesignFox]

Glad to see they at least overturned their stupid decision and are allowing the poor kid to return to school.

[Dreamstalker]

Glad to see a calmer head somewhere prevailed

Regarding the mention in the article about a case where a bully planted a knife on someone, that almost happened to me (well, not a knife, but something that would have gotten me in deep trouble--that's when I went after the kid).

[Lace Neil Singer]

When I was a kid, I once stabbed a girl in the arm with a compass for no other reason than the fact that I didn't like her and this stupid teacher made me sit next to her. I also once stabbed a boy in the leg with a pencil cuz he tried to lift up my skirt.

I agree with rules being laid down to protect kids, but come on! Almost anything in a school can be utilised as a weapon. What are the thought police going to do next, ban everything cept for cotton wool and bubblewrap the kids on the offchance that someone tries to hurt them?

[MadMike]

True...no wonder I gave almost everyone in public school such a problem, I actually thought for myself

You must have set of quite a few "Independant Thought Alarms." Did they end up banning all the colored chalk?