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No More Cruel and Unusual?

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In recent years there’s been a spate of so-called “zero tolerance” policies — actually, zero common sense policies — in our schools, especially after Columbine and 9/11.

Last October in Delaware, six-year-old Zachary Christie faced 45 days of reform school for bringing a camping utensil to lunch. The gizmo combined a knife, fork and spoon. There was no evidence of evil intention. But the school thought their zero common sense policy against weapons had been violated. After a public outcry, the draconian punishment was dropped. The local school board modified some of its rules, though only for kindergartners and first-graders.

In Florida, lawmakers recently revised zero common sense policies statewide in hopes that only students who pose a genuine threat get expelled or arrested.

Hurray for any glimmer of a return to common sense. But why all these policies to begin with? Why instruct educators anywhere to respond maniacally to meaningless deviationism?

Maybe common sense and conscience are often the same thing.

Imagine if jay walking, littering and talking too loud in elevators were punished in comparably cruel and unusual fashion. Imagine judges and prosecutors always claiming they can’t distinguish between trivia and real crime — so better respond to both with equal force. Would we not accuse such meters-out of injustice of crimes of their own?

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

3 replies on “No More Cruel and Unusual?”

Imagine a Department of Justice who treats real voter intimidation and civil rights violations like a parking ticket. Imagine a government that pays lip service to the Constitution and treats citizens like cattle to be bled.

Imagine these are EDUCATORS TEATCHERS are to busy with students to bother with this foolishness.

We need to fire the lot of educators, send teaching students to Europe or Japan and teach then how to TEACH the kids. A little dixcipline in our schools wouldn’t hurt, either. I can’t remember eveer having a cop in any school I went to, except to tell us about hiis job and to be friendly with us.

My, how times have changed since the twenties and thirties!

How did this start?!?!? How do you think it started?

About 20 years ago, the ambulance-chasers teamed up with the perpetually-aggrieved “minorities” to file a blizzard of court cases against school districts. The schools were “oppressing” kids – mainly minority kids – who brought guns and knives to school. Plus the “Student Rights” movement began in full, so there was another cash cow to be milked.

The schools did what any cowardly gummint organization would do: institute brain-dead “zero-tolerance” policies. Tut, tut, can’t make “judgments” now – might get a lawsuit. So now kids can’t even make a DRAWING of a weapon in school – it’s just too upsetting to the wimps running the place.

Think that’s bad? Here in Austin, the official policy is to give unlimited tries on exams (and failing grades are forbidden.) On what planet does THAT prepare kids for university or a job in business? (Okay, maybe perfect preparation for a gummint job…)

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