Zero tolerance stupidity is getting old
WTF?
Never mind that sometimes the load of books kids have to carry is absolutely huge and overwhelming! No, they can't carry them in a backpack, because there might be a gun hidden in there. And never mind we've not had a firearms problem at that school.
Kids around the country have been booted out of school for drawing guns, for pretending to have guns and fake guns, for having gun-shaped objects and even for carrying a butter knife! All because of this retarded "zero tolerance" policy.
And now, this.
He's an Eagle Scout, on the honor roll, taking Advanced Placement classes, and never been in trouble with the law. He's received commendations from the City of Troy and the Boy Scouts of America for saving a woman's life, and this past summer, he completed Army basic training. All of it was accomplished before the age of 17.So the kid is basically a parent's wet dream! Smart, dedicated, committed, intelligent and possessing a fair amount of common sense. And his life could be ruined. Why?"I'm just trying to do what I can while I can," Matthew says.
His goal is to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, a dream since he was in grade school.
"I have a first-grade yearbook that says I want to be driving tanks in the Army," Matthew says. "I mean, this is something that I know I've always wanted to do."
But the dream could be in jeopardy, thanks to a two-inch pocket knife that officials at Lansingburgh Senior High School found in Matthew's locked car last month. The pocket knife was a gift from his grandfather, Robert Whalen, who's the Hoosick Falls Police Chief. Matthew says he kept the knife in a side compartment and never tried showing it off or threatening anyone with it. Instead it was a part of the survival kit that was his car.
You want to know why the new generation sprouting up in this nation is a bunch of whiny, self entitled wusses? This is part of the reason why! There's no common sense in today's public schools. There is no effort to apply the principles of sound judgment and rationality. There's merely this blind drive to "do something" to keep schools safe - without any kind of rhyme or reason. They're told pacifism is the way to go. They're taught not to protect themselves from bullies, but rather just run and tell a teacher or administrator. They're taught that their hurt widdle offended feelings are more important than anything else, and that makes for adults who think their oh-so-hard lives justify any sort of atrocity, including the shooting up of public places by disenfranchised malcontents.The Lansingburgh Central School District has a zero-tolerance policy on weapons. According to the district's Codes of Conduct, students are not allowed to have "a weapon of any kind" on school grounds. Even though a pocket knife is not considered a weapon under New York State penal code, the district also prohibits students from possessing anything "that reasonably can be considered a weapon."
According to Matthew, the school suspended him for five days, during which time a Superintendent's hearing was held to determine the extent of his punishment. Matthew's family contends only the high school's principal and athletic director were present, not the Superintendent or the assistant principal who initially suspended Matthew. And despite a letter from Matthew's Scout Master explaining how a pocket knife is a common tool for scouts to have, the district suspended Matthew for another 15 days. The Whalens say they received no explanation as to why, and they claim there was no opportunity to ask.
Enough is enough! Stop ruining good kids' lives with this sort of nonsense, and start teaching kids self-reliance, personal responsibility and self worth the right way - through achievement!
If you continue to foster weakness, self-entitlement and fake self worth that teaches kids they don't need to earn respect, earn good grades and succeed in order to feel good about themselves... If you continue to teach them that self-reliance is to be punished and rational thought doesn't belong in decisions, but feelings do... you'll get another shitsack shooting up a school, and feeling justified in doing so, because some bully teased him on the playground.
Amen, Sister.
One of the problems I've long had with the public indoctrination centres my kids attended is their burning desire to punish the testosterone out of our young men. When my son was in Middle School, I had to go to an "emergency" meeting between his mother and I and the school principal, Vice-principal and his teacher because the silly cow of a teacher overheard him teasing his best friend! And then "shoving" him! Oh my! They wanted to suspend him, expel him...probably have him shot. And they didn't appreciate my input on their agenda. I told the screaming ninnies that they couldn't regulate testosterone out of teen aged boys, and by even trying they were raising a generation ill-suited to man-hood! I think I hurt the Vice-Principals feelings, seeing as he was technically male, calling into question his vision of manhood and all. I told them to do whatever they felt the need to, and I would subsequently take whatever action I decided was necessary. The snivel servants dropped the whole thing when I mentioned I might just show up at the next televised school board meeting with a few like minded fathers (and mothers).
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When I went to high school, it wasn't uncommon for a student to bring a .22 rifle or up to a .38 SPC handgun with us to school; We would take down them to a security locker located next to the indoor ROTC firing range in the basement and go fire at the range after our last class.
The range was run by a retired SFC that worked as an ROTC firearms instructor. We NEVER had a problem, everyone involved was cognizant of the attendant responsibilities of carrying/using a firearm. The only difficulty was remembering those range times scheduled as for non-ROTC shooters.
The majority of parents today are being remiss in their responsibilities to ensure that their children are being taught how to be self-sufficient and secure adults.
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When I saw articles about this start popping up, my first thought was that the fine folks at The Onion had pulled another fast one on everybody. Sadly, I was mistaken.
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Oops. My last comment was supposed to be on the previous post.
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Troy, NY, the location of Lansingburgh High School, is a 45-minute drive from my house. I found the email of the superintendent, and guessed the email for the principal, and sent them a letter, saying, amongst other things, that I believe everyone, age seven or older, should carry a pocket knife, always and everywhere.
https://billstclair.com/blog/soldier_suspended_from_school.html
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There's a name to this phenomenon, its called the wussification of america.
God help us if we had to call on the young men/women to rise up and defend this country...
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I have carried a pocketknife, at least one, sometimes more, since I was 8 years old. I am now in my seventh decade and I still ALWAYS carry one. I went to the courthouse this past Thursday to pay my personal property taxes this past week where they had signs posted on the door barring a long list of items. Among them was any hand held bladed instrumnent. I walked right past the stupid fucking sign. If they want my money, they will damn well accomodate me. Not the other way around.
It never did jump out of my pocket and stab anybody. In fact, we had quite nice visits with everybody there. Of course, no wonder they would be pleasant they were receiving money.
As to that school in NY state, his parents and grandparents, Army recruiter, Scoutmaster and all others should attend every meeting of the school board and refuse to allow any other business to be conducted until this travesty was corrected.
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These are misnamed policies the accurate portrayal would "zero intelligence policies".
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This post has been linked for the HOT5 Daily 10/12/2009, at The Unreligious Right
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