STOP! HOLD THE PRESS! Originally, I had planned a post today about mortgage fraud. But, trust me, it can wait! Today, instead, I want to complain about another example of bureaucratic stupidity, (involving zero tolerance laws or rules), which has caught my attention! Once again, I feel compelled to climb upon the soapbox and rail against the unfortunate trend, in our society today, to lock up, (non-violent), school children through the imposition of rigid, zero tolerance policies. The latest example involves a 12 year old New York City girl who was locked up for doodling on her desk! That's right. She simply wrote with a marker on her school desk--something to the effect of "I was here" and "I love my friends." As a result, instead of simply making her erase it and punishing her, in school, the school authorities called the police and had this poor girl carted off to jail--in handcuffs! This is outrageous!
Now, don't get me wrong. This post is not written in support of desk doodling, putting gum under desks, or otherwise violating school policies. However, this post IS written in favor of school authorities using a little more common sense when dealing with such matters!
There, I feel better! I hope this little girl will be okay. And I hope I have made my point and persuaded you that our society has become too fixated on rigid, zero tolerance laws and locking up school children.
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That is insane. I agree with you that the zero tolerance policies have caused schools to turn to many students into criminals when they should have merely called a parent or given the child detention.....oh but wait that would require the school to actually do something with the child and calling the police is much easier for the schools.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh this is definitely a case of Absolute Power!
ReplyDeleteIf I was the parents I would be all over the school board to make this right. I too think she should have been disciplined for writing on the desk but what they did was over the top.
I couldn't believe it when I heard it. If I was the girl's parent I would be outraged. Look at the damage it has caused for the 12 year old, not only that, her classmates seeing her handcuffed and going to jail. Enough is Enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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