http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,567700,00.html Opinions? This is the story about an Eagle Scout who has been suspended for having a 2" pocket knife locked in his car (not in the school)as part of his readiness kit. I want to know who told them he had it. Also, he didn't lie about it, readily admitted it was there when questioned. Has common sense completely left us these days? Before anyone jumps my crap, I agree that he was technically in violation of the rules..............but really? That much of a punishment? Seems an extreme over-reaction to me.
This is a difficult one for me. I think consistency in both the rule and consequences are what is important. In his case, the reason for having the knife is not an issue, but I'm sure it would be looked at differently if it was a student with a knife in his/her car that subsequently used it to hurt someone. I don't think you can say having access to a potentially dangerous weapon should be allowed based on the intentions for using it. My vote would be that he should not have the knife in the car on campus period if that is the rule. The rule should not be bent just because he is an Eagle Scout. At the same time, the punishment should be consistent too. A set number of days suspension should be assigned regardless of the reason the weapon was in the student's possession. Just my opinion here.
Which is more dangerous a teenager with a pocketknife in their car or a teenager with a car? The tire iron is more dangrous than that knife.
Zero Tolerance is, and always has been, a pile of BS. In middle school i got suspended for 3 days for updating my own website. They said that since i logged in to a website and modified content, that constituted hacking. Ironically, i did it for a school project. I was researching some 6th grade topic, and found a source so i posted links to it on my page. Taking away a system's intelligence is not a means to fixing a stupid system. The concept itself is an over-reaction, so most of its decisions will continue to be over-reactions.
Riding the fence on this one. I can see allowances for pocketknives left in a car by teens. The law (at least in NC) has specifications to what kind of knife a person can carry. Actually, I carry two. A smaller 3-blade Buck brand knife that my wife gave me and a larger, single blade serrated knife and both fall within the verbage of the law. That said, however, if teens have quick access to their cars during the day and have a disagreement with someone, theoretically you could see the dangers of allowing them to be in their vehicles. The story earlier about the cub scout with the utility utensil with the fork, spoon and knife was harsh but parents should not expect a 7-year-old to be responsible with such an instrument at school. Suspending the child, marring his school record and sending him to reform school for 30 days or so is too much for his age.
This is a tough one. No tolerance is not tolerance, but I don't think 20 days is necessary in this case. If he had the knife with all his survival stuff, boy this is tough. I really don't know what to think.
:cheers::cheers: Now that was in jest... :jester::jester: Scouts rock.... I guess if anything an Eagle Scout typically would be one of the smarter ones I think as far as rules and right from wrong... They don't just give out Eagl Scout Badge to anyone... They are well earned... Should've known better...
Good read, Prd. I am all for school uniforms as well. I am unable to copy text from the article, but I was really nodding in agreement with the part about not being to wear whatever you like in the real world, and there are ways to still express one's individuality - a hairstyle, shoelaces, decorated backpack, etc.
This is another example of schools going too far. As a previous poster mentioned, the teen's car is far more dangerous. Existing laws and rules are more than enough to deter anyone who probably can be deterred. It is already illegal to threaten someone with a knife. Posessing certain knives is legal. There is no need to have school rules banning them. I consider myself fairly middle-of-the-road politically, but the current climate at the schools is appalling to me. This reminds me of the recent thread posted about the school in Florida telling a student and his mother that he can not ride his bike to school. They have overstepped their authority. Schools seize power by instituting rules. They keep that power when no one challenges it. Kids have rights, and those rights are trampled by schools.
Speaking of school uniforms I was reading an article from one of the local pubs I read occasionally about school uniforms that looks at opposing viewpoints with gathered research. If you'll look at the bottom of the article, the links for both are there to click on. www.carolinaweeklynews.com/id67.html
Another thing that is, how do I put this...it is dumb but then again not so dumb. Hunting season is upon us and MANY boys in High School obviously hunt. Some hunt before school. Just like the boy who got in trouble for having his hunting rifle in his truck on school grounds. http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/4115672/ Yes, he was being absent-minded for leaving his gun in his truck. He forgot to take it out. But sometimes things really get taken to the extreme. I could easily see some of my cousins doing this very same thing. Then on the not so dumb side, the obvious school shootings. I am scared to death for my kids to go to high school and that is YEARS away. Because in searching for that story from last year I easily found 3 dozen more stories of kids even as young as 6 yr old bring guns to school. Hunters! Take your guns out of your trucks before you go to school. Save yourself the headache.
