• We are now running on a new, and hopefully much-improved, server. In addition we are also on new forum software. Any move entails a lot of technical details and I suspect we will encounter a few issues as the new server goes live. Please be patient with us. It will be worth it! :) Please help by posting all issues here.
  • The forum will be down for about an hour this weekend for maintenance. I apologize for the inconvenience.
  • If you are having trouble seeing the forum then you may need to clear your browser's DNS cache. Click here for instructions on how to do that
  • Please review the Forum Rules frequently as we are constantly trying to improve the forum for our members and visitors.

Zero tolerance is intolerable

TFred

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Messages
7,750
Location
Most historic town in, Virginia, USA
imported post

And you know the really funny part of this is that these morons sit around and scratch their heads wondering why so many parents are pulling their kids out of public schools!

TFred
 

Squid13

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2008
Messages
126
Location
Weatherford, TX
imported post

TFred wrote:
And you know the really funny part of this is that these morons sit around and scratch their heads wondering why so many parents are pulling their kids out of public schools!

TFred
I wonder why more parents don't take their kids out of public schools.
 

zoom6zoom

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2006
Messages
1,694
Location
Dale City, VA, Virginia, USA
imported post

Why zero tolerance policies? Because it eliminates the responsibility for having to make a decision that might be unpopular. "Sorry, we couldn't make an exception, it's the rule."
 

falcon1

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2007
Messages
124
Location
, Tennessee, USA
imported post

zoom6zoom wrote:
Why zero tolerance policies? Because it eliminates the responsibility for having to make a decision that might be unpopular. "Sorry, we couldn't make an exception, it's the rule."
Ding, ding, ding, ding...we have a winner!

I'm a public-school educator, and this is 100% spot-on in my experience.
 

TFred

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Messages
7,750
Location
Most historic town in, Virginia, USA
imported post

In case you missed it, it has happened again, this time, a 17 year old Eagle Scout in upstate New York was suspended for an entire school month (20 calendar school days) for having a survival kit locked in the trunk of his car, which included "a sleeping bag, water, a ready-to-eat meal and the small pocketknife, which was given to him by his grandfather, a police chief in a nearby town."

According to the article, the decision to suspend him rests almost entirely with one man, George Goodwin, the district school superintendent who seriously needs to learn first-hand what it's like to be unemployed.

This is just nuts, and it has to stop.

Here's the news article: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,567700,00.html

Here's a transcript from last night's Hannity show: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,567780,00.html

What do you want to bet Mr. Goodwin's car has a tire iron in the trunk? That's a lot more dangerous "weapon" than a 2 inch pocket knife.

TFred


From the first article:


Bryan Whalen said that hundreds of e-mails, calls and letters have been sent on his son's behalf to the school district urging a change in the policy, including one from his local scoutmaster that arrived the day of the suspension hearing.

"The school district must be getting deluged with that," he said. "It's spreading like wildfire."

To contact the Lansingburgh Central School District superintendent, call: (518) 233-6850 or e-mail: ggoodwin@lansingburgh.org[/quote][url=mailto:ggoodwin@lansingburgh.org][/url]
 

TFred

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Messages
7,750
Location
Most historic town in, Virginia, USA
imported post

zoom6zoom wrote:
Why zero tolerance policies? Because it eliminates the responsibility for having to make a decision that might be unpopular. "Sorry, we couldn't make an exception, it's the rule."
I have read that the true driver behind this insanely stupid idea is the fear of lawsuits claiming racial discrimination.

Several interesting studies are cited here.

TFred
 

Alexcabbie

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2008
Messages
2,288
Location
Alexandria, Virginia, United States
imported post

One phrase other than - but closely related to - "zero tolerance" really sets me off. This expression is in common use, and it has quite a few variations. This phrase is self-evidently stupid, but the speaker always assumes himself wise and reasonable when he uses it. WHAT is this phrase?

"WE NEED TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION"

How in the hell is that even POSSIBLE??? And on TWO levels at that!! FIRST, to err is to make a mistake. YOU CANNOT DELBERATELY MAKE A MISTAKE. SECOND, on "the side of caution"?? Being careful means avoiding mistakes. How -providing you can - do you DELIBERATELY make the wrong move in order to ensure youa are making the right move??

And it is no accident that the proponents of "Zero Tolerance" use this phrase quite often.

Not to mention the Antis who use this "zero tolerance" stuff also loudly decry "intolerance" which is exactly.....zero tolerance.:quirky

Some of you in the DC area will remember when pipe bombs were found at Bowie High School and the Supt. of Schools came out to the cameras and announced that "We are implementing a Zero Tolerance policy for bombs".:banghead:What? had they been willing to tolerate a bomb once in a while but now it was getting out of hand??

And yet no one laughs the donkeys who say such things to the scorn they deserve. No, they are thought all wise. This is an intolerable state of affairs.
 

Evil Ernie

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 18, 2007
Messages
779
Location
Castle Rock, Colorado, USA
imported post

Evidently one of his hippie liberal classmates tried to get him in trouble by claiming he had a knife on his person. Probably some emo freak who has no future, no hope, hates everything, and is one 'boo hoo' away from offing himself. I'm sure the tattle tale just HATES the Eagle Scout/Soldier for having a dream and the intestinal fortitude to move forward with that dream.

"I'm miserable and want everyone else to be miserable, so I'm gonna start with this upstanding young man with a strong mind and good moral compass."

That kid should be taken out and worked over with a lead pipe. There, I said it.
 

Alexcabbie

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2008
Messages
2,288
Location
Alexandria, Virginia, United States
imported post

Evil Ernie wrote:
Evidently one of his hippie liberal classmates tried to get him in trouble by claiming he had a knife on his person. Probably some emo freak who has no future, no hope, hates everything, and is one 'boo hoo' away from offing himself. I'm sure the tattle tale just HATES the Eagle Scout/Soldier for having a dream and the intestinal fortitude to move forward with that dream.

"I'm miserable and want everyone else to be miserable, so I'm gonna start with this upstanding young man with a strong mind and good moral compass."

That kid should be taken out and worked over with a lead pipe. There, I said it.

"That kid" is a victim.

The people who need the lead-pipe treatment are the boneheads who instigate this stuff, such as the school board members and local legislators and their supporters. These folks need to remember (as I have saaid before) that well before Concord Bridge there was a group called the Sons of Liberty which was known to beat in a few Tory heads.

Now we have seen at the Town Halls of this past summer our people openly and peacefully carrying their firearms and the Left decrying the "potential for violence" posed thereby. But it was their goons and not ours who attacked and beat a Black man for selling the wrong political literature, and it was one of their nuts who bit the finger off of a conservative protestor. They really need to back off. Because I think our side, like this country generally and like me personally, will take being shoved around more than most people; but there is a point where enough is enough. As a kid I got pushed around by bullies, and I took it because I had been taught that fighting was bad behavior. But several times enough became enough, and my tormentor was utterly surprised when I spun around and beat the living hell out of him. This incident is just another shove toward "enough", IMO.
 

TFred

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Messages
7,750
Location
Most historic town in, Virginia, USA
imported post

Here's another story to keep our eye on. The funny thing is... if there does happen to be another Columbine or VT-type crime some day, which kid do you want to have in school, the one who left his rifle at home, or the one who has it locked up in the back of his truck outside?

TFred

http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009/112009/11012009/504702

Rifle on campus leads to discipline
November 1, 2009 12:36 am
BY ROBIN KNEPPER

An Orange County High School student has been suspended after admitting he parked on school grounds with a .22-caliber hunting rifle in the back of his truck.

On Thursday, Principal Gene Kotulka alerted parents that a .22-caliber shell casing was found by a teacher in a classroom.

Several students sitting in the area were questioned, and one admitted that he had been hunting and had left his rifle in his truck.

The student was very upfront and apologetic about it, according to Superintendent Bob Grimesey, but he was suspended pending the outcome of a hearing process.

According to Grimesey, School Board policy makes it clear that students must not bring any firearms to school property and states that the sanction for such action is "expulsion for at least one year."

He adds, however, that policy also allows the School Board to "exercise discretion in rendering all final decisions relative to long-term suspensions and expulsions."

Once a school administration completes its investigation and renders a final decision, the case is re-examined by a discipline hearing officer. The school administration presents its facts and its recommendation, and the student and his parents are allowed to respond.

The hearing officer may reject, modify or confirm the school administration's recommendation. If the recommendation for expulsion still stands following the hearing officer's review, the case is heard before the School Board.

"Only the School Board maintains the authority in a firearms case to issue disciplinary action other than expulsion," Grimesey wrote in response to an inquiry.

"I am confident that the members of our School Board do not tolerate weapons on school grounds," he continued. "At the same time, they are very intelligent people who understand the need to evaluate all facts associated with disciplinary matters.

"As of Friday this case has not yet been referred to the discipline hearing officer so it is premature for me to pre-suppose any timetable or outcome," he wrote.

The suspended student will be allowed to keep up with his assignments in the same way any other students may keep up with their work during extended absences.

Robin Knepper: 540/972-5701
Email: rknepper@earthlink.net
 
Top