Lets Play Hangman . . . Oops, I'm Handcuffed

Common sense and unicorns. Both of these seem to be works of fiction, especially among our nations educators.

A 13 year old student was doodling the game "Hangman" and the school (being calm and rational stewards of children) suspended him and turned him over to the police. Apparently, playing a game constitutes a "threat of harm". Read about it here.

Are you freaking kidding me? Can as student be arrested for buttering bread because he is wielding a weapon? Or can children no longer play "cops and robbers" at recess (unless the cops illegally strip search the robbers because that would make it ok)?

Let's just consider that a threat must be directed somewhere. If I draw a hanged person and write someone's name underneath then I have made a threat. The only threat in the game is that the puzzle might not be solved. Or perhaps the greater threat is that the schools vision of a politically correct world has been challenged by a simple pencil drawing! We can all agree that protecting our children is important. But the national push toward forcible conformity to a single ideal threatens the freedom that this country was built upon. Schools are supposed to educate, not act as self deputized thought police.

Here is a question for those administrators. At what point did handcuffing a child for playing a game become a good idea? That is the point where the fiction of protecting our children was exposed. That is the point where your politically correct agenda was revealed as the true threat of harm to our children. That is the point where your utopian ideal went up in flames and common sense died. Now, go and figure out how to educate. Or better yet, go play with your unicorns and leave the children alone.

If Your Sick Child Misses School You Should Be In Jail

Picture for a moment a terminally ill mom with cancer and other health issues. Now add a disabled child with some debilitating health issues of his own that has kept him out of school. Finally, picture them having very little money. This is a tough situation folks. Right?

So what does the school district do? They fine mom for his absences. (See, they lose budget money for him if he is gone a lot.) And the fines total several thousand dollars AND she could go to jail if she doesn't pay! You can read the story here. So, mom could go to jail for having a very sick child because the school does not want to be deprived of its funds.

Let me start with this . . .

Where in the hell does the government have any right to FINE a person for not exercising their personal rights? Yes, I know that school is a legal obligation. But school absences due to illness are NOT a failure to comply with the law. What authority does the district have to deprive others of property or even to make such policies in the first place? School officials are not elected law makers!

So now we have a situation where non-representatives can enact their own laws depriving citizens of property for actions that are perfectly within their RIGHTS and if they are poor enough that they cannot pay they can be thrown jail.

Have a sick child and go to jail.

Something is wrong with this picture...

What do you think?

Punish Bad Kids And Dept Of Education Will Investigate

This just in from the WTF zone . . . Some students who defaced school property were forced to clean toilets as a punishment. Some parents are in an uproar and the department of education is now investigating. Read the story here.

One parent stated "They're here to get an education, not to learn how to do janitorial work."

Point taken.

However, if little Mr. Troublemaker is not made to face some consequences for his serious transgressions, he will likely end up behind bars. Schools are required by law to admit children and children are required to attend. There must be some consequences for bad behavior or anarchy rules and education diminishes. My guess is that the parents who oppose the punishment handed down by the Dean of the school have no control over their little princes and princesses. Then their undisciplined kids become a problem for everyone at school.

And as a side note, when did it become a crime to do a little hard or dirty work? The kids who are following the rules do not have to do these tasks.

What do you think?

Wear The Flag, Get Kicked Out Of School

Some high school students were kicked off campus for wearing American flag t-shirts, bandanas, etc. while at school. They did not violate school policy, dress code, or the law in doing so. In fact, any other day the school would not have noticed them. But they wore these things on Cinco de Mayo, and some folks took offense to their apparel.

School officials asked them to remove the offensive garments. The kids refused. They were sent to the principal, yet still refused to take it off. They were then told that they were being defiant and suspended. Fortunately, the school board did not agree with the suspension nor the handling of the incident. Read the story here.

Three thoughts . . .

1) WTF were these officials thinking?

2) Then there is the pesky free speech argument. The courts have already ruled that students are not required to check their free speech at the door. Many people find some of the apparel that students wear offensive, but that does not give us a right to ban them.

3) Finally we are forced to remind folks that this is America. Patriotism is not a crime. Free speech and expression are not a crime. And Cinco de Mayo is NOT a U.S. holiday!

I am reminded of a quote from the movie Stripes . . . "Lighten up Francis!"

What do you think?

Don't Forget To Roll Down Your Window And Take Your Homework!

Today I came across not one, but TWO stupid criminal stories.

First, a man was caught for attempting a drive by shooting because he forgot to roll down his window before firing his gun. Click here for the story.

Second, here is another set of geniuses. Two kids cut out of school to break into a nearby home. The homework for one of the kids dropped out of his backpack as they were leaving the scene of the crime. Click here for the story.

Is it just me, or are criminals getting easier to catch as our educational system declines?

Cop Beats Up Special Needs Student For Untucked Shirt

The title says it all. A Chicago police officer broke the nose of a special needs student for not having his shirt tucked in while at school. (Read the story and see the video here.) The school has video of the altercation.

Besides the obviously disturbing actions of the officer, the school did NOTHING in response to the incident. Their statement was that "the physical restraint of a student sometimes becomes necessary. In such instances, AFL and its staff are committed to employing techniques that are safe, effective, and which conform to best practice standards."

Do safe, best practices include slamming a child against a locker and breaking his nose?

What do you think?

Yes They Were Naked, But It Wasn't A Strip Search

I've heard of some weird denials before, but this one has me scratching my head again.

A student at Atlantic High School in Iowa found that $100 was missing from her purse after gym class. Five girls were asked to disrobe in front of the student and a counselor to prove their innocence. Four of the girls were down to their underwear and asked to lift their bras and pull their waistbands away. The other girl was completely naked.

There are two things to keep in mind . . .

1) Iowa law makes it illegal to strip search in schools.
2) Even if it wasn't, in June the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that no school official has free rein to do intimate searches of students.

The superintendent for the school district denied that it was a strip search! He also said "According to our board policy, it was an allowable search." You can read the story here.

How can one possibly deny that it was a strip search when one of the students was completely naked? And does the "board policy" fail to recognize Iowa law or Supreme Court rulings?

I do have a solution. Let's make the superintendent stand out in front of the Iowa state capitol. He can then disrobe while onlookers search for any signs of common sense or decency. We just won't call it a strip search and that will make everything OK.