Earlier this week, we reported about a six year old Cub Scout who was expelled from school for bringing a “spork” to school from his scout gear, a device that can be used as a fork, spoon, and knife. The child was apparently so overjoyed to be in scouts he wanted to use the device to enjoy his lunch at school.
Now an Eagle Scout, 17 year old, Matthew Whalen, in upstate New York has been suspended for an extended period because he had a 2” pocket knife, given him by his grandfather, locked in a survival kit in his car. The missed school days could pose a “big problem” for his application to the U.S. Military Academy. The school in the Landingburgh School District in upstate New York is yet another institution that buys into the mad paranoia that creates this kind of academic Fascism. A board official described the penalty as “appropriate and fair.” Adding insult to injury, school superintendent George Goodwin quoted in the Albany Times Union stated, “Sometimes young people do things they may not see as serious. We look at any possession of any type of knife as serious.”
How bone-headed and arbitrary can discipline be and what lessons are being taught other than institutions are bullheaded, inflexible, lack common sense, and put their own bureaucratic standards above the well-being of the students?
In this episode, there was no clear and present danger or any intent to do harm. The knife was but one item among other camping gear secured in a car, not being carrying in a threatening manner in any way whatsoever.
If our school administrators can’t see the harm this does for students and what an ineffective joke their shallow-minded, mean-spirited policies are, is it any wonder public schools are such a waist heap today?
The lethal combination of political correctness and zero tolerance policies against the backdrop of a consistently far left-wing political agenda goes a long way to explain why schools are failing so miserably. They’ve invested their efforts in things that have nothing to do with helping students learn necessary skills, develop an appropriate knowledge base, and be encouraged to demonstrate positive meaningful values.
Enough! This must stop.
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