1st Grader Suspended

TOM1960 said:
Up here in MA, I had the same experience. I am almost 49 and I remember that every guy in school carried a pocketknife. The most popular were the SAK/Boy Scout type knives, because of their utility. I can only imagine what would happen now. There wouldn't be anyone left in my class to graduate because we would all be arrested and expelled. My high school was private (all guys). The Marist brothers who were the primary teachers were tough but fair. Heck, one brother (physics teacher) was even involved in rifle competition and we had our own rod & gun club. Wouldn't happen today, that's for sure.
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Same here , I went to a catholic elementary school in the 1960's. On Fridays we were encouraged to wear our boy scout or cub scout uniforms to school. Of course this included a knife.

In HS , my friends and I always carried a pocket knife... I don't remember what the rules were, but we didn't have a problem showing them off in school.

Fast forward to the 21st centruy....while in HS, my daughter who also likes knives used to check her handbag after a weekend to make sure she didn't accidentally bring a knife to school.
 
Ankerson said:
They don't want to use their brains for anything more than brainwashing the kids into being Liberals.
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Ironically, these zero tolerance policies are a requirement of George Bush's No Child Left Behind program. An individual exercising any judgment under the current system puts the whole school at risk of losing funding. It's a sad state of affairs, but no matter what your news outlet of choice claims, it's neither a liberal or conservative issue. We all had a part in setting this up.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
The ironic part of this story as I understand it is that this child does understand right from wrong, and he knows he did nothing wrong.

It was a group of irresponsible adults who deliberately misinterpreted and exacerbated an originally innocent situation.
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This is an interesting point. The kid knows the rules. He simply doesn't think they should apply to him. Considering is age, it's more likely his parents who think the rules shouldn't apply to him, because, of course, he's an exception. Now let's be honest. How many folks around here really would accept this kind of thinking? Especially from a six year old. Rules for thee, but not for me.

Interesting story about the Catholic school. I went to Catholic grade schools back in the 70s. I can tell you that knives were forbidden. It never actually stopped me. I think Scouts may have been granted an exception on meeting day. But I was never impressed with the Scouts, and I didn't think I needed their imprimatur to carry my knife. If I'd gotten caught, I'd have done what I expected to do: take my lumps.
 
Gentlemen, I think the REAL issue here.... Is finding out what model of hobo knife that was! ;) It looks like one that Victorinox would have made if they were in that market... It has the exact same rounded scales as a SAK and the same shade of red. There is the spoon, fork, knife blade and it also has a combo can/bottle opener as well. I was watching some morning show this morning and they showed a close up and it looks like the tools all snap into place very strongly and it construction looks well done.

shade
 
shecky said:
This is an interesting point. The kid knows the rules. He simply doesn't think they should apply to him. Considering is age, it's more likely his parents who think the rules shouldn't apply to him, because, of course, he's an exception. Now let's be honest. How many folks around here really would accept this kind of thinking? Especially from a six year old. Rules for thee, but not for me.

Interesting story about the Catholic school. I went to Catholic grade schools back in the 70s. I can tell you that knives were forbidden. It never actually stopped me. I think Scouts may have been granted an exception on meeting day. But I was never impressed with the Scouts, and I didn't think I needed their imprimatur to carry my knife. If I'd gotten caught, I'd have done what I expected to do: take my lumps.
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St. Augustine said:
An unjust law is no law at all.
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The kid knows that there shouldn't be anything wrong with bringing a camping tool to school.
 
AKnife said:
The kid broke the rules, he brought a knife to school when they're prohibited. It doesn't matter if the kid thinks he's doing right, he broke rules and shouldn't get away with it. I don't agree with how the school handled the situation, but the kid shouldn't be praised because he broke rules. I don't go to a store and take whatever I want without paying for it just because I feel it's right, rules are made for a reason.
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I agree, we shouldn't be praising this kid for breaking the rules. The problem is the rediculous response by the school. Instead of using their brains, figuring out that the kid was not a threat, and quietly explaining to him, and his parents, that even a knife-fork-spoon combo is not allowed, they over-react and label him a terrorist. I can't stand people who think this way, and who defend the school administrators when every thinking person who observes this story condemns them. It is just easier for them to "close ranks" than it is to actually reason out a proper response.
 
some pictures for those interested:

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shade
 
Kbrasmodeler said:
I agree, we shouldn't be praising this kid for breaking the rules. The problem is the rediculous response by the school. Instead of using their brains, figuring out that the kid was not a threat, and quietly explaining to him, and his parents, that even a knife-fork-spoon combo is not allowed, they over-react and label him a terrorist. I can't stand people who think this way, and who defend the school administrators when every thinking person who observes this story condemns them. It is just easier for them to "close ranks" than it is to actually reason out a proper response.
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That is the Left Wing Liberal way of doing things, did you really expect anything less. :rolleyes:

Our School System is overflowing with Left Wing Liberals... That includes the Colleges and Universities. :jerkit:
 
Yup, that's a Coleman alright. I might just have to pick one of those up for testing. Can't imagine the steel to be anything fancy, but I like the look of that combo can/bottle opener.
 
Josh K said:
The kid knows that there shouldn't be anything wrong with bringing a camping tool to school.
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Yes I agree , from his perspective they were eating utensils and he was going to use them at lunch.
 
I remember when I was at school, there were gun rules. They were only allowed in season and they had to be kept in the trunk or locked in your car or in the principals office and you could not get them out until after school and you could not have them on the school bus and you had to have a hunting license and gone through the local safe hunting course that was of course offered off site but could be used in lieu of a gym class and it got you out of school an hour on two days early so everyone took it. That was quite some time ago in rural Pennsylvania and the principal was an avid hunter and most of the kids were farmers sons. Oh there were knife rules as well, you couldn't play with them during school unless you were in shop class sharpening them or whittling during art class.
 
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I wonder how long until the chairs are all bolted down. You could kill someone with one of those easier than a pocket knife. Do they still use lunch trays in the cafeteria? Those could be quite a weapon as well. Maybe someone should invent a tray that shatters on impact and then outlaw all the old trays.
I'm so sick of all this I refuse to let them keep turning the water up without warning the next generation. In some ways I blame my father's generation just because they took it all for granted. I'm sure it would have been hard to see it coming but Americans are not truly free anymore. We still have freedom of religion and that's about it. Don't think they aren't scheming to take that away as well (Fairness Doctrine).
 
Ankerson said:
That is the Left Wing Liberal way of doing things, did you really expect anything less. :rolleyes:

Our School System is overflowing with Left Wing Liberals... That includes the Colleges and Universities. :jerkit:
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How dare those liberals apply those No Child Left Behind rules across the board the way they're supposed to. :rolleyes:

The crazy thing is that this is exactly what authoritarians want, across the political spectrum. It's the same thinking that bought us things like three strike laws, drug prohibition, sex laws, etc. Rather than allow circumstances dictate the reaction to any particular offense, like those wishy washy liberals always do, people want rules and punishments that are maniacally consistent. And then whine when little Johnny gets hammered down for bringing a pocketknife to school.

Furthermore, if you read the article, the zero tolerance policy was adopted because making discretionary allowances seemed to be subject to abuse. Despite how some of us may want to paint this as a clear cut issue, there is good reason the rules are the way the rules are. Unfortunately, injustices occur either way.

Like I said, want to complain? Look in the mirror.

Originally Posted by St. Augustine
An unjust law is no law at all.
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Exactly which laws would those be? People always want to ignore the laws they don't like.

If you want to ignore unjust rules, feel free to do so. But don't be indignant when the rulemakers don't agree with your judgment. You make your case, and take your lumps like you should if your reasoning can't change minds.

Hopefully, in this case, the authorities will see the injustice in having a true zero tolerance rule, and will have the good judgment to mete out justice in a manner that is fair to all offenders, whether they've committed minor or major offenses.
 
shecky said:
This is an interesting point. The kid knows the rules. He simply doesn't think they should apply to him. Considering is age, it's more likely his parents who think the rules shouldn't apply to him, because, of course, he's an exception.
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That's assuming he knew the rules before he got in trouble.

Most knife people know all the knife rules they might be subjected to. Most gun people know all the gun rules they might be subjected to. People who are neither might not know all the rules.

On another forum some time back on a survival forum someone posted about a sting involving wild animal teeth being sold. I'm not into animal teeth, so I would have had no idea that they would be illegal without the correct documentation. I don't drink so I'm not as familiar with alcohol laws as a drinker would be, and the same goes for smoking.

shecky said:
Now let's be honest. How many folks around here really would accept this kind of thinking? Especially from a six year old. Rules for thee, but not for me.
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That is assmuming that this is the kid's atttitude.

If his attitude is instead that the law is unjust rather than that only he personally is immune to the law, then I'd support his attitude.
 
Ankerson said:
Our School System is overflowing with Left Wing Liberals... That includes the Colleges and Universities.
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Oh, you want to talk about universities too? I went to Fairleigh Dickinson last year for one semester :barf:. Go there with any kind of knife and use it, you'll immediately regret it.

To clarify, you'll regret both going there, and using your knife. But you'll regret going there almost immediately.
 
That made it to the news on TV in Germany, too.
I must say it is not really comprehensible to the average German that the boy is being punished for bringing anything to school unless there were previous incidents involving this boy - those few I've spoken with about that boy all said, well we don't know if he had been a trouble maker before ...

If he was not, that:
Watchmaker said:
6 (SIX), 2x3, 12/2, so - yep - 6 years old...! Having watched a few WWII documentary's recently, I can only sum up the strictness with which rules are applied here with three words.

Befehl ist Befehl. :grumpy:
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neatly sums it up.
 
I can't say I am happy with the change, now the idiots think all violent offences and weapon violations by first graders are excusable or reduced down to 3-5 day suspension. but at least the little Zachary got a reprieve.

BEAR, Del. -- A Delaware first-grader who was facing 45 days in an alternative school as punishment for taking his favorite camping utensil to school can return to class after the school board made a hasty change granting him a reprieve.

Zachary Christie
The seven-member Christina School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to reduce the punishment for kindergartners and first-graders who take weapons to school or commit violent offenses to a suspension ranging from three to five days.

Zachary Christie, 6, had faced 45 days in an alternative school for troublemakers after he took the utensil -- a combination folding knife, fork and spoon -- to school to eat lunch last month. Now, he could return today.
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And it seems i am late in posting this, glad I'm not the only one watching this. :D
 
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