I just received my canned form letter back from one Larry Borland (whoever that is). It was written in the typical and customary bureaucratic form, complete with bullet points (maybe we should change that term, to make it more PC). How many of you other forumites received this exact same reply?
Here is an exerpt to show exactly how foolish this school board is (I know I said earlier that I wouldn't quote private correspondance without the other party's permission. But that was regarding a knife maker, a fellow human being. This is from a public school bureaucrat, who I consider lower than a criminal):
"
Who developed the concept of zero tolerance for weapons? Zero tolerance for dangerous weapons is mandated for schools by federal safe schools laws and by the Colorado State Legislature under 22-33-106 of the Colorado Revised Statues, as well as in Board of Education policy. Expulsion from school is required for bringing a dangerous weapon to school under state and federal law and Board policy.
"
What is a dangerous weapon? A dangerous weapon is defined in 22-33-106 (d) (II) as:
a firearm, whether loaded or unloaded
a firearm facsimile
a pellet or bb gun
a fixed blade knife with a blade longer than 3 inches
a spring loaded knife, a pocket knife with a blade longer than 3 ½ inches
any other object, device, instrument, material, or substance, whether animate or inanimate, used or intended to be used to inflict death or serious bodily injury.
"The District 11 School Board uses the state's definition of a dangerous weapon in the student conduct and discipline code."
Okay, that's the federal law. Notice how it makes provisions for folders with blades under three and a half inches. I know it's not fair to restrict knives at all. But at least the feds are willing to concede something, for now. See how the panjandrums at school district 11 deal with this:
"In addition, the Board of Education has defined as standard weapons certain other items including:
any object device, instrument, material or substance, whether animate or inanimate that is (a) used or intended to be used by the student to inflict bodily injury of a lesser degree than serious bodily injury or, (b) is designed to inflict bodily injury of a lesser degree than serious bodily injury,
regardless of the student's intent. [emphasis added]
the Board of Education has defined all knives that do not meet the definition of a dangerous weapon as standard weapons." [again, my emphasis]
So, ladies and gentlemen, you see how they have the law-abiding student over a barrel. Unfortunately, there is nothing most of us can do for school district 11. But, we can definitely take this strory to our own school boards. They are elected officials. Tell them that it's our way, or the highway. I am positive that with enough leverage applied in the right places, we can turn this "pc" thing around, and demand common sense from our elected official. We aren't all sheep.
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"...the Law of the Jungle had taught him to keep his temper, for in the jungle life and food depend on keeping your temper..."
-Rudyard Kipling, from
The Jungle Book
