While I'm not fond of the Zero Tolerance idea, it isn't a simple situation.
My memory is terrible, but if I recall correctly, in Seattle a few years ago, a judge was killed, and I believe an attorney or two -- I have real trouble getting overly concerned about that -- and at least one spouse at a divorce hearing was taken out. It's odd, but many people who lose a court decision seek unholy vengeance upon the one(s) who in their minds caused this unthinkable result. Most of the Seattle incidents, I believe, happened in the halls, not the courtrooms.
So far as schools are concerned, I would be the first to agree how deplorable it is that common sense couldn't be applied. School administrators are BUSY! THey simply don't have time to take on a never-ending stream of cases requiring decisions, which would arise if they had lists of what was okay and what wasn't. Then again, a tiny plastic toy shouldn't be too difficult to recognize as harmless. The chief value of a simple rule is that it can be understood by everyone, and there is no ambiguity. Even if a knife is brought to school inadvertently, the fact is that it could somehow get to be used violently, whatever the intent of the carrier. I do think that more discretion could be brought to bear on those who are found with banned items, without placing too much strain on the school staffs. But, you have to remember that with decisions comes liability and accountability. Who wants to add that to their already overwhelming responsibilities?
Bugs
