[BlackRazor]

I guess all those no-tolerance policies only apply to really dangerous things like aspirin and plastic forks.

[zahal724]

btw, LMAOROFLLOL
okay, it wasn't that funny, but it's true, which makes it that funny

[justshutupandtakeit]

Or a drawing of a gun.

If this happened to a child of mine there would be arrests made even if it was only me.

[my4kidsdad]

And fingers pointing like a gun....unbelievable

[Republicus2001]

I think the rule for avoiding danger by steering clear of any M. L. King Blvd in large metro US cities probably applies to any school named ML King as well.

[spetznaz]

Zero tolerance is one fo the worst things to ever happen. Kids getting suspended because they said 'bang bang' or made a paper gun (the ones where you fold paper and make a crude looking, 2-D, 'gun')! That is just sheer stupidity.

And why do they do this? Allegedly because school violence is on the rise, and after Columbine they have to take the 'necessary steps' to ensure such incidents don't occur again.

Well, even Spetz would say that sounds nice. Sounds all warm and fluffy ...goodness, I now feel like going to hug a kitten and sing 'Coke brings the world together!'

However, a caveat pops up. The fact that since 1992 onwards (when they started keeping tabs), school violence -including the media darling cases of Columbine - has fallen by 40%. That is a huge drop. Imagine if income, voter-popularity, or taxes fell 40%!

Yet, if you look at the way the idea of school violence is propagated by the media and special interest groups, it would seem as if kids all over are waking up to go to school with murderous intent. As if they are raving rabid lunatics with a shiv up their sleeve and a landmine inside their backpack, next to their personalized copy of Mein Kampf and the bloody entrails of a clubbed baby seal!

Zero Tolerance is a reflex response to a threat that isn't really that much of a threat, and a response that does more harm than good.

[Delbert]

I saw the video, pissed me off. The punk that did this needs to get expelled.

[dufekin]

I guess all those no-tolerance policies only apply to really dangerous things like aspirin and plastic forks.

The purpose of zero-tolerance policies is to prevent students from defending themselves and to pacify them through fear. Of course the enforcers of zero-tolerance policies ignore real bullies; serious gangsters, bullies, hard-core druggies, and criminals are just too scary to punish. Victims are usually easier to punish; hence, we get stories like this. I heard plenty of stories like this when I went to school.