Posted on 12/17/2007 12:36:23 PM PST by DFG
OCALA, Fla. -- A 10-year old Ocala girl brought her lunch to school and a small kitchen knife to cut it. She now faces a felony charge after being arrested. The school and the sheriff's office disagree on the reason for the arrest.
School officials say the 5th grader was brown-bagging it. She brought a piece of steak for her lunch, but she also brought a steak knife. That's when deputies were called.
It happened in the cafeteria at Sunrise Elementary School. The 10-year-old used the knife to cut the meat.
(Excerpt) Read more at wftv.com ...
The Orlando Sentinel version of this story says that the girl cried when she was arrested. I think she’s been scarred for life by the system. Time to abolish the system.
Since when did we as a nation become afraid of 10 year-olds with cutlrey?
Ask for a trial by jury. They'll teach those LEO's and LE (liberal educators) some lessons.
They can't "use common sense" - if they make ANY judgement outside of the strict zero-tolerance policy, they will not be backed up by the school and will be personally liable for any consequences that occur due to their "common sense" judgement.
I'm not saying it's smart, or right, I'm just saying that's how it is. Once again, blame lawyers.
Gov. Crist would be smart to pardon her and get it over.
A good way to get ANY stupid law/rule revoked is to make it apply to those who make the rules.
However, for the most part, they insulate themselves from this.
If the knife had a serrated blade and a black handle it was an “Assault knife”.
"She did not use it inappropriately. She did not threaten anyone with it. She didn't pull it out and brandish it. Nothing of that nature," explained Marion County School Spokesman Kevin Christian.
But a couple of teachers took the utensil and called the sheriff. When deputies arrived, they were unable to get the child's parents on the phone, so they arrested her and took her to the county's juvenile assessment center.
The school district needs to write a quick check. If it’s too small, the sheriff should dig into his wallet.
Another example of socialists run amok. Why everyone in this country doesn’t homeschool or send their kids to parochial/private schools, I’ll never know! Why put your children into the clutches of the proto-communist NEA?
Two government entities fighting over which can overreact more to a non-event.
I have mixed feelings on this.
On the one hand a little common-sense from school officials (and police) should be excersized. what in the heck do they want her to use, a plastic knife?
On the other hand, a steak knife is not a butter knife and could easily inflict serious damage if used as a weapon.
If the girl’s parents knew she was taking a steak knife to school, they should have known better given the times in which we live. How ‘bout cutting up the steak before leaving for school?
Did it have a bayonet lug, or would that be redundant on a knife?
Detachable serations?
“Would ya’ please pass the jelly?”
Get old sparky warmed up.
When I went to high school (70's) I probably carried my small swiss army knife in my pocket about 60% of the time. It was a "mini" with only two blades that was very handy. If I saw a teacher trying to cut something I wouldn't have thought twice about offering the pocketknife to them and the teacher wouldn't have thought twice about accepting it to do the job. It was as natural as a wallet, chewing gum, spare change or any other thing people carry around in their pockets. Now you get ARRESTED for it?
Perhaps a bright orange tip could have avoided such confusion and panic
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