[Secret Agent Man]

Did you see the knife?

Have you figured out the context as to why the student brought the type of knife she did, and the intent or purpose it was going to be used for?

Have you ever about the damage adults do to kids when they hyper-overreact to situations that are innocent and not at all wrong? Equating this to be exactly the same as someone who takes a hunting knife to school to deliberately attack someone? That’s what zero tolerance stopthink BS does.

Most people here don’t fall for it. Common sense would have had the teacher after the demonstration say, “Honey, we have an idiot policy here that would get you into trouble for having the knife here, just don’t bring one in again”. And be done with it.

[Agamemnon]

Back in the days when common sense reigned, I proudly dressed in my Cub Scout uniform in 3rd grade, because my pack met in the school cafeteria after classes. I had a clip on my belt loop from which dangled an official Cub Scout jack-knife.

Did you read that dear snowflake, "gunsequalfreedom"? A 3rd grader transporting a sharpened jack-knife (+ awl + can-opener/screwdriver) ALL DAY at school, and not one teacher or school administrator thought a second thing about it - or about the 20-other similarly dressed and equipped Cub Scouts going to class that day at my school.

This was in Rhode Island in 1966.

Zoom forward ~ 40 years. Both my boys were in high school. Both were Eagle Scouts. Another friend of theirs was also an Eagle Scout. In his car in the parking lot this Eagle Scout friend was reported by some anonymous tipster to Admins for having a paring knife in his car, and he was observed sitting in his car peeling away an apple skin, and eating an apple.

He was a Senior in High School - cops came, he was suspended, and faced the potential of expulsion for being in possession of knife on school property (yes, they had stainless steel knives for use in the cafeteria.).

A special tribunal was held by Administrators in the band room. The tribunal was attended by >50 friends, parents and fellow scouts - all in uniform - giving personal endorsements and testimonies on behalf of this Eagle Scout.

We made them back down, and this Eagle Scout student graduated, and went on to the University of Vermont where he graduated in an IT related field.

Some say "GunsequalFreedom" around here, and that sounds like some big talk alright, but it seems it's all just so much sloganeering when in reality someone sporting the screen name, "gunsequalsfreedom" cowers and squeals at a stupid butter knife.

Fact is Freedom itself informed by a healthy dose of common sense must be revered first -- your weapon is a matter of choice.

FReegards!