Tolerate zero tolerance policies
Sarah Zeeck
Issue date: 10/19/09 Section: Opinion
A first grader was sent home from school last Tuesday for bringing a Swiss Army knife to school. Because of zero tolerance policies enforced by the school, the student was sentenced to five days of out-of-school suspension for the offense.
That evening, the school board met and amended the rule to exclude kindergarten and first grade students. Zero tolerance was enacted to reduce and eliminate race injustices that occurred when punishing students-i.e., a white child and a black child would be punished equally, not one at a different degree from the other based on race.
It seems harsh, but put yourself in the position of the school. Had they not punished the student according to the school policies, other parents would have been outraged. They could have been angry on a variety of levels, crying injustice, maybe because their children had been punished for similar offenses, maybe because they feared for their children's' lives, or maybe because they saw it as a slippery slope of leniency.
They might not be far off. If a child is allowed a low-grade weapon, then what happens? How far can the rule be pushed, bent and mangled before it is disregarded completely?
It may seem a bit harsh to punish a six-year-old for a pocketknife, even if his intentions were to use the spoon and fork tools as opposed to the knife, but what happens when he gets into a playground argument with another child and unthinkingly brandishes his Swiss Army Knife in defense? I'm sure the weaponless child's parents would have something to say about the ordeal.
If a person illegally transports alcohol, their motives are not considered. If the container has been opened, even if that person was not driving drunk or intending to become inebriated, they still are arrested. If a person accidentally shoots and kills another person, it is still a degree of murder.
This may be a tough fact of life to learn at such a young age, but that's the way it goes. Children will learn soon enough that life isn't fair, and it will never become fair. Granted, children should not be shoved into the masses of problems life has to offer all the time, but sheltering them from rules rather than being frank and honest with them will just reinforce the wrong idea - that they can do no wrong, or that they are better than anyone else. Remember, this isn't a life-or-death issue; it's a safety issue. If everyone is held to the same expectations, whether they seem rigid or not, everything is fair.
It may be a tough pill to swallow, but it's the medicine we all need.
That evening, the school board met and amended the rule to exclude kindergarten and first grade students. Zero tolerance was enacted to reduce and eliminate race injustices that occurred when punishing students-i.e., a white child and a black child would be punished equally, not one at a different degree from the other based on race.
It seems harsh, but put yourself in the position of the school. Had they not punished the student according to the school policies, other parents would have been outraged. They could have been angry on a variety of levels, crying injustice, maybe because their children had been punished for similar offenses, maybe because they feared for their children's' lives, or maybe because they saw it as a slippery slope of leniency.
They might not be far off. If a child is allowed a low-grade weapon, then what happens? How far can the rule be pushed, bent and mangled before it is disregarded completely?
It may seem a bit harsh to punish a six-year-old for a pocketknife, even if his intentions were to use the spoon and fork tools as opposed to the knife, but what happens when he gets into a playground argument with another child and unthinkingly brandishes his Swiss Army Knife in defense? I'm sure the weaponless child's parents would have something to say about the ordeal.
If a person illegally transports alcohol, their motives are not considered. If the container has been opened, even if that person was not driving drunk or intending to become inebriated, they still are arrested. If a person accidentally shoots and kills another person, it is still a degree of murder.
This may be a tough fact of life to learn at such a young age, but that's the way it goes. Children will learn soon enough that life isn't fair, and it will never become fair. Granted, children should not be shoved into the masses of problems life has to offer all the time, but sheltering them from rules rather than being frank and honest with them will just reinforce the wrong idea - that they can do no wrong, or that they are better than anyone else. Remember, this isn't a life-or-death issue; it's a safety issue. If everyone is held to the same expectations, whether they seem rigid or not, everything is fair.
It may be a tough pill to swallow, but it's the medicine we all need.
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