Zero Tolerance for Character and Common Sense

Seriously?  That is the nicest way to put what is happening in the new police state in which we are raising kids in America.

"I have never lived in a world where adults didn't trust kids."  This is my favorite line from the movie Mean Girls for it sums up the plight of public schools in America "to a tee."  We have come to a point in life in America where we have lost all connection to relationship and common sense to the point of prison for the free and freedom for the convicted.

Case in point...
Yesterday, two kids that I have been very close with since birth experienced this great new America in a real way.  For protection of the accused we will use the names P1, P2 and P3 for the students in the story and A1 and A2 for the adults in the story.  P3 is heading to PE class with a splitting sinus headache and sees her brother, P1 heading to the parking lot to attend his internship periods with his pastor.  She stops him and relates that she has a headache and he proceeds to find a way to get her a couple of Advil to take for her headache.  This is quite a challenge with our new zero tolerance world.  It takes a bit of work to head to the car, search through P2's bat bag where there may be some hidden Advil due to a previous injury at baseball.  Just a side note...we allowed him to put this in his bat bag after being at an out of town baseball game where a teammate was hit in the face with a baseball and no one had a stitch of anything to calm the swelling until parents arrived some time after the incident.  So...back to school.  P3 leans over the fountain and takes a couple of Advil in complete view of the security camera.  Not a minute later, A1 arrives at the water fountain with accusations of illegal drug use and drug dealing on campus along with a form for a four day out of school suspension for both P1 and P3. P1 has left the scene of what he did not know was a crime and P3 is alone.  Of course, P3 being a young lady of high character and integrity gets immediately sick to her stomach, weak in the knees and teary eyed wondering how she has suddenly become a drug dealer and user all in thirty seconds.  As A1 is reading P3 the riot act A2, knowing the character of both P1 and P3 and being a seasoned teacher, walks up and steps up to the plate and quells the craziness.  P3 heads on to class 15 minutes late where she gets to enjoy the company of the boys who truly do use and deal with no consequence.

Now lets think about this...would a brother and sister who are using and dealing drugs use the water fountain by the security camera to do such activity? (common sense) Does A1 really think that every student in that school doesn't know where every security camera is in the building? (common sense) Maybe we don't realize that the reason students are smoking their weed and having sex in the bathrooms is because that is where there cannot be security cameras. (common sense)  Does the 2 years of stellar character and grades and honest communication with administrators not account for an innocent until proven guilty assumption? (character)  Does the fact that you take the pills in the gym hallway full of students, coaches and teachers not say there is nothing to hide? (character)

P1, P2 and P3 have not been trained to live in a world where "adults don't trust children" just like the main character in Mean Girls.  They have been raised to live by the spirit of the law over the letter of the law.  This means that they not only keep the rules but also understand that rules have greater implications than obedience.  The spirit of the law to them might mean that 2 Advil from an Advil bottle in full view of all would not be considered "drug use on school grounds."  This is apparently a huge problem in zero tolerance America.

Now, lest you think that I do not agree with policies at school for the protection of our children, that is not the case.  What concerns me in this world is the "zero tolerance."  This is the clause that gets children with a plastic fork suspended from grade school, the boy with a sword from an extracurricular activity in his trunk because he forgot to take it out before heading to school barred from walking his graduation and P1 and P3 threatened with a four day suspension.

I am sure I could go on and on about this, but I must make certain the school gets a call for the absence of P3 from school today.  P1 and P2 are not allowed to take a signed note stating the absence of a sibling for calls by an adult are the only acceptable communication for absences.  You know, a friend would certainly be less likely to call and act like a parent rather than send a signed note, don't you think?  Oh, no, that would fall under common sense thinking again.

Laughing at the craziness,
Diane