Zero tolerance policies were not created to keep anyone safe. They were created to protect brainless, inept school administrators -- and we have far too many of them in this country. Faced with a complicated situation, these brainless, clueless "leaders" only need rely on the zero-tolerance policy. No decision based on facts or the situation need be considered. Common sense has long ago left the American school system.

I guess I should feel lucky that my second-grade son only got three days of out of school suspension for having a corn cob skewer in his pocket (weapon/gang-related activity). The one day in school suspension was a little harder on him when he wrote that he wanted to shoot his bb gun at his grandpa's house and drew a picture of it in his daily journal. That was disturbing to the school officials. But what could they do? Their "hands [were] tied".

One day I visited my daughter's school for lunch and found the lasagne hard to cut with a fork. When I asked for a knife, I was told they were not allowed. So after I watched the children eat like heathens, I called several people including the cafeteria person, principals at both schools my kids were in, and the school district. It seems like it is perceived to be very very dangerous to have a butter knife in the cafeteria at lunch... so instead we serve food that doesn't need cutting where-ever possible. Gee, I would think being stabbed by your neighbor with a fork would hurt a lot more than what someone could do with a butter knife! What silliness!

This type of nonsense is typical of the PC cancer infecting America

School boards are locally elected, by you,people.Attend the meetings, study parlimentary procedure.Ask questions. If they are idiots run against them.That is how government works. I think the thing is that they fear lawsuits-God do they fear lawsuits. How often do they go ahead and pay a teacher who is fired for criminal activity for instance.Because they know some hungry lawyer will take the case on spec and sue them for 25 million or something.Therefore they go ahead and pay the child molester or what ever to leave them alone.The bold do not become school board members -the most timid and untalented run for the thankless job. You get what you asked for-you allow them to retain the position, because you know its a pain in the ass and you don't want to do it.This is your goddam civics lesson for the day.