And then a school shooting happens and the reputation is more than tarnished
I’ve heard some stories about schools with zero tolerance. Bullying victims soon found out that you get equal punishment for defending themselves or for some serious violence. The logical response is to go full berserker mode.
“So, Kid A jumped Kid B in the hallway, called them a bigoted slur, then beat Kid B so badly he had to go to the hospital. Kid B tried to fight back, but was overwhelmed. Our solution is that kids are going to be suspended for an equal amount of time and suffer equal repercussions, because zero tolerance.”
Zero tolerance is the absence of humanity as a policy. It’s abhorrent.
Totally.
My mom would always ask, “Why didn’t you walk away?” And I would respond “I get suspended either way, at least this way everyone knows not to fuck with me.”
I am so glad I haven’t had to hit someone in a long time.
That, and have you ever tried to “walk away” when there are like five people chasing you with the intent of beating you up? Good luck with that.
JFK should have just walked away from Lee Harvey Oswald instead of encouraging him
kids need to learn how to fight back. the bullies will still be there when you grow up.
Then to make the comparison work, the police (real ones) should be called every time a student reports being assaulted, and it shouldn’t be treated as school disciplinary matter any more than it would be an HR issue if I were punched by a coworker.
sigh. keep trusting in institutions.
i live in a world of pod people.
The police aren’t a good solution but they’re better than forcing our kids to risk being assaulted in school every day because the schools refuse to stop it.
