Zero Tolerance = Zero Brains

What happens when you mix liberalism and political correctness with education, and add in a pinch of zero tolerance for good measure?  You have quality, student athletes getting suspended for lacrosse stick repair tools, more commonly known as pen knives, multi-tools, and lighters.

I wish I could say that this story was an isolated incident to our wonderful leftist state, but unfortunately, that is not the case as it follows a national trend of zero tolerance policies lunacy.  Darwin would NOT be proud! 

The short version summary (full version read above on the initial link) is that two students were suspended after a search of their lacrosse bags failed to yield alcohol (as was suspected), but did net one pen knife (apparently a concealed deadly weapon warranting a 17 year old's arrest) and one lighter (apparently an "explosive" device).  Would someone please beam me up to the starship Enterprise, because this shit is not out of left field, it's pure moonbattery! 

What happened to common sense?  Are humans incapable of adjudicating rules, intentions, and mistakes in conduct that run afoul of prescribed ethics or actions?  So much so that two young men face the potential black mark against their educational careers that could alter their lives, permanently.  And for what reason?  Simply because they are victims of playing a sport that requires using tools that ordinary, common citizens use every day of their lives!?  I mean, holy-hell, a concealed deadly weapon as a minor in school could land the one player in jail for three years (and thus disbar him of his 2nd amendment civil rights)!  Anyways, not the point I'm trying to make here (at least, not about firearms and civil rights).

The lack of educators to reason and critically think through consequences for a student's misguided (or misinformed) actions, is reprehensible on its face, but it is rooted in a poor policy of rights suspension.  Once those kids step foot onto school grounds, they are bound to forfeit their rights prohibiting unreasonable search and seizure.  All it takes is for one high school advisory with a vindictive nature to "accuse" a student of carrying contraband in their personal belongings and initiate an investigation, thus subverting their civil rights  and potentially landing them into this kind of a mess.  We try to teach high schoolers civics (well, they claim to "attempt" to teach it), yet school policies themselves are totalitarian in nature and reinforce "police state" to the minds of our impressionable citizens. 

Not only is this asinine, it is archaic and tyrannical.  If minor children are required to behave like citizens outside the classroom, then they should be treated as such from within the classroom, including access to their civil rights and a comprehensive "student justice system" that can properly adjudicate the injustices and inequalities that come with human behavior.  Ignorance is no excuse, but neither is a failure in compassion or morals.  Perhaps we just need to have some teachers with better sense and more balls to stick up for the rights and actions of quality human beings!

I can personally speak from a situation where I understand what has happened to these two young men.  At current, I am aged 29, and this short story is probably 20 years removed from my memory, but it is a lesson that I am able to recall to this day quite clearly.  Growing up in a rural area, it was nothing for youth to hunt with their fathers (in this case it was dove season, so say between Labor Day and mid to late September).  After spending an afternoon hunting with my father on a Saturday, I attended school the next week and wore the same camo jacket.  Obviously, as September weather changes quickly in Maryland, the jacket was that of convenience on a chilly morning, and I did not even notice the 20 gauge shotgun shells (loaded) that remained in its pockets, until I was already at school and the day was 1/3 or better gone. 

Now, mind you, as a 3rd grader, you run into a very difficult situation.  You know you have broken a school rule, and you have two choices.  Either cop to the fact that you made a mistake, purely out of accident and you have no means (gun) to fire the shells, nor the intention to do it anyways, or tell no one, keep the shells in your pocket, hope you don't get caught and correct the mistake by telling your parents (or no one) once you get home.

Having been raised to be honest, I chose to cop to the mistake in school, to my 3rd grade teacher.  Her punishment?  Nothing.  Absolutely zip, zero, zilch, nada, nothing!  That's right, she told me to keep the shells in my pocket, tell no one, take them home and make sure they never came back; and that was exactly what I did.

So, I can't image things have changed that much in the last 20 some odd years, that the same reasoned thinking by our teacher level educators (and the administrators as well) couldn't come up with a better solution to the initial story.  Though, for that to be the case, that would mean that teachers and administrators might have to think outside their lib-progressive box, and admit their policies are wrong. 

First rule of politics (and everything socialism) never admit failure or defeat. 

New Posts Are Coming...

Dear readers, I'm assuming you've noticed the pattern.  I have energy to post, and blitz you into education submission, and then fall off the face of the earth for a bit. 

Frankly, lately, all the news has been so horrid, I have not had the motivation to write.  So, this week, you will see some new posts, with new material, along with old dated news items.  Throw the Maryland Monday and Finance Friday topic days out the window, while I try to publish things I've wanted to write.  We'll get back to a "format" once the back log is done. 

A personal note...I missed out on the NRACon and wish I had been there.  Hopefully the next time it comes back east (or into a State that I'd like to travel to), I'll block out my schedule to make it. 

So, hello and welcome back! 

Bin Laden: USA After Action Report

The following is purely opinion, but one that I find needs to be written.

1 May 2011, 22:45
FLASH TRAFFIC:
BIN LADEN, DOA.
REPEAT, BIN LADEN, DOA

That was the news last night around 10:30 EDT, and man was it some good news!  I admit, I partook in staying up until the early hours of Monday, gaining a sense of the speculation by the MSM (mostly wrong as they fondled themselves to talk up Obama and to beat their competitors to the punch) and the reaction to the speculation by the people in the streets (and to a lesser extent, the country).  Now that the reaction has died down, and the details have emerged, I find it prudent to express a few more sentiments to support my Tweets from last night (read them via the panel on the home page).

As the day has progressed, I've listened to the talking heads, I've read the retail news outlets, and the blogosphere, and even listened to talk-radio callers fornicate over this great success.  Unfortunately, that opinion will not be seen here.  Yes, undoubtedly justice has been served, and that is great news (without any discount).  Great credit should be given to the nameless and tireless work done by the grunts, the SpecOps, the Spooks and the intel-guys (and gals) who have spent countless man-years (not man-hours), attempting to piece together the mouse crumbs left by, perhaps, the most illusive man on the (then) face of the planet.  The preceding sentence should be interrupted as a resounding and major Kudos to those who have given their lives or put their lives in harms way to make the past 36~48 hours (and several prep months before) a resounding success.  The .mil and .spook folk "done good" and get a major "atta boy!" 

So shall I now begin my qualification of the whole thing; I am not celebrating, and I refuse to celebrate.  While this is America, and I would be a bit of a hypocrite to prevent anyone from freely expressing their emotions, ideas, and expressions, I would call these people fools for acting out the celebration one witnessed last night.  My reasoning?  Simple.  Celebrating the death of one individual (a spiritual figurehead of an Islamic militant movement) does not win the War on Terror.  There are many whom still wish our citizens and soldiers dead, and further wish our way of life to die a death with which will banish it for perhaps a thousand years (historical reference to be written tomorrow).  Further, celebrating the death of humans is not something even great soldiers wish for (namesake of this blog included).

The celebrations I witnessed last night on TV make us as civilized (or barbaric) as our foe.  I don't condemn them, but it certainly speaks to how bin Laden's legacy has truly affected our country.  As I write what follows this sentence, please realize that I absolutely HATE this analogy, but it must be made.  We, as a country, did not celebrate the death of one despotic dictator (Hitler) until the War was officially over, and our troops were brought home to march in armistice parades.  Today, that is not happening.  Today, the WOT continues, and today, the war against an idea continues. 

Ideas supersede martyrs, and wars supersede soldiers (and generals).  While I will leave our military actions and interventions to another day's debate, let me continue by saying again, history has been made and this is great news.  The families affected by 9/11 have some closure, and closure is certainly welcome for human benefit.  Yet let us as a united people not look towards our political leaders for this success, and let us not look at our foe for the status that will surly be lauded upon him.  Freedom resides within the hearts and minds of man and I encourage the intelligent readers to remember exactly this and discuss it with their family and friends.

I would hope that as our country moves forward, we take this "battle" win, and learn from it.  Perhaps this small, tireless effort to bring justice will be the next step in the War on Terror, and thus shape the battle field away from the protracted natures we have found ourselves in.  I pen this as a wish of mine, for the people o the front lines, as well as our country whom tires here at home of extended engagements.  Though, the last thought in all of this is that we, the American People, know how to fight.  We are not weak, and we will always be resolute for justice and that freedom based upon that justice within our society.  Of course, we encourage the entire world to join us in this endeavor, but it is up to the citizens of other countries to make this happen. 

To sign off...ObL, you have lost the battle, you have lost the war.  Regardless of the political leadership's imperial policies, the people realize what freedom means, and we realize what justice means.  We have served justice, and unfortunately for you, it was not vengeful (for the most part) but righteous. 

Williams Case (MD) Petition for Cert: Bearing

A little known case is now thrust into the spotlight by this simple question:

 Whether peacably carrying or transporting a registered handgun outside the home, without a carry permit that is unobtainable by ordinary, law-abiding citizens, is outside of the cope of "the right of the people to ... bear arms" protected by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The petition can be found here along with the major credit to the Maryland Shooters board found on these threads for the details and background. 

As far as I can see, the only detraction from the question is this: loaded and either openly or concealed.  Does this question mean that the states that do not respect our rights (like Maryland) can require that the arms be cased and locked, or does this truly mean "bear."  This new civil right's movement is beating on a lot of doors, and yes, patience is the preferred method, but for those of us who have tasted freedom in freer states, we want our rights NOW!  Hell, at some point, we want our rights restored to pre-1934. 

Happy Monday!  

QOTD: Judical Check & Balance

The dignity and stability of government in all its branches, the morals of the people, and every blessing of society depend so much upon an upright and skillful administration of justice, that the judicial power ought to be distinct from both the legislative and executive, and independent upon both, that so it may be a check upon both, and both should be checks upon that.  -John Adams