Zero-Tolerance for teh Burning Stoopid. . . .

Today, we have yet another tale of massive over-reaction thanks to a Zero-Sentience, excuse me, Zero-TOLERANCE policy. . . .

First, an update: you may remember Josh Welch, aka "Pop-Tart Gun Boy".  Today, he was honored by his state legislator, Delegate Nick Kipke, and awarded a life-time membership in the NRA. . .

But this is the People's Republic of Maryland we're talking about, and as such, the balance of the Universe demanded a truly idiotic act balance it out. . .

And Calvert County, Maryland delivered. . . .

We jump to the town of Lusby, Maryland, and Dowell Elementary School. . . .
 . . .and, oh, my, it's an official Green School !!   As Master Yoda would say, the Stoopid is strong here. . .

But sometime, earlier this week, a kindergarten student decided to show his best friend the nifty Cowboy Cap Gun he had gotten at Frontier Town, in Ocean City, Maryland. . . . .

And THAT is where the trouble began . . .   Someone reported that the boy pointed this utterly deadly weapon at someone and said "bang!".  Although eyewitness reports, including that of the boy and his sister, who was ALSO on the bus, said that never happened.

After being reported, the boy was interrogated by school officials for approximately two HOURS, before his mother was called.   And sometime during this interrogation, for some reason  (Stress ??  Official simply not letting him go ??) he wet his pants.   It could have been worse: if he had left a roll of caps in the toy, the Principal has stated that she would have called the Police, as he also would have had EXPLOSIVES.

Now, there are several questions here.  First, if this was so serious, why did they take two hours to call the mother ??  Last time I enrolled a child in ANY school, we needed to supply (and update. . . ) home, cell, and work numbers, as well as email.  You can't even give a sick child an aspirin without parental notification and permission.  And yet isolating a 5-year-old boy, and stressing him to the point of involuntary urination is ok ???

Second, it's OBVIOUSLY a toy. ALL toy guns have had to have readily identifiable marks, generally brightly-colored orange muzzle caps, to distinguish them from a REAL gun, and have been required to do so since the late 1980s.  So there was obviously no danger.  In fact, the ONLY reason to make toy guns an "offense" is indoctrination to develop Hoplophobia in as many inmates, excuse me, STUDENTS enrolled in the State Indoctrination Facilities that call themselves our Public Schools.   This is part of the larger anti-violence indoctrination that teaches victims not to fight back against bullies, lest they be assessed equal punishment for the high crime of standing up for themselves.

Because, a student who defends him or herself may later defend their rights as a citizen, instead of being a compliant consumer-revenue unit who waits for the authorities to intervene. . . Zero-tolerance is the flip-side of this: action that requires no thinking, used to train youth into not thinking for themselves.

No WONDER we've been hearing all these examples lately, and almost all from "Blue" states, or at least "Blue" areas: group-centered politics encourages groupthink, and discourages individuals choosing their own actions. . .

There is an update to this story, but I have not found it online: it WAS reported on WMAL Radio in Washington DC this afternoon:  The 5-year-old-boy will NOT be getting suspended, but as of ~3 PM Eastern today, also would not be getting the record expunged or an apology.  Lawyers are on the case.  Considering the interrogation-without-parental-notice, and placing the child under sufficient stress to mess himself, I see a lawsuit coming.

And I **VERY** much suspect he just got his college education paid for. . .

More skinny-dipping in teh Sea of Stoopid tomorrow. . . .