Zero Tolerance = Zero Thinking

I'm getting real tired of zero tolerance policies particularly in relation to schools. Twice in the last week good kids got in trouble doing something that shouldn't have been a big deal. One is suspended for 30 some days even though he is a great student and an Eagle Scout and the other is a cub scout.

In both cases the students did something they should not have done although neither of them even knew what they did was a problem. Should the authorities reprimand them? Of course. Should there be some kind of discipline? Absolutely. Should they be suspended from school and threatened with a long period in reform school? Not a chance.

In both cases the authorities say that there is a zero tolerance policy at their school and they have to do these outlandish things. Hogwash. It is not a "Zero Tolerance" policy although they may call it that. It is a "Zero Thinking" policy.

Zero Tolerance would mean that they are not going to let someone do something wrong and get away with it. Zero Thinking means that they are going to do something "stupid" about the situation without due regard for all the circumstances surrounding the situation. Zero Thinking policies are born out authorities trying to escape from taking responsibility for their own actions. They want to just blame some piece of paper, but that doesn't fly. If you abide by a piece of paper telling you to do something stupid you have only proven that you have an IQ lower than the fools who wrote such ignorant rules.

But such is the dumbing down of America.