Stop the world. It's just too stupid!

[chefchris]

ha, that's where my dad lives.

[bigwhiteash]

I think the world is going to shit. Not everything can be viewed in black and white. Because a girl has a utensile to eat with, she's labled as a Columbine Kid?

There should be some sort of discipline, especially if there is a well published school policy against such "weapons", which I'm sure there is, but a criminal act this is not.

Next they will require all food to be pre-chewed. I'm sure I could do some serious damage with a Spork

[The Korean]

Two Words:

Common Sense

[bigwhiteash]

Two Words:

Common Sense

The world being what it has become, I think those two words should be "UNcommon Sense"

[OLBG464]

They arrested her, it's crazy.

[cigar no baka]

Poor cops. They were probably put between a rock and a hard place. If they didn't do something, they get smeared and defamed too. They were most likely being ridden hard by the school administrators who insisted their asinine Zero Tolerance policy be enforced to the fullest extent of the law.

Zero Tolerance policies are for cowards who don't want to make decisions. They can blame the policy.

[heftysmokes]

Ya, it's pretty screwed up.................that some 10 year old is eating better than me! Steak for lunch??? What happened to a good ol' PB&J???

Seriously though: who wins in this situation? The cops look bad for arresting this girl, the school looks bad for calling the cops, the kid is scarred forever for being cuffed and stuffed at age 10, the parents are probably ready to burn down the school and the police station and have already planned the lawsuit.

What happened to somebody using their head and just taking the knife from the kid, then calling the parents and letting them know about the rules in place at school? Is this so difficult to figure out?

[Smoked!]

Poor cops. They were probably put between a rock and a hard place. If they didn't do something, they get smeared and defamed too. They were most likely being ridden hard by the school administrators who insisted their asinine Zero Tolerance policy be enforced to the fullest extent of the law.

Zero Tolerance policies are for cowards who don't want to make decisions. They can blame the policy.

CNB, I'm not picking on your post, but your comments raise an interesting point. Florida employs School Resource Officers (SRO's) on most campuses. You would be amazed at the number of incidents that are "solved" on the scene in order to avoid making a formal report. School Principals are now some cross-breed of a middle manager and a politician. That's one ugly duck. Is this particular arrest the intent of the Zero Tolerance policy? I don't think so.

I am aware of incidents ranging from teacher assaults to drug possession that have gone unreported and effectively unpunished. The incident detailed in the subject report seems to be an overreaction and an unintended consequence of the policy. Clearly the steak knife was not intended to be a "weapon." I submit as supporting evidence a half eaten rib-eye included in the child's lunch-box. I have it on good authority that the steak in question was medium rare.

Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting that the school was "wrong" to take some kind of action. I do, however, question the severity of the action taken. I agree with Shelby when he said that it makes no sense in this day and age to send your child off to school with a knife in her lunch-box. That's a fair statement. I would temper that by reminding that we are talking about a school located in Ocala. In some communities around here, people still wear a Buck Knife on their belt when they attend Church every Sunday... which they drive to in their 4x4's... complete with gun rack. I'm just sayin'.