Yet another astounding story from the front lines — our nation’s schools.
From True’s 28 November 2010 issue:
Editorial
Independence Day
It’s Independence Day weekend in the U.S., and I thought I’d share a couple of photos I took yesterday in the “real” Rural America.
Poor Taste? Not Offhand.
I did get some complaints last week about the story of the guy who lost his arm when it became stuck in his furnace boiler. I have my own response to the complaints of “poor taste” and “NOT FUNNY!”
1984 in 2010: a ZT Influence
My recent editorial analyzing a Zero Tolerance case (Patrick Timoney’s “Gun”) showed just how crazy people can get trying to control others, and their desire to punish non-transgressions just the same as if the person was actually doing something wrong. Most people fully got the point. Others, to my shock, didn’t.
Patrick Timoney’s “Gun”
The “zero tolerance” stories just don’t stop, despite court decisions and legislators demanding “common sense.” A 2-inch hunk of plastic isn’t a gun, unless you’re a hysterical grade school principal who demands that 9-year-olds in your care sign confessions when they bring a toy to school.
Ed Freeman and Political Manipulation
I generally don’t want suggestions for True’s Honorary Unsubscribe feature; my usual problem is having far too many possibilities for the one slot each week. In July 2009 a new trend started: people wanting me to do an Honorary Unsubscribe write-up for Ed Freeman, a brave Vietnam War helicopter pilot who saved about 30 shot-up kids and was awarded the Medal of Honor — the U.S.’s highest military decoration.
Paul Clarke and British Zero Tolerance
Often when I include an article about “zero tolerance” in True, I hear from people outside the United States who claim some variation of “only in America!”
Not so, of course. Some of the most outrageous examples happen in the British Commonwealth countries, including England. Such was the case this week (the 15 November 2009 edition), with this outrage:
Lessons from a Strange Death
Odd deaths are a staple story type in True, sometimes as a cautionary tale about what not to do, and sometimes as a way to point out how horribly we can treat others. This is one such case, with an update.
Zero Tolerance and the 800-lb Gorilla
The New York Times had an article today on a ridiculous zero tolerance situation: a kid in Delaware who was so excited to get his Cub Scouts camping utensil — a fork, knife and spoon combo — that he took it to school to eat his lunch with. Yeah, a Cub Scout: Zachary Christie is just 6 years old.
Swine Flu
Yeah: Looks Like I Got It!
Another ZT Success Story
I’ve long railed against Zero Tolerance in True, with the first such story appearing way back in 1995. And there have been plenty … more … since.
“False, Crude, and Offensive!”
An angry Premium subscriber, after reading a story in this week’s issue, wrote to proclaim “That is not only false, crude, and offensive, it is an obvious, kneejerk response that would occur to many people looking for a cheap shot.”
The Future of Newspapers
When I started True back in 1994, there weren’t too many people online — especially compared to now. Once I quit my Day Job to pursue online publishing full time, I was constantly looking for peers — people to talk with that would understand what it was I was doing.
Bear Country
A few comments about this week’s lead story, about the encounter between a bear and a Colorado woman. If the location sounds somehow familiar, it’s because that’s where I live.
In the Line of Duty
The county I’m in is pretty small, population-wise: about 4,200 people. (Geography-wise, it’s medium for the west: about 550 square miles.) As you might guess, there’s not much shopping in my county, so for groceries we pop into Montrose, which is a town of about 16,000, and is only 20 minutes away. (Montrose County has a population of around 34,000 in 2,240 square miles.) So we know the town pretty well.
Dude! I Got Trashed Last Night!
Another story that isn’t really complete without the photos mentioned. Even before I posted them, a couple of readers thought I was too hard on the guy; I’ll let you decide on that point. Let’s start with the story, from True’s 19 July 2009 issue.
Civic Pride
There were several cranky responses to a story in last week’s issue. Let’s start with the story, from the edition dated 5 July 2009:
Zero Tolerance Thwarted by Common Sense
The first story in True about “zero tolerance” appeared in June, 1995, and I started railing about the concept soon after. It took more than a decade before I starting noticing other columnists editorializing against ZT.
Don’t Talk to the Cops
Some readers will be a bit puzzled why I would spread this message in my blog: “Do not, under any circumstances, be interviewed by the police without advice from a lawyer.” You have a right to remain silent, and I urge you to exercise that right. Especially if you are innocent.
Herb Caen: Master of the Three Dots
This story is what got me started on remembering Herb Caen — it’s from True’s 17 May 2009 issue: