Matthew Whalen: Has Zero Tolerance Gone Too Far?

g under pg under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,200
edited October 2009 in A Moving Train
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKy9JP37OUU

Matthew Whalen - a victim of zero tolerance at Lansingburgh HS
Matthew Whalen is an honor student, Eagle Scout and aspiring West Point student. The last maybe derailed by the Lansingburgh High School administration's decision to suspend Mr Whalen. What did Mr. Whalen do so wrong? He had a 1 1/2 in pocket knife in his car. He was confronted by the school's assistant principal, asking if he had a knife. He volunteered that the knife was locked in his car and took the assistant principal to the car and showed it to him. Mr. Whalen was informed that he was going to be suspended for having a knife on school property. The school even called the police in for the "dangerous" knife. The cop told them that it was not illegal.

The original suspension was 5-days, which was then extended to 20. George Goodwin, the School's superintendent, says the 20-day punishment is fair. I say, Mr. Goodwin is an idiot.

I would love to stage a sit-in at Lansingburgh High School parking lot, where I and anyone else that thinks Mr. Goodwin is a nit-wit would sit in our locked cars with itty bitty pocket knives open for all the world to see. Difference is I'm not a student, I can't be suspended. A cop already said it isn't against the law, so I can't be arrested for anything more than trespassing. I'm just a taxpayer helping pay Mr. Goodwin's salary. For that, he gets an extra F-U.


I think this getting a bit heavy handed here especially with an almost 3 week suspension, this has to be reduced. I keep a pocket knife up front in my elbow rest and the back for the possible emergency of cutting a seatbelt of mine or someone else. It pays to be prepared and I'm glad Matthew thinks that way too.

Peace
*We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti

*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti

*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)


Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Thorns2010Thorns2010 Posts: 2,201
    g under p wrote:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKy9JP37OUU

    Matthew Whalen - a victim of zero tolerance at Lansingburgh HS
    Matthew Whalen is an honor student, Eagle Scout and aspiring West Point student. The last maybe derailed by the Lansingburgh High School administration's decision to suspend Mr Whalen. What did Mr. Whalen do so wrong? He had a 1 1/2 in pocket knife in his car. He was confronted by the school's assistant principal, asking if he had a knife. He volunteered that the knife was locked in his car and took the assistant principal to the car and showed it to him. Mr. Whalen was informed that he was going to be suspended for having a knife on school property. The school even called the police in for the "dangerous" knife. The cop told them that it was not illegal.

    The original suspension was 5-days, which was then extended to 20. George Goodwin, the School's superintendent, says the 20-day punishment is fair. I say, Mr. Goodwin is an idiot.

    I would love to stage a sit-in at Lansingburgh High School parking lot, where I and anyone else that thinks Mr. Goodwin is a nit-wit would sit in our locked cars with itty bitty pocket knives open for all the world to see. Difference is I'm not a student, I can't be suspended. A cop already said it isn't against the law, so I can't be arrested for anything more than trespassing. I'm just a taxpayer helping pay Mr. Goodwin's salary. For that, he gets an extra F-U.


    I think this getting a bit heavy handed here especially with an almost 3 week suspension, this has to be reduced. I keep a pocket knife up front in my elbow rest and the back for the possible emergency of cutting a seatbelt of mine or someone else. It pays to be prepared and I'm glad Matthew thinks that way too.

    Peace

    Now are we talking 20 days total? Or 20 school days? Because than that is a 4 week suspension.

    Thankfully back when I had a key chain that was a also a squirt gun all that happened was it was taken away from me.

    Theses days I'd probably be expelled because I had a 'gun' in school. :roll:
  • g under pg under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,200
    Thorns2010 wrote:
    g under p wrote:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKy9JP37OUU

    Matthew Whalen - a victim of zero tolerance at Lansingburgh HS
    Matthew Whalen is an honor student, Eagle Scout and aspiring West Point student. The last maybe derailed by the Lansingburgh High School administration's decision to suspend Mr Whalen. What did Mr. Whalen do so wrong? He had a 1 1/2 in pocket knife in his car. He was confronted by the school's assistant principal, asking if he had a knife. He volunteered that the knife was locked in his car and took the assistant principal to the car and showed it to him. Mr. Whalen was informed that he was going to be suspended for having a knife on school property. The school even called the police in for the "dangerous" knife. The cop told them that it was not illegal.

    The original suspension was 5-days, which was then extended to 20. George Goodwin, the School's superintendent, says the 20-day punishment is fair. I say, Mr. Goodwin is an idiot.

    I would love to stage a sit-in at Lansingburgh High School parking lot, where I and anyone else that thinks Mr. Goodwin is a nit-wit would sit in our locked cars with itty bitty pocket knives open for all the world to see. Difference is I'm not a student, I can't be suspended. A cop already said it isn't against the law, so I can't be arrested for anything more than trespassing. I'm just a taxpayer helping pay Mr. Goodwin's salary. For that, he gets an extra F-U.


    I think this getting a bit heavy handed here especially with an almost 3 week suspension, this has to be reduced. I keep a pocket knife up front in my elbow rest and the back for the possible emergency of cutting a seatbelt of mine or someone else. It pays to be prepared and I'm glad Matthew thinks that way too.

    Peace

    Now are we talking 20 days total? Or 20 school days? Because than that is a 4 week suspension.

    Thankfully back when I had a key chain that was a also a squirt gun all that happened was it was taken away from me.

    Theses days I'd probably be expelled because I had a 'gun' in school. :roll:

    20 School days I believe which equals out to be a month.

    Peace
    *We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti

    *MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
    .....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti

    *The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)


  • You bet it has. There are cases like these hapening all the time.
    I remember one case where a little girl brought a cake to school for everyone
    in her class to enjoy. Well her grandmother thought it would be ok
    if she provided a knife to cut the cake with. I can't remember what the outcome was,
    but I think she may have gotten suspended also

    My point is this have some damn common sense when it comes down to
    it,and if anything we should have 0 tolerence for Terrorist.
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