School’s Zero Tolerance and Grandma’s Bread Knife

Re “Zero Tolerance Lets a Student’s Future Hang on a Knife’s Edge,” Aug. 11: When the principal of Taylor Hess’ high school [in Hurst, Texas] determined that Taylor had acted “recklessly” by bringing a bread knife to school, he neglected to take into consideration that by definition, “reckless” behavior indicates a knowing disregard of danger. If Taylor didn’t even know the knife was there, how did he behave “recklessly”?

Seems to me there are two parts to any law: the “spirit” of the law and the “letter” of the law. When the letter of the law is adhered to without any regard for the spirit in which it was written, good people are made to suffer. Justice is depicted as blind to remind us that we are not to allow ourselves to be swayed by appearance but are required to use all of our discretionary abilities as we weigh the issues.

Katie MacMahon

Orange

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Taylor Hess was expelled for taking a bread knife to his school. He neither threatened anyone with this alleged weapon nor did he even know it had fallen into the bed of his pickup from a box of his grandmother’s things. Any reasoning, intelligent human being would instantly realize that the incident should have been dismissed with an admonition to be more careful, but the district has a “zero-tolerance” policy. He would be expelled.

At issue is not whether he is or is not an honor student. The idea of zero tolerance of anything is particularly odious at an institution where students are supposed to be learning to think. Zero tolerance allows intellectual sloth, demands a closed mind, forbids seeing any event in terms other than black and white, requires lock-step obedience that stifles thought itself. Eventually, they found a bit of wiggle room, and the yearlong suspension was reduced to “time served.”

Supt. Gene Buinger and Principal Jim Short worry that the next student who brings a knife on campus will demand, “If I don’t get the same, it’s discrimination.” That they can think such a thing proves they have learned nothing. There should be one, and only one, acceptable form of zero tolerance: If you have a brain, use it or lose it.

Kenneth H. Goldman

La Crescenta

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After reading this article, two points are now crystal clear: Zero-tolerance policies in the schools protect only the school administrators and the politicians, not the students. Political correctness is really political ridiculousness.

Jim Cowan

Moorpark