Monday, August 27, 2007

Oh, brother!

Check out this item from Queen City, Arizona. The principal of Payne Junior High School suspended a 13 year-old student for five days under the school's "zero tolerance" policy for weapons.

"Wow," you say, "It must be serious. Did he bring a gun or a knife to school? Did he threaten his classmates or teachers?"

Uh, no. He drew a picture of a gun on a homework paper. Check out the link above if you want to see a picture of the gun he drew. It doesn't even really look like a gun. According to the student, it was a "doodle" of a "laser gun". In other words, it was a drawing of a gun that doesn't even exist.

Now, if - unlike me - you can see why, in some cases, it might be necessary for a school to suspend a student for a drawing let me point out a few more what I believe are salient facts. First, the boy didn't threaten anybody. He didn't include a hit list next to the drawing of the gun. He didn't depict the gun shooting anybody, much less classmates or teachers.

Why can't some people get it through their thick heads that we are better off with more freedom and less oppressive government control and regulation? I was reading last week about how out-of-control government spending - a fairly recent phenomenon - tracks pretty closely with women's suffrage and the modern liberal movement. Basically, women demand more government intervention, especially after they have children. This, combined with the growth of litigiousness in our society, has led to an explosion of regulation and no shortage of politicians eager to pander for votes.

I just don't understand how it is that these folks don't realize TANSTAAFL.

THERE AIN'T NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH! If you dispense government largesse, that largesse has to be paid for.

I, myself, would rather keep more of my own money and assume a larger share of responsibility for my own safety and security. I care much more about my safety and security than any deskbound bureaucrat trying to impose a "one-size-fits-all" solution on a nation of 300 million people.

Sadly, with this view, I am clearly in the minority.

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