Zero tolerance: more a test of who in the adult realm is mature and who is not

Plastic pellet incident at Va. school ends in expulsion, assault charges - Kevin Sieff - Washington Post - Feb 01, 2011 

14 year old expelled for using a "pea-shooter" - something every boy in North America used in "the good ol' days" when boys were simply that - boys. Today they are criminals and expelled criminals at that. . .  But, hey! Zero tolerance keeps us safe doesn't it? We don't exactly know safe from whom. But then, who cares. We're safe. . . . . Right?   

Remember. . .  : The decision makers, in this situation, are those who have been mandated to offer our children a sane and healthy education. . .

Quotes from this article: 

• "School officials expelled him for possession and use of a weapon, and they called a deputy sheriff to the scene. . . "
•  he was charged with three counts of misdemeanor assault

• The federal Gun-Free Schools Act mandates that schools expel students who take weapons, including hand guns, explosive devices and projectile weapons, to school.

• "We have an obligation to protect the students in our building from others who pose a threat to the over-all safe learning environment," the principal of the school states.

• Civil liberty advocates state : "School officials have developed a very dangerous mind-set that allows virtually no freedom for students, while at the same time criminalizing childish behavior." 

• The boy in question will be cleared of the misdemeanor criminal charges if he participates in a year-long diversion program. . . . . . . 

And so today, adults who are responsible for our children's well being for at least 5 hours a day, every day. . .  consider expulsion a normal reaction to what only 20 years ago would have merited an after school punishment of writing 100 lines of "I will not use a pea-shooter to plonk Johnny's head ever again." Now, is that what is called evolution. . . or just too much taking in of polluted air?