It's 7:00a.m. Monday morning, March 30, 2009 and I am trying to decide what to have for breakfast. I 'm not in the mood for traditional breakfast food , so I'm thinking leftover dinner food . My fridge has a scrumptous stuffed shrimp left over from the week-end and I am going to re-heat it in the oven. While I am waiting for the shrimp to warm, I hear something on televison that stops me in my tracks. Apparently, a middle school in Connecticut has issued a ruling that forbids all physical contact between students. The school has banned high-fives, handshakes, hand-holding and hugs! The dubious rationale behind this ruling is an attempt to cut down on "horseplay", whatever that means. Apparently, the ban was implemented after a student was injured in a "groin kicking" incident. Is there anything remotely normal about equating a kick to the groin with a high-five? I think not. Isn't it a given that violent and dangerous behavior is forbidden in school already?
So, it stands to reason that my breakfast/leftover dinner remains in the oven, untouched and I am about to...POP. How in the world could a rule like this be enforced in a country like ours that is supposed to be more enlightened than let's say the outer regions of Pakistan? Apparently, we are breaking all the rules of of common sense and we are doing so with complete abandon.
Just a few blogs ago, I discussed the unbelievably upsetting case of a student who was strip-searched at school . Clearly, there is a pattern emerging here and I , for one, am very upset about it. To add insult to injury, a highly regarded high school in Millburn , New Jersey announced that it was was planning on using drug sniffing dogs to root out illegal drugs in the school. Are we sending our children to school or the penitentiary? It's becoming exceedingly difficult to tell the difference.
By the way, do you think it's safe to eat shrimp that has been languishing in the oven for hours? Maybe I'll just throw it out. I'm not that hungry anymore.
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Once again, you are right on target.
ReplyDeleteI think you should be in charge of a lot of things. Common sense is one of them.
taxlarry,
ReplyDeleteOnce again, thanks for visiting my blog and supporting me. With all the breakfasts I miss you'd think I would be very, very skinny!
I absolutely agree with you. We should be educating our children, and there is no common sense to equating a groin kick to a high five.
ReplyDeleteThe teachers and board of education should set an example; these foolish rules certainly don't show the student body that their teachers have any common sense.
Kristine
Kristine,
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with you more. There seems to be a complete lack of common sense at this school and the example they set is appalling. One student wrapped his entire body in duct tape and sat through a few classes, so that he couldn't be accused of touching anyone! Now that's a kid who could run the school.
If the shrimp smells funky, toss it. Not worth the consequences...
ReplyDeleteHow ridiculous... how do you equate a friendly greeting of a high five or handshake with a kick in the groin? Can people not tell the difference between a proper greeting and a vicious kick in the groin? These kids won't know how to greet someone when they go on a job interview. hopefully, they won't get confused as to whether a kick in the groin is a greeting similar to a handshake...
Dear mjz
ReplyDeletePoint well taken! Of course I can think of a few job interviews that you went on where a kick in the groin would have been the correct greeting!
As to the shrimp, good advice..I tossed it.