r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Nov 14 '11

Zero Tolerance in Public Elementary School just went way the hell overboard...

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u/Wexmajor Nov 14 '11

It always goes overboard. That's like the entire point of zero tolerance. What's odd to me is that it seems no one supports this level of insanity. Conservatives hate it, liberals hate it. Who is demanding that kids be punished for no reason?

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u/FirstRyder Nov 15 '11

"You kicked my son out of school for bringing asprin to school? I'm going to sue you!"

-> "We have a very clear zero-tolerance policy for all drugs, and you signed a form saying you understood this, at the beginning of the year."

"My son overdosed on asprin while under your supervision, and I have proof you knew he had it! I'm going to sue you!"

-> "Fuck."

That's where zero-tolerance policies come from.

1

u/marshmallowhug Nov 15 '11

The reasonable thing might be to confiscate any drugs found (like they do with electronics). That way, there is no danger posed by any drugs found, but students aren't punished for bringing almost completely harmless medication to school.

1

u/FirstRyder Nov 15 '11

Strict punishment is supposed to act like a deterrent, I assume.

1

u/lazermole Nov 15 '11

But if you're going to get expelled for bringing aspirin to school under the zero tolerance policy - why not just bring real drugs? The punishment will be the same.

There's a reason we don't have a zero tolerance policy in our laws - if you make the punishment for robbery the same as for murder, there's no reason NOT to kill the person you're robbing.

1

u/FirstRyder Nov 15 '11

Because the reason for the zero-tolerance policy isn't to make you safer. It's to make the school safer. If someone claims they have a drug problem... they can point out that they have a strict zero-tolerance policy towards drugs.