Free Speech- Common Sense- Asplodes

A straight-A student turns in his homework for a creative writing class. The content has shades of violence- but no threats against anyone- so the school does the sensible thing and kicks him out.

A 'creative writing' class. Kids can shank others walking to school, or directly torment or bully- but Lord forbid if a written character does anything unseemly.

So, beware all you authors who write of  stories with rapes and attacks and bandits and generally anti-social behavior. Are we really far from bestsellers turning into platforms for prison sentences?

See, "Brave New World" was about what not to do, you freakin' morons.

Want to stop kids killing each other? Police the schools- make them check their weapons at the door, not their thoughts. Not their creative outlets which could very well be saving them. Incent parents to be more involved in their children's education and after-school activities. Private schools generally do a very good job of this- must be that $$ factor, if you're paying for something you naturally look for that ROI. I don't hear about the St. Mary's School for Girls calling in for gun crackdowns or the Xavier Academy getting students ending up in tent city.

I just hope that's not just a matter of time. I've found a Great charter I want my son to go to- I'd like to believe it will be a vast improvement and tons safer than the local schools that have numerous gang problems and- from a decent amount of publicized feedback- disinterested parents AND teachers.

However, I want him to know how to think critically, not just to rely on rote answers. Part of that is awakening his creativity, and also a love for sports (it's difficult not to learn on your own how to handle a ball kicked- hard- in your direction or a softball lobbed at your head, with an audience to boot). A love for literature. Music.

And not just safe music, writings, sports.

Comments

[Tim]

The schools are way too worked up over creative writing, uniforms and the like. They are caught up in all the rules and restrictions in a desparate hope that the mindless application of ever changing rules and restrictions will help the kids learn more material more quickly. At my daughter's middle school, a uniform policy that was intended to "eliminate distractions" in the class room, has obsessed the school administrators so much that the first 10 minutes of each class period is spent on a uniform inspection. What a waste of everyonea's time and resources.

[Cassandra West]

That's the problem with axing people like Don Imus and Rosie O'Donnell- We have become a society terrified of truth. I don't like Imus and O'Donnell often irritates me- But if something is out in the open, it can be discussed and picked over until we get at the truth. If we stifle people, the truth becomes so buried we can never find it.

[Cassandra West]

The Bushites ushered in what they hoped was the true Orwellian future. You're absolutely right- And we must combat this with everything we have- while we still can.