Pencil-packin’ kid provokes panic.
The Stupid file at The Daley Post.
Mad as Hell department.
(This is a series of posts noting and commenting on stupid or venal people, organizations, or governments who act in stupid ways.
Our hero is the news commentator from Network, Harold Beale (played by Peter Finch) who did the “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore” speech speech.
The film was written by Paddy Chayefsky and directed by Sidney Lumet.)
Here’s No 3 in our continuing (sadly, for life) series, The Stupid File: A New Jersey school board.)
“Policy” whacks common sense.
Mad as hell department.
Except here it’s just the child’s father who is mad; the rest of us are stupefied.
But not surprised.
Ethan Chapman, a 13-year-old seventh grader was twirling his pencil in class the other day (imagine!).
Another kid yelled, “He’s making gun motion, send him to juvie!”
Now, we hope that the other kid was joking–but you never know–and the staff at the Glen Meadow Middle School in Vernon Township, New Jersey, takes these things very seriously.
So seriously that they suspended Ethan and order him to undergo a psych evaluation, reported his dad Michael Chaplin.
His son was reportedly stripped and forced to give blood and urine samples for drug testing.
The father, Michael Chaplin was understandably pissed off:
“I’m absolutely livid. I think it’s gross misconduct at its finest. They took something so minimal and took it so far over the edge.”
Apparently, school board policy demands an investigation when anyone in the school “feels uncomfortable.”
Uncomfortable.
As in this room is too hot?
This policy is becoming more prevalent.
It is supremely idiotic. It means that anyone, at any time when ever he or she feels “uncomfortable” can cause this kind of reaction and damage.
“Uncomfortable.”
Think about that for a minute.
No wait, think about for a second; it does not warrant thinking about for a while minute.
Idiots in a school system in New Jersey.
Look, we all know that schools and other organizations should be vigilant with regard to whackos in public (there were several instances of knife-wielding nuts this week alone in Toronto and a stabbing at a school in the U.S.)
Be vigilant, sure.
We get it, but you have to use some common sense.
None of us are safe from this kind of public policy lunacy.
So be on the alert for this kind of stupid behavior too in the name of “Our Policy.”
And for heaven’s sake, say something to the people and outfits that are not using common sense.
Watch the complete News 12 interview with Ethan and his father HERE.
Then you can either laugh or cry.
Frank
Frank Daley
daleyfrank0@gmail.com
647-205-5059
356 Westridge Drive , Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
