In The News

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There has been a lot in the news lately about ridiculous decisions by public school faculty and administration. One such instance occurred at Stuart Draft Elementary in Agusta County, Virginia. For years the school board had a policy of banning of all things-chapstick. The reason given was that it posed a health hazard? Fifth grader Grace Karaffa, however, had enough, and went into action.

Grace was told that she couldn't use chapstick in class because it was a distraction and "...some kids might be allergic..." to it. She created a petition which had over 300 signatures as of September 14th. Then she went before the school board and told them, "I think it would be more distraction to have bleeding lips while I am doing my work." As of this writing the outcome of this is not known.

I have been in the school classroom for over 15 years and, excuse me, but pulling a tube of chapstick out of your pocket or desk and putting some on your lips does not have to be a distraction. Kudos to Grace Karaffa. I wonder what kind of classroom the teacher runs? Does he or she expect all of the students to sit with their hands folded in their laps? What about the ban based on health concerns? I have never heard of anyone being allergic to chapstick, have you? Even if that IS an issue, what else is this girl supposed to do?

This is just one example of decisions being made by some of our public school teachers and staff. Recently, there was a teacher who had a rule that a student could not say "Bless You" in class, even after someone sneezed. Nonsense! That teacher needs to find a different line of work. A student at another school was told she could not wear a T-shirt with "9-11" on it because it violated the dress code. Well, then, that school ought to insist that clothing has nothing on it, even school and sports logos. Is your blood beginning to boil? There's more. I came across a story where a school security officer would not allow a father of a student to enter the building because he was-get this-dressed in a military uniform. That security officer needs to be fired. Is that stupid and unpatriotic, or what?

Here is one more situation concerning a high school football program. A California principal banned a donation of 200 Chick-fil-A sandwiches at a booster club fundraiser because the business defends traditional marriage. Doesn't that principal have anything better to do with his or her time?

While all of this is being banned, consider some things the public schools ARE allowing. Some schools in Florida are permitting Satanist literature to be passed out. The Iowa Right To Life discovered recently that the "Teen Wire" website which is part of a sex education campaign by Planned Parenthood being used in some schools is linked to a porn site. Now, are you getting REALLY ANGRY? At the same time that this is being allowed, the administration at Ward Melville High School in Long Island, New York, told the students they could not have a Bible club. That is a clear violation of their First Amendment rights.

Reasonableness, common sense, and morality have gone out the window in some schools. We obviously have some administrators and teachers who need to find a different profession. Our schools need to stick to the business of educating our kids, not banning or permitting things based upon some individual's warped sense of thinking. They need to look up the definition of "reasonableness," and "common sense," and write it 100 times after school.

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