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Honor Student Suspended for Swiss Army Knife in Car
Right Handed Pitcher ^ | 11/2/2009

Posted on 11/02/2009 11:52:45 AM PST by oldskuulconserv

What has happened to common sense? According to WGY and Fox News, an Honor Student at upstate New York's Lansingburgh High School, Matthew Whalen, has been suspended for twenty days for having a two-inch pocket knife in a locked kit in his car.

Accoding to Fox:

Lansingburgh High has a zero-tolerance policy, and when school officials discovered that Whalen kept his knife locked in his car, he says, they suspended him for five days -- and then tacked on an additional 15 after a hearing.

(Excerpt) Read more at righthandedpitcher.blogspot.com ...


TOPICS: Education; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: banglist; knife; matthewwhalen; pc
When will this end?
1 posted on 11/02/2009 11:52:46 AM PST by oldskuulconserv
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To: oldskuulconserv

outside the aschool?

locked out of sight in the glove compartment in his car??

and they suspended him???

How did they know? Do they have x-ray vision?


2 posted on 11/02/2009 11:54:36 AM PST by Mr. K (I live in fear that one of my typos becomes a freeper catchphrase...I'm series!)
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To: oldskuulconserv
When the School Superintendent’s car is searched and a tire iron (also known as a possible murder weapon) is found.
3 posted on 11/02/2009 11:55:30 AM PST by Anitius Severinus Boethius
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To: oldskuulconserv

It will end when political correctness is replaced with common sense.


4 posted on 11/02/2009 11:55:46 AM PST by Blood of Tyrants (The Second Amendment. Don't MAKE me use it.)
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To: oldskuulconserv

Matthew Whalen, has been suspended for twenty days for having a two-inch pocket knife in a locked kit in his car.

Stupid idiot should have been smoking pot, having sex with a teacher and wearing a "yes we can shirt" then everything would have been fine...

5 posted on 11/02/2009 11:55:49 AM PST by mikelets456
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To: oldskuulconserv

He should have never allowed them into his car and he should have never admitted to anything.

Goes for school officials and police.

Illegal search and seizure and a violation of his civil rights granted to him by our Constitution.


6 posted on 11/02/2009 11:57:14 AM PST by Dacula (Evil succeeds when good men do nothing. Lets do something.)
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To: oldskuulconserv

Can’t they all just get along?


7 posted on 11/02/2009 11:58:00 AM PST by Paladin2
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To: oldskuulconserv

This is but the beginning. It will only get more worser.


8 posted on 11/02/2009 11:58:15 AM PST by 353FMG (Save the Planet -- Erase Socialism)
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To: oldskuulconserv
Tort reform needed now.

I have a friend who worked in a school. When I mentioned these foolish responses she said it straight out: "The Deans, School Committees etc are all afraid of lawyers and lawsuits. It's CYA."

9 posted on 11/02/2009 11:58:23 AM PST by theDentist (fybo; qwerty ergo typo : i type, therefore i misspelll)
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To: oldskuulconserv
My Swiss has been the most useful tool I've ever owned my whole life.

It never fails, it never breaks, what a great tool.

10 posted on 11/02/2009 11:58:47 AM PST by norraad ("What light!">Blues Brothers)
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To: oldskuulconserv

I remember when we carried our shotguns to school, so we could go squirrel hunting afterwards. No respectable boy scout would have been caught dead without his knife in his pocket. What is going wrong with our culture?


11 posted on 11/02/2009 11:59:20 AM PST by pallis
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To: oldskuulconserv

When people are smart enough to pull their kids out of government schools. It isn’t going to “end”; they are just getting wound up.


12 posted on 11/02/2009 12:01:18 PM PST by Freedom4US
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To: pallis
What is going wrong with our culture?

Young male members of a certain socio-economic group are out of control, and there is no politically correct way to punish them except though silly zero-tolerance policies that target everyone.

13 posted on 11/02/2009 12:02:45 PM PST by Mr. Jeeves ("If you cannot pick it up and run with it, you don't really own it." -- Robert Heinlein)
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To: oldskuulconserv

This would have been news a few weeks ago. And I say that as Matthew Whalen’s godfather and the person who got his story splashed all over the media.


14 posted on 11/02/2009 12:07:59 PM PST by ReagansRaiders (Bob McDonnell for (Virginia) Governor - 2009)
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To: Mr. Jeeves

As I recall the Columbine boys were middle class...


15 posted on 11/02/2009 12:08:13 PM PST by jonno (Having an opinion is not the same as having the answer...)
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To: Mr. K
If the police lack the ability to search a car for weapons without violating the Constitutional provisions for probable cause, I doubt this can stand in court.

This is the sort of stupidity that makes me think the world is full of idiots. if the kid wanted to hurt people, he wouldn't keep a swiss army knife in his car. He would have gone in with guns blazing before anyone could do anything about it.

What would be interesting is if someone got a concealed weapons permit and then attempted to challenge the constitutionality of the school refusing to allow it on the ground. Has that ever been done?

16 posted on 11/02/2009 12:08:58 PM PST by WallStreetCapitalist
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To: oldskuulconserv

It will not end until the legal system stops it. Unless consequences are brought on school districts and administrators, the policies will not change. Many of the extreme policies and enforcement were brought by the legal system on the other side. Individuals damaged by students with weapons have exposed schools to huge liabilities. Student rights have been trampled in the process.


17 posted on 11/02/2009 12:09:12 PM PST by businessprofessor
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To: oldskuulconserv

People this stupid have no business “educating” your children, or even being anywhere near them.

What they did to this student was child abuse, on top of being astonishingly and breath-takingly stupid.

Get your kids out of public schools. Grandparents, you may have to help. But get them away from these people.


18 posted on 11/02/2009 12:15:05 PM PST by marron
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To: Dacula

This is total nonsense. But unfortunately, it’s in the school policy that school officials can search your car, locker, bookbag, purse, anything on school property at any time. If he’d refused he’s probably have been in more trouble. Most school districts have the same policy, once it’s on school property during school hours, it’s open season.


19 posted on 11/02/2009 12:34:40 PM PST by ktscarlett66 (Face it girls....I'm older and I have more insurance....)
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To: ReagansRaiders

Why did they search his car to begin with? I know they don’t ‘need’ a reason but usually they have one. Was it a routine search of all vehicles, or was someone hoping to start some trouble for him?


20 posted on 11/02/2009 12:36:55 PM PST by ktscarlett66 (Face it girls....I'm older and I have more insurance....)
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To: ReagansRaiders

Good for you. I remember seeing the student on “Fox & Friends” a couple of weeks ago. He was worried about whether this would hurt his chances of getting into West Point.


21 posted on 11/02/2009 12:38:04 PM PST by Verginius Rufus
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To: oldskuulconserv

This ruling is more a reflection of the lack of good judgment on the part of the school officials than on the student. Why do they have zero-tolerance policies? Simply because the school boards have no confidence in the ability of the school administrators of exercise common sense judgment and arrive at the reasonable response.

When I was in college if you could not make your grades in any other curriculum, then one changed to either journalism or physical education. School administrators lack the common sense to exercise logic. Sad but very true.


22 posted on 11/02/2009 12:49:15 PM PST by Saltmeat
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To: oldskuulconserv

What about all the sharp metal pieces holding his car together? What about his car keys?

Can’t almost anything be a potential weapon?


23 posted on 11/02/2009 12:54:24 PM PST by Zack Attack
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To: oldskuulconserv
When will this end?

When we fire the entire administration each time it is unable to distinguish between pocket knife locked in a car and a Columbine killer.

Eventually, administrators will tire of being canned for a lack of common sense, and they will respond by growing some.
24 posted on 11/02/2009 12:56:34 PM PST by mysterio
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To: Mr. K

My thoughts also...how did they know....a snitch or search of all the cars.........


25 posted on 11/02/2009 1:32:30 PM PST by goat granny
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To: pallis

“No respectable boy scout would have been caught dead without his knife in his pocket. What is going wrong with our culture?”

Mission Statement

The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

Scout Oath Scout Law

On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.

A Scout is:

Trustworthy
Loyal
Helpful
Friendly
Courteous
Kind
Obedient
Cheerful
Thrifty
Brave
Clean
Reverent

Vision Statement

The Boy Scouts of America will prepare every eligible youth in America to become a responsible, participating citizen and leader who is guided by the Scout Oath and Law.

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Media/mission.aspx

If one were trying to build a Godless Athiest Communist society of dependent victims.

Young American boys growing into strong capable men with values, moral and personal courage would be the last thing such sacks of human crap would want to face.

“Be Prepared”

W


26 posted on 11/02/2009 2:01:33 PM PST by WLR (Remember 911 Remember 91 Iran delinda est.)
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To: oldskuulconserv

This has to be the final straw. The homes and vehicles of all eagle scouts should be searched immediately before more potential student terrorists threaten their classmates. Just imagine what this armed and dangerous delinquent could have done. /s


27 posted on 11/02/2009 4:15:00 PM PST by Joan Kerrey (The bigger the government = The smaller the people)
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To: ktscarlett66; goat granny; Mr. K

This post from October 9 explains a lot...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2358367/posts


28 posted on 11/02/2009 6:44:08 PM PST by deks
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To: Mr. K
How did they know? Do they have x-ray vision?

Snitch told 'em.

29 posted on 11/03/2009 3:17:46 PM PST by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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To: Dacula
Illegal search and seizure and a violation of his civil rights granted to him by our Constitution.

Unreasonable search and seizure and a violation of his civil rights protected by our Constitution.

The Constitution doesn't grant rights, it protects them. People's rights are "endowed by" "their Creator", in the words of the Declaration of Independence.

30 posted on 11/03/2009 3:22:17 PM PST by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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