Girl Banned From Prom For Smoking Away From School

www.thekansascitychannel.com ^ | March 31, 2004

[MrsEmmaPeel]

State law trumps the school board, not the other way around.

[Freedom2specul8]

It's not about cigarettes, it's about the long arm of the law.. The child is old enough to vote, and old enough to purchase cigarettes... That's the law. We do not pay the school district to punish monitor our children outside of their jurisdiction...that's not their problem..it's ours.

[Wolfie]

Some rules have no legal basis, and should be broken.

I agree completely. Hopefully, the kids are learning this too.

[dirtboy]

If someone comes up positive on a drug test (which they do on their own time in their own home), do we not have a right to terminate that employee?

Last I checked, smoking was legal. Try again.

[Bob J]

Information on this incident seems to be lacking. Was she at a School event off school grounds?

[Izzy Dunne]

I don't understand the purpose of harassing and punishing the students when they are supposed to be under parental or guardian control..

Allow me to 'splain it to ya:
The concept of "parental or guardian control" is outdated and no longer useful.
Such ideas tend to spread the concept of liberty and THAT we cannot have.
This is a proper exercise of local government - doing the bidding of the national government without direct involvement.
Now do you understand?
If not, please report to the Ministry of Truth tomorrow morning at 7:00 A.M.

[excalibur1701]

Sheesh...didn't mean to bring about so much friction. I'll make it up to you all.

B U S H 2 0 0 4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Am I forgiven now? :)

[Hemingway's Ghost]

if the rules are established "ahead of time", and she does not follow the rules, then the only person to blame is herself. What lessons are we teaching our kids if we back off on any rule, and let the students have their ways.

. . . a perfectly sensible stance if the rules established "ahead of time" make sense themselves. That school feels it can make rules it can enforce outside of its sphere of influence, i.e., the school grounds, especially when it comes to of-age citizens participating in perfectly legal activity, does not make sense.

Sweet weeping Jesus. Exactly what did all these arthritic, incontinent, marmish administrators do back in the Glory Days when there was nothing for them to administer to the brink of disaster?

[Graymatter]

DIS---MISSED!!!

[dirtboy]

I'm amazed at how many people think it's ok for this kid to be smoking at such a young age.

Uh, dude, I hate to break this to you, but the legislators of the state in question set the legal smoking age at 18. If you have a beef, take it up with them. Until then, she's being punished for engaging in a legal activity.

[Freedom2specul8]

Well, if they can't, they get social services to intrude on the family homestead...

[Terry Mross]

The "rule" itself is illegal. What will you say if they come up with a rule that says you can't go to the prom if you drink caffeine? Or you can't wear red? Or, you can't drink alcohol? (18 is the legal age in some states) Or, you can't go to the prom if you vote a certain way?

Think, man, think!

[Not A Snowbird]

We have drug testing at here at work, because of the heavy machinery we use and to keep people as safe as possible. If someone comes up positive on a drug test (which they do on their own time in their own home), do we not have a right to terminate that employee?

Bad analogy. She's not doing anything illegal. I think this rule needs to be modified to apply to minors, not those who have reached the age of adulthood. A challenge to a bad rule isn't out of line here.

[Wolfie]

And yet employer's can drug test for nicotine as well.

The corner we've painted ourselves into with drug testing is that the powers that be have steadfastly argued that workplace testing has nothing to do with the legal system, since violators aren't arrested. They did this as an end run around the 4th amendment. Now its rearing its head in all sorts of health-related ways. The more the merrier.

[MrsEmmaPeel]

B U S H 2 0 0 4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Am I forgiven now? :)

Only if you really mean it!

[Hanging Chad]

Are you SURE you belong here?

[BluH2o]

No doubt this school allows their students to pierce whatever part of their anatomy they please ... tattoo's wherever, but hot damn ... you better not be caught smoking.

[tx_eggman]

I'm amazed at how many people think it's ok for this kid to be smoking at such a young age.

So, now it's not what the law says, it's that you don't think it's OK. Failing a drug test is evidence of illegal activity. An 18 year old smoking in a state where it's legal for an 18 year old to smoke is not the same thing.

Your logic is the reverse of the idiot mayor of San Francisco ... he doesn't like a law, he ignores it. You don't like a legal behavior, you want to punish it.

Trade in the dress for some jackboots

[Husker24]

Not to mention old enough to go to Iraq and get shot at, blown up, and burned and hung from a bridge. Either your an adult at 18 or not.

[Freedom2specul8]

Hey, you are so right!! That's the truth. I have first hand experience. The cops don't have to help parents find 18 yr old missing children.