Fifth grader charged after bus fight over snack cake [9 yr old beaten to unconsciousness]

AP ^ | April 2, 2004 | Staff writer

[r9etb]

School isn't about learning. It never has been. For parents, it's about free babysitting. For the elites, it's about molding society.

Well, that's a nice, inflammatory sentiment, that has a comfortably anti-NEA flavor to it. And it's even correct, in some cases. But it's not universally true, and it's probably not even generally true.

For example, my experience was different, as is my kids'. I know a lot of kids from different states and places who are learning in schools that are about learning -- and yes, some of them are even public schools.

(FWIW, my brother's daughter is in a private school, and while it has a good reputation, he's dissatisfied with the education she's getting.... He says the school seems to be more about the elites, molding society.)

If you're really interested in fixing what's broke, you need to take an honest look at what's not broke. It's a lot more helpful than posting complaints to the FR choir.

[William Martel]

A fifty cent zebra cake and a fifty cent chocolate milk every day meant a net $5.00 gain in pocket money by weeks end.

Now THAT'S a healthy lunch...

[kittymyrib]

Yes, home schoolers are missing out on all this social interaction with young thugs and future criminals.

[thoughtomator]

I'm with you on that. This was the real story of Columbine, before it got hijacked by the left - a system so perverted that kids sincerely felt their only opportunity for justice was to kill their tormentors themselves.

When I was a kid, I learned to fight off the bullies by sheer savagery - dirty fighting. I really had no choice, I was a late bloomer and very small in school. I would bite, attack eyes and genitals, emit piercing screams directly into ears... lemme tell you, it stopped that BS right quick.

[boxerblues]

WOW. Are those cakes really that good?

I was putting Little Debbie Snacks in the goodies boxes for the troops, they were like gold.

[azhenfud]

No child left behind.

[ampat]

Read a thread yesterday, or heard on the radio that the military won't take anyone who has been on Ritalin. Seems former users have a potential for unpredictable outbursts. Sounds kinda like the behavior of that kid. I wonder.

[BSunday]

Reason to homeschool number (fill in the blank with an appropriately high number)

[Nataku X]

Seriously??? A $9 tax??

[power2]

If you're really interested in fixing what's broke, you need to take an honest look at what's not broke. It's a lot more helpful than posting complaints to the FR choir.

It doesn't make sense to repair the brakes on a car that has a rotted body with an engine that doesn't run. You go out and get a different car, abandoning the junker. In other words, we homeschool versus trying to fix what we consider an "unsalvagable" educational system, for the good of our children.

[TomHarkinIsNotFromIowa]

Can you remember the day or days when you realized that there were people that would hurt you? Or not like you? Or would take your belongings? Some of the first lessons I learned in school. (Innocence lost) One of the hardest things a parent gets to explain to a child.

[Esther Ruth]

Yes Seareeowsly - a $9 Tax, and you must be weighed first before making the purchase to see if you are within the weight range for purchasing. I've seen the scales in most stores but some still don't have them. People are starting to smuggle the Little Debbie Snack Cakes over from Indiana so Daley is proposing Snack Cake Border Patrol Police.

[Nataku X]

Are you sure you're not pulling my leg... if not, do you have a link to a news story????

[RightWingAtheist]

Snake cakes-sold everywhere except in Ireland. Beware of the poisionous brands, especially the Australian Tiger Snake Cake.

[Squantos]

LMAO..........What makes ya think theres just "one" father in that household ?............:o)

Stay safe Slim !!

[RightWingAtheist]

But stuffed Tweety Birds will still be allowed. Dontcha know that bullies only act that way because they've been disenfranchised; we don't want to deprive them further, would we?

[claudiustg]

---Pretty soon, dad won’t want to see you pulling into the driveway and get control of his family. ---

Either that or he'll shoot you through the head with a 357...

[Hank Rearden]

Yeah, that'll fix it - more laws! If only we had more laws, society would be perfect.

Ever hear from your kid about the assaults? Where's the primary line of communication here - bureaucrat-to-mom or kid-to-mom?

[ladylib]

Today's public school students are being pressured to pull the fat from the fire (NCLB high-stakes testing) so that highly paid school officials can keep their jobs and property values don't plummet. Kids are on edge, under pressure, and becoming more difficult to deal with in the schools. Many parents are starting to realize that it's not worth the grief, hence the steady growth in homeschooling or private schools that aren't governed by NCLB.

Then, of couse, you add to all that pressure the asinine zero-tolerance policies schools have adopted over the years. I predict that by the end of this decade, public schools will become the educational venue of last resort.

[Esther Ruth]

Of course this is not true - yet. But back to the boy on the bus - there will always be bullies and they will always look for the weakest to pick on, we should have never let our sons watch Sesame Street and Barney - it has all been down hill from there. These boys just need to spend some time watching some good old fashion John Wayne, Roy Rodger and Lone Ranger movies.