Comments on: Broken Pencil Sharpener Leads to Panic at Hilton Head Elementary School http://neveryetmelted.com/2008/09/12/broken-pencil-sharpener-leads-to-panic-at-hilton-head-elementary-school/ The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted. -- D.H. Lawrence Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:35:13 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Casey http://neveryetmelted.com/2008/09/12/broken-pencil-sharpener-leads-to-panic-at-hilton-head-elementary-school/comment-page-1/#comment-131842 Casey Thu, 13 Nov 2008 03:16:38 +0000 http://neveryetmelted.com/index.php/broken-pencil-sharpener-leads-to-panic-at-hilton-head-elementary-school/#comment-131842 Harming the children with a blade from a pencil sharpener? I know something that's even more harmful to society as a whole, and that's paranoia mixed with intolerance. The story itself pushes that point if you pay close attention. Harming the children with a blade from a pencil sharpener?

I know something that’s even more harmful to society as a whole, and that’s paranoia mixed with intolerance.

The story itself pushes that point if you pay close attention.

]]> By: peter http://neveryetmelted.com/2008/09/12/broken-pencil-sharpener-leads-to-panic-at-hilton-head-elementary-school/comment-page-1/#comment-125882 peter Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:18:49 +0000 http://neveryetmelted.com/index.php/broken-pencil-sharpener-leads-to-panic-at-hilton-head-elementary-school/#comment-125882 "Let me assure you that this story though based on a police report, was not correct. I really wish that everyone would quit assuming that everything they read is true" So what is the truth? Please enlighten us as you obviously have much better information thatn us. Please give us the opertunity to hold our heads in shame for believing a police report instead of someone commenting on a blog. "What would have happened if this boy decided to bully someone with that blade?" Well? Was there any bullying? Was there any suggestion of Bullying? Was there any suggestion he was a bully and therefore could have used this blade? Um....no. "I wish adults AND PARENTS would stop defending children for their bad choices, and actually PUNISH THEM for them for their mistakes. Maybe then we wouldn’t have the need for Safe School Acts or zero tolerance policies". Ahem. you are advocating a zero tolerance policy ...in order.....to....prevent...a... zero tolerance policy. Doh. In case you missed the vital point. IT WAS A PENCIL SHARPENER. It was not used in an attack. It was not used to threaten an attack. It was being used as a PENCIL SHARPNER. Got that? Or do you need a lesson in common sense? “Let me assure you that this story though based on a police report, was not correct. I really wish that everyone would quit assuming that everything they read is true” So what is the truth? Please enlighten us as you obviously have much better information thatn us. Please give us the opertunity to hold our heads in shame for believing a police report instead of someone commenting on a blog.

“What would have happened if this boy decided to bully someone with that blade?” Well? Was there any bullying? Was there any suggestion of Bullying? Was there any suggestion he was a bully and therefore could have used this blade? Um….no.

“I wish adults AND PARENTS would stop defending children for their bad choices, and actually PUNISH THEM for them for their mistakes. Maybe then we wouldn’t have the need for Safe School Acts or zero tolerance policies”. Ahem. you are advocating a zero tolerance policy …in order…..to….prevent…a… zero tolerance policy. Doh.

In case you missed the vital point. IT WAS A PENCIL SHARPENER. It was not used in an attack. It was not used to threaten an attack. It was being used as a PENCIL SHARPNER. Got that? Or do you need a lesson in common sense?

]]> By: Disappointed in Educators http://neveryetmelted.com/2008/09/12/broken-pencil-sharpener-leads-to-panic-at-hilton-head-elementary-school/comment-page-1/#comment-125465 Disappointed in Educators Sat, 13 Sep 2008 04:29:48 +0000 http://neveryetmelted.com/index.php/broken-pencil-sharpener-leads-to-panic-at-hilton-head-elementary-school/#comment-125465 Unfortunately, there appears to be a flood of letters to congresspeople all over this country from Pencil Control, Inc., encouraging them to pass new laws demanding a 7-day waiting period for sharpeners and ammunition (pencils), government registration of pencil sharpeners, a ban on automatic sharpeners, a demand for "smart sharpener" technology, and a government sharpener buy-back program designed to trade pencil sharpeners for U.S. flags and government peanut butter. In response, I've decided to join the National Pencil-Sharpener Assocation (NPA) as a lifetime member, which will protect my rights to keep and bear pencil sharpeners as envisioned by our forefathers. Unfortunately, there appears to be a flood of letters to congresspeople all over this country from Pencil Control, Inc., encouraging them to pass new laws demanding a 7-day waiting period for sharpeners and ammunition (pencils), government registration of pencil sharpeners, a ban on automatic sharpeners, a demand for “smart sharpener” technology, and a government sharpener buy-back program designed to trade pencil sharpeners for U.S. flags and government peanut butter.

In response, I’ve decided to join the National Pencil-Sharpener Assocation (NPA) as a lifetime member, which will protect my rights to keep and bear pencil sharpeners as envisioned by our forefathers.

]]> By: Fed up from SC http://neveryetmelted.com/2008/09/12/broken-pencil-sharpener-leads-to-panic-at-hilton-head-elementary-school/comment-page-1/#comment-125464 Fed up from SC Sat, 13 Sep 2008 03:02:12 +0000 http://neveryetmelted.com/index.php/broken-pencil-sharpener-leads-to-panic-at-hilton-head-elementary-school/#comment-125464 Ladies & Gents: Let me assure you that this story though based on a police report, was not correct. I really wish that everyone would quit assuming that everything they read is true. I applaud this district and administration for their decision and I think if you really think about it you should too. Ask yourself: What would have happened if this boy decided to bully someone with that blade? An entirely different story, truth-be-told, but we hold teachers and school administrators responsible for students safety and then when they do their best to make sure they are safe, we throw them to the dogs? Seriously? Can we really afford to do that in a post 9/11, post Columbine, post VT world? The teacher and the assistant principal involved in this situation did not ask for their entire week to be ruined because of this boys bad choice. Let me remind you that all of this HOPLA is over a 10 year old boys bad choice. He dismantled a pencil sharpener (AT home) then brought the blade to school (not the other pieces) then decided to play with it during instruction. The teacher then had to stop instruction to deal with the situation. No this boy is not innocent, he isn't exactly what I would call a "good student" either. I wish adults AND PARENTS would stop defending children for their bad choices, and actually PUNISH THEM for them for their mistakes. Maybe then we wouldn't have the need for Safe School Acts or zero tolerance policies. Thank you for your time. Ladies & Gents:

Let me assure you that this story though based on a police report, was not correct. I really wish that everyone would quit assuming that everything they read is true. I applaud this district and administration for their decision and I think if you really think about it you should too.

Ask yourself: What would have happened if this boy decided to bully someone with that blade? An entirely different story, truth-be-told, but we hold teachers and school administrators responsible for students safety and then when they do their best to make sure they are safe, we throw them to the dogs? Seriously? Can we really afford to do that in a post 9/11, post Columbine, post VT world?

The teacher and the assistant principal involved in this situation did not ask for their entire week to be ruined because of this boys bad choice. Let me remind you that all of this HOPLA is over a 10 year old boys bad choice. He dismantled a pencil sharpener (AT home) then brought the blade to school (not the other pieces) then decided to play with it during instruction. The teacher then had to stop instruction to deal with the situation. No this boy is not innocent, he isn’t exactly what I would call a “good student” either.

I wish adults AND PARENTS would stop defending children for their bad choices, and actually PUNISH THEM for them for their mistakes. Maybe then we wouldn’t have the need for Safe School Acts or zero tolerance policies.

Thank you for your time.

]]> By: JDZ http://neveryetmelted.com/2008/09/12/broken-pencil-sharpener-leads-to-panic-at-hilton-head-elementary-school/comment-page-1/#comment-125431 JDZ Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:32:06 +0000 http://neveryetmelted.com/index.php/broken-pencil-sharpener-leads-to-panic-at-hilton-head-elementary-school/#comment-125431 That was just a typo. A couple of letters didn't get typed in. It happens. I'm old. My reading glasses are, too, and I tend to type too often while chatting on the phone or wrestling with a cat on my lap. But, thanks for catching this one. Feel free to email me. That was just a typo. A couple of letters didn’t get typed in.

It happens. I’m old. My reading glasses are, too, and I tend to type too often while chatting on the phone or wrestling with a cat on my lap.

But, thanks for catching this one. Feel free to email me.

]]> By: Warren http://neveryetmelted.com/2008/09/12/broken-pencil-sharpener-leads-to-panic-at-hilton-head-elementary-school/comment-page-1/#comment-125426 Warren Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:50:05 +0000 http://neveryetmelted.com/index.php/broken-pencil-sharpener-leads-to-panic-at-hilton-head-elementary-school/#comment-125426 Please do your best to avoid the grammatical errors. I read your blog daily, and these errors make you appear dim. "Maybe a legendary martial arts could do something" doesn't make sense, but your argument still does. Those juxtapositions have influence over readers! Please do your best to avoid the grammatical errors. I read your blog daily, and these errors make you appear dim. “Maybe a legendary martial arts could do something” doesn’t make sense, but your argument still does. Those juxtapositions have influence over readers!

]]> By: Broken pencil sharpener http://neveryetmelted.com/2008/09/12/broken-pencil-sharpener-leads-to-panic-at-hilton-head-elementary-school/comment-page-1/#comment-125425 Broken pencil sharpener Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:56:42 +0000 http://neveryetmelted.com/index.php/broken-pencil-sharpener-leads-to-panic-at-hilton-head-elementary-school/#comment-125425 [...] Stand back! Get the principal on the line! Call the cops! The kid’s got a broken pencil sharpener! (Hilton Head, S.C. Island Packet, Sept. 11) (more, principal’s letter, police report in PDF — via Never Yet Melted). [...] [...] Stand back! Get the principal on the line! Call the cops! The kid’s got a broken pencil sharpener! (Hilton Head, S.C. Island Packet, Sept. 11) (more, principal’s letter, police report in PDF — via Never Yet Melted). [...]

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