Richards 0
Richards 0
QuoteQuoteI've been following this story on CNN and waiting for it to show up in SC. This has to be one of the most egregious lapses of judgment in the history of elementary education. I've made some bad judgment calls and pulled a few stupid pranks in my life, so I keep thinking that if I try hard enough I might be able to get into the mindset of a teacher or a group of teachers who think a staged school/camp shooting would make for a good joke, but I'm at a complete loss. Could these teachers really not see that this was crossing a line and going beyond a friendly "campfire prank?" This is the equivalent of shouting "fire" in a crowded theater. And not only did they cause an undue panic by playing on the very real fears of a bunch of twelve-year-old kids, they've created a potential "Boy Who Cried Wolf" scenario. Now there's a chance that not only the victims of this prank but other kids who hear about it might react to a warning about a real school/camp shooting by saying, "I'm not going to fall for that." I'm usually the first person to come to the defense of someone who finds himself or herself the target of a public outcry--I think most public outcries are born out of over-hyped triflings. But I strongly believe these teachers should be fired. According to the students, these teachers said, "We have a code red,"--apparently that school district's code for an armed intruder--and shouted, "This is not a drill!" I wonder how those same teachers and administrators would have reacted to a student who created a panic with a bogus threat.
That pretty much sums up my opinion.
My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.
Quote>It was as intelligent as suggesting 'duck and cover' is a viable way
>to save kids in a nuclear war.
It's a good way to save SOME kids in a nuclear war.
This reminds me of the whuffo argument against wearing a helmet while skydiving. "If you hit the ground at 120mph, do you really think that helmet is going to save you? You'd have to be an idiot to think that a helmet will help you survive a skydiving accident. Look at all those idiots wearing them fancy helmets! Stupid skydivers."
Or those who complain about having to wear helmets on takeoff. "Why would you want to be conscious while you burn".
Same might be said for "duck and cover".The older I get the less I care who I piss off.
dorbie 0
Thanks for championing this argument. The lampooning of duck & cover advice has always annoyed me when taken seriously outside the realm of standup comedy. It takes less overpressure to blow out glass and shred you than it does to blow down a building and crush you and there are always degrees of damage and debris based on too many factors to count and so there are areas where you might have less of a chance of injury like under a desk.
One would hope this was pretty much self evident, but apparently not. I think these ideas take hold when it becomes politically/socially favorable to repeat them. They grow into myths that go unchallenged for a generation to the point where folks become shocked at any argument & get quite insistent despite the obvious.
Duck & cover.... better than nothing.... sometimes.
One would hope this was pretty much self evident, but apparently not. I think these ideas take hold when it becomes politically/socially favorable to repeat them. They grow into myths that go unchallenged for a generation to the point where folks become shocked at any argument & get quite insistent despite the obvious.
Duck & cover.... better than nothing.... sometimes.
steve1 5
I haven't read all the replies to this, but I have to throw in my two cents.
It never ceases to amaze me how stupid some school administrators are! The teachers could be fired for insubordination if they didn't go along with some idiot administrator's ideas, so I doubt if it was the teacher's fault. Such a bizarre plan would have to be approved first by the principal or superintendant.
Many of these kids are not going to simply get over this. Many may suffer from Post Traumatic Stress years after. It would be easy to sue for a ton of money over this and win.
There are good school administrators out there, but there's also some real morons.
Let me illustrate another case in point. This past week, here in Montana, there was a woman principal who noticed some 7th grade boys in an area that was clearly off the school grounds. She immediately ran them all into her office, and proceeded to strip search each one of them, in her office. She even had them jump up and down, in their skivies, for her scrutiny.
If that wasn't crazy enough, she physically touched them in places while searching for contraband. All that was found was one wood tick.
Did I mention that their were also several windows in her office where other students and staff could look in while these 7th grade boys were jumping up and down in their underware.
I know this all sounds like fantasy, but I read all this recently in our newspaper, so their must be at least some truth to it. It's still under investigation and this principal was sent home for a while.
I'm almost ashamed to admit that I too work in a public school. Where do they get these idiots, who have a complete lack of common sense, and then make them the head cheese?![[:/]](/uploads/emoticons/dry.png "[:/]"){kind=small}
.....Steve1
Hopefully those teachers are now earning their living by standing at an intersection with a bucket and squeagee.