I don't know all the facts of this particular case so I am not willing to say an incorrect decision was made.
Having said that though, if the only behavior involved was writing racist, threatening sounding notes in a private notebook, I would be concerned. Are we going to involuntarily commit all the bigots in society? On the face of it this sounds like the kind of thing the Soviets and Red Chinese engaged in when they committed people with unpopular views to mental institutions. Wouldn't a little after school counseling be more appropriate for schoolyard bigots? "Therapeutic foster care" sounds like a nice thing. In fact, it's an involuntary committment and removal from one's family. We need to be careful whenever we curtail someone's freedom [this is not meant to imply that the judge and district weren't careful in this case]. I'd like to be convinced that this boy's treatment isn't an overreaction by the school district and judge. When we see "zero tolerance" policies and 10 year old girls being handcuffed and jailed for carrying a pair of scissors in a backpack [as happened in Philadelphia the other day], we have to ask whether school districts are too quick to bring the police down on students for behavior that could be corrected more easily and more effectively in other ways. Again, I am not judging this particular case. It may well be that there was evidence of planning, preperation or intent to carry out the threats. That would be much more serious than simply expressing bigotry. The boy's family situation may have been such that taking him out of it was indicated. We simply don't know those facts. Charlie Swope Ward 1 _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
