Comments on: Hair Nets and Riot Gear

By: Jailed For A Food Fight | Heretical Ideas Blog

Jailed For A Food Fight | Heretical Ideas Blog — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:34:39 +0000

[...] (link via Radley Balko) [...]

By: Monica

Monica — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:05:23 +0000

Welcome to the Police State, Mr. and Mrs. Russell. Here in America, they identify the person they want to persecute and then find a crime to fit. It’s all “for the children”

By: random guy

random guy — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:55:17 +0000

I guess school really does prepare you for the future. A future of being mistreated and maligned by police and authority figures for minor offenses. But at least America is free, and the children are safe.

By: Cynical in CA

Cynical in CA — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:53:11 +0000

No mention of the predominant race of the children in question.

Since it’s South Side, I’m going to assume the majority of the children were black.

Makes one wonder if a food fight broke out on the North Side or in Lake Forest, if the police response would have been similarly heavy-handed.

I mean, I’ve seen a lot of John Hughes films and in none of them are white students engaging in a food fight arrested by the police.

Maybe it’s just me. I’m surprised I’m the first to bring up race — not only in the article itself, but on this comments page.

By: Andrew Williams

Andrew Williams — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:16:11 +0000

Now we know why John Belushi died.

Bluto was a PROPHET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: Lori Wilson

Lori Wilson — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:37:50 +0000

When I was in Jr. High in the late 60′s, our vice-principal, Mr. Pinney would walk around school carrying a huge (or so it seemed) paddle with holes bored into it. Only the stupidest kids didn’t get the message!

By: Steamed McQueen

Steamed McQueen — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:12:56 +0000

Learn, young citizens that it is not you who are in control, it is we, the state.

Comply and there will be no problems. But you must always obey and not question, or display unapproved emotion.

By: JThompson

JThompson — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:57:12 +0000

@wheeler: Nah, had they gotten food on an administrator the charge would've been battery with a deadly weapon. Sending the little punk down the river for a felony would teach them to think twice before they recklessly aimed their mashed potatoes toward innocent victims again. By the way, I don't know if you've seen it yet, but articles and reports like this should be required reading for anti-2nd amendment types.

By: Alex

Alex — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:48:00 +0000

“Obviously if students were out in the smoking area they weren’t in class learning how to punctuate.”

tariqata, meet facebook.com . It has so much to teach you.

Dr. T, obviously the administration was embarrassed that 25 middle school kids, including girls apparently, threw better than Obama. I’m not sure this can be solved with a few Bens.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:08:37 +0000

> not every sordid thing that goes on in Chicago is Obama’s fault.
> You all really need to retire that line. It makes you look ridiculous.

Radley,

Where did Dr. T. blame Obama for this?

He merely mentioned that Chicago is the land of bribes, and that Obama is from Chicago.

By: Brian

Brian — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:49:51 +0000

Not to excuse this, but it’s worth noting that a high school kid was beaten to death not long ago during an after school brawl just a few miles away. And so far this year, something like 40 CPS students have been killed. So everyone is a little on edge and likely to overreact. This isn’t just blind exercise of authority, or the unintended consequences of Zero Tolerance policies–it’s even worse. They’re genuinely scared shitless.

By: Saint Zero

Saint Zero — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:35:21 +0000

On one hand, I’m fine with arresting the delinquents. On the other hand, perhaps just beatings plus suspensions plus KP or something might have done just as well.

Can’t really work up any sympathy for the convicts either way, however.

By: Dan

Dan — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:06:25 +0000

In my day the PE teacher would be called in, the instigators identified (whether it was the right kids or not), he would grab a woven leather belt specifically designed for it’s purpose, the kids would be instructed to grab their ankles and a note would be sent home with those disciplined.

Most of the time if someone decided to start something, the other kids would squelch it before it escalated; on the conceptual merit that discipline was dolled out to both those that deserved it and those that did not. Justice was usually served after the event.

By: Dan Z

Dan Z — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:58:30 +0000

InMD,

Always love a good Simpsons reference!

By: Jerri Lynn Ward

Jerri Lynn Ward — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:50:08 +0000

Food fights were rampant at Texas A&M in the 70′s, when I was there. I have to tell you that I think that had the campus police tried to arrest food-fighters, the Corps of Cadets (along with their sabers) and a good part of the student body would have surrounded the cops to prevent it. That’s why they never tried to use police to stop the fights. Although we never demonstrated against the Vietnam War (the corps of cadets, you know) , we were able to arrange campus-wide boycotts and resistance to various administration-spawned initiatives within a couple of hours that caused them to completely buckle.

This story reinforces my determination to continue arguing that parents should home school their children. I don’t like food fights because the results make me want to upchuck, but I like using government goons to stop them even less. We have forgotten the art of self-governance and the use of police proves that.

By: woodbutcher

woodbutcher — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:25:58 +0000

Obviously if students were out in the smoking area they weren’t in class learning how to punctuate.

Punctuation & spelling didn’t really come up alot in woodshop and being that i wanted to be a carpenter and not a english teacher the smoking area was a fair trade for english skills. plus it gave me the patience i needed not to throw food at people .
And since spanish is spoken more than english on most job sights now any way
i don’t see the harm in me skipping english and math to have a joint or a cigg while trying to meet girls .
why else would a 16-17 yr old male go to school .
you dont actually think a kid that age is paying attention to any thing except weather the girl he’s interested in put’s out do you ?
I know that much at least has not changed since i was a kid.

By: InMD

InMD — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:22:49 +0000

At #24

Lookin’ out the window; that’s a paddlin’. Starin’ at my sandals; that’s a paddlin’. Paddlin’ the school canoe; oh you better believe that’s a paddlin’.

By: Radley Balko

Radley Balko — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:14:14 +0000

Hate to break it to you, Dr. T., but not every sordid thing that goes on in Chicago is Obama’s fault.

You all really need to retire that line. It makes you look ridiculous.

By: jumping the snark

jumping the snark — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:52:23 +0000

Obviously [COMMA] if students were out in the smoking area [COMMA] they weren’t in class learning how to punctuate.

By: anarch

anarch — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:51:03 +0000

This is overkill.

Just withhold their food until they show they’re ready to treat it right.