I agree with Sara. I don't know when you went to school, Ken, but it
is WAY different than when I went in the 70's. Obvious weapons and
drugs, of course, were not tolerated, but it is VERY strict now.
Smoking cigarettes was "tolerated" back then, too, and is NOT now. My
daughter can't even carry and self-administer an over the counter
medication, Lactaid, so she can eat dairy at school, without a note
from the DOCTOR (not just me, a parent). The high school here
(Prescott Valley) has a ZERO tolerance for most "offenses", and they
consider a letter opener to be a weapon, too. 
Times have changed, alot.

It probably makes a difference, also, Ken, where you went to school.
Rural (esp. out west or south) areas, are probably more tolerant of
"weapons" like knives than they would be in the city. 

I also agree with the previous thread about knives, or other
potentially dangerous items, in "urban" caches. You can't possibly
know the background of any kid that may find a cache in a neighborhood
park. Up in the rural caches, it is much less likely that an
unsupervised kid will find the cache (altho possible near
campgrounds). I have put pocket knives (and waterprrof matches) in
remote, mountainous caches, but I would never do that in any cache
that I think could be found by a child (alone). I have no problem with
that mother being alarmed and removing the knife, in fact, she acted
amazingly nice by emailing Denny about it. If it had been my kid, I
would have done the same thing. Just my 2 cents as a parent of
teens/preteens and a geocacher.

Trisha "Lightning"
Prescott



On Tue, 10 Dec 2002, "Sara Buchmann" wrote:

> 
> The School policies have been updated because of all the school
> shootings 
> and school violence that has hit us recently.  The Columbine shooting
> is one 
> of the major reasons we have tougher school policies now.
> 
> Of course, if the teacher does not see that you have a "weapon" then
> you 
> won't get in trouble for it.
> 
> Sweepea
> 
> >From: ken@highpointer.com
> >Reply-To: listserv@azgeocaching.com
> >To: listserv@azgeocaching.com
> >Subject: [Az-Geocaching] Why wasn't I suspended from school for
> carrying a 
> >pocketknife?
> >Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 12:27:54 -0800 (PST)
> >
> >
> >The true point is there is a large public out there that shelter
> kids, even 
> >to the point my oldest was suspended from school in the second grade
> for 
> >having a opener/ small blade.  He had picked it up  off my table and
> put it 
> >in his pocket.  School policy stated any blade would result in
> suspension 
> >for two days.
> >
> >Why wasn't I ever suspended from school for carrying a pocketknife
on
> my 
> >belt?  Based on the above policy, I should have been suspended.
> >
> >Ken (a.k.a. Highpointer)
> >
> >
> >
> 
> 
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