CompuServe Messages

Glad you brought up knives (ow, ooch; sorry, difficult typing with the slice I have in my finger from a piece of brick (not a knife <cough>))… A boy was suspended for 13 days (he was going to be suspended for a year), because, one night he was working on a project, and stuck a box knife (utility knife) in his notebook because it became too late and he intended to finish in the morning (the project had something to *do* with the notebook, in fact). He forgot about the box knife, took it to school, and upon discovering it at home room, gave it to his home room teacher because of his awareness of the rule prohibiting knives in school. A kid *voluntarily* complies with a rule in a situation in which the rule shouldn't even *apply*, and his reward? 13 day suspension. That was only a few miles from here. I carried a knife with me since I was 12, and never used it as a weapon, despite many assaults and death-threats by bullies in my high-school years. During the summer, I needed it as a tool, and carried it in winter out of habit. The fact is, I never thought of it as a weapon, probably anymore than this kid did. Remember the good old "boy scout knife"? I spose they're not allowed to carry those anymore, either. Get AutoPilot, or get lost! Eet