A High-Five Might Get You Five...

MSNBC Link: School Enforces Strict No-Touching Rule

You've got to read this story. Summarizing will not do it justice. This is just friggin' pathetic. Another example of clusterf*ck that is the public school system.

I can understand if a school outlaws public displays of affection or gang-related hand signals, etc...but for crying out loud...you can't pat someone on the back, put an arm around your boyfriend or girlfriend, or even hug a friend?

This quote just floored me:

"You get into shades of gray," Kilmer Principal Deborah Hernandez said. "The kids say, 'If he can high-five, then I can do this.' "

I don't know about any of you...but I never knew that a high-five was the "gateway" touch. My God, if they high-five, next thing you know they'll be prowling the halls just waiting to pinch a butt, squeeze a boob or grab a crotch. Next thing you know, there'll be a scare campaign warning against the heathen dangers of "Fiver Madness."

This all boils down to fear...fear of lawsuits. The school, or most likely the school district, is so afraid that a parent will sue because Johnny touched Susie when he shouldn't have and the school didn't prevent it. Instead of Johnny's parents having taken responsibility in the first place to teach him to treat people with respect, what inappropriate touching is and why it is wrong, they leave it up to the Community Babysitting Service, oops, the Public School System to do it for them. And when it doesn't happen, and Johnny does "the bad touch", they sue, claiming the school should've taught him not to do that.

Parents...be responsible, be accountable...once you decide to have children (planned or unplanned), you are the one to teach them morals, values and what's right and wrong. The schools are SUPPOSED to be institutions of education and learning, NOT a daycare center.