EDITORIAL : ZERO TOLERANCE!; FOUR MONTHS AFTER THE SCHOOL SHOOTING AT COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL, NEW RULES FOR STUDENT BEHAVIOR.IN the four months since two suicidal teen-agers shot up Columbine High School Columbine High School is a secondary school in unincorporated Jefferson County, Colorado. The school is located at 6201 South Pierce Street, one mile west of the Littleton city limits and half a mile south of the Denver city/county line. in Littleton, Colo., educators have tried to figure out how to avoid a repeat of the murderous rampage. They consulted with psychotherapists, teachers, police officers, parents and teens to determine the proper code of conduct for students inside the school halls, and on Monday, Columbine columbine, in botany columbine (kŏl`əmbīn), any plant of the genus Aquilegia, temperate-zone perennials of the family Ranunculaceae (buttercup family), popular both as wildflowers and as garden flowers. Principal Frank DeAngelis laid down the law at the reopening of the site of America's worst such tragedy. DeAngelis rightly told his students in no uncertain terms that they needed rules to live by, and school boards across the nation ought to take his plan to their principals. He told them that the price of taking back their schools is that it is no longer acceptable for kids to tease without thinking about the repercussions repercussions npl → répercussions fpl repercussions npl → Auswirkungen pl . Zero tolerance The policy of applying laws or penalties to even minor infringements of a code in order to reinforce its overall importance and enhance deterrence. Since the 1980s the phrase zero tolerance has signified a philosophy toward illegal conduct that favors strict imposition of , he said, means they cannot ostracize os·tra·cize tr.v. os·tra·cized, os·tra·ciz·ing, os·tra·ciz·es 1. To exclude from a group. See Synonyms at blackball. 2. To banish by ostracism, as in ancient Greece. , stigmatize stig·ma·tize tr.v. stig·ma·tized, stig·ma·tiz·ing, stig·ma·tiz·es 1. To characterize or brand as disgraceful or ignominious. 2. To mark with stigmata or a stigma. 3. and deny their friendship because of the way a person looks or talks, the God he believes in or his sexual orientation. DeAngelis is right: Sensitivity and decency must be required. It's time for principals to take control of their schools and instill in their students morality, discipline and mutual understanding. DeAngelis' No. 1 rule is making sure students respect all students, staff, parents and community members. ``At Columbine High School, it is essential that you have respect for your fellow students who may have different opinions or ideas,'' he ordered the students. Respect is not an option, according to DeAngelis' new rules. It is essential. Part of that means that when two students, no matter how friendly they are, joke around about race, religion or sex they will be punished severely. ``At Columbine High School, we can no longer state that we were only kidding when we made inappropriate comments or exhibited inappropriate behavior,'' DeAngelis said. So rule No. 2 is: ``Derogatory comments, verbal or written, made about others will not be tolerated. Racial, religious and sexual slurs and jokes will not be condoned. Profanity Irreverence towards sacred things; particularly, an irreverent or blasphemous use of the name of God. Vulgar, irreverent, or coarse language. The use of certain profane or obscene language on the radio or television is a federal offense, but in other situations, profanity or offensive language will not be allowed in the halls of Columbine High School.'' Compassion will carry the day at Columbine, or else. It should be applied in the halls of Los Angeles' and all other schools. |
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