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Common sense isn't very common at Downes Elementary.
Just in case you haven't caught it on the national news or online, the latest example of nonsense involving no-tolerance excess and knives was featured in a New York Times article published Sunday, October 11, 2009, http://bit.ly/n23PX and involves a 6-year-old student.
Zachary Christie, a bright, highly regarded, and well-behaved first grader, was suspended and now faces 45 days in the school district's reform school for bringing to school his "camping utensil" that includes a knife, fork and spoon. Young Zachary was reportedly so excited about recently joining the Cub Scouts that he wanted to use his camping multi-function tool at lunch. Then it fell out of his pocket at school, and the rest is in the hands of school administrators.
If this situation about Zachary Christie outrages you, there's an online petition you can sign at http://www.helpzachary.com.
Oct. 19, 12:38 p.m.
Maybe New York City isn't that bad after all.
The Metropolitan Museum will feature a samurai exhibit, complete with period cutlery. Of course, samurai swords are the stars of the show. Here's the gist from the museum's Web site:
This will be the first comprehensive exhibition devoted to the arts of the samurai.
Arms and armor will be the principal focus, bringing together the finest examples of armor, swords and sword mountings, archery equipment and firearms, equestrian equipment, banners, surcoats, and related accessories of rank such as fans and batons. Drawn entirely from public and private collections in Japan, the majority of objects date from the rise of the samurai in the late Heian period, ca. 1156, through the early modern Edo period, ending in 1868, when samurai culture was abolished.
This shouldn't be surprising in the post-Columbine era, but it is saddening how prohibitions snare non-targets in their snare of regulations. As reported by News 10 in Albany, N.Y.:
High school senior Matthew Whalen is the kind of student any parent would want. He's an Eagle Scout, on the honor roll, taking Advanced Placement classes, and never been in trouble with the law. He's received commendations from the City of Troy, New York, and the Boy Scouts of America for saving a woman's life, and this past summer, he completed Army basic training. All of it was accomplished before the age of 17.
His goal is to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, a dream since he was in grade school.
But the dream could be in jeopardy, thanks to a 2-inch pocketknife that officials at Lansingburgh Senior High School found in Matthew's locked car last month. The pocketknife was a gift from his grandfather, Robert Whalen, who's the Hoosick Falls Police Chief.
The Lansingburgh Central School District has a zero-tolerance policy on weapons. According to the district's Codes of Conduct, students are not allowed to have "a weapon of any kind" on school grounds.
"The rest of my life could be affected by this," Matthew says.
Would you feel differently if Matthew wasn't so clean cut? How should schools enforce their weapons policies? Click here to discuss this issue on the forum.
Oct. 7, 7:51 a.m.
We've got two videos for you, both from Blade Show West last month in Oregon. These depict the BladeSports cutting competition. The event continues to gain popularity and prestige, the latter indicated by Michael Rader wearing a tie during his portion of professional Whack-a-Mole. The results are posted here.
Oct. 5, 5:01 p.m.
Basic knife maintenance starts with cleaning. And, apparently, the theme music to Charlie Brown.
A quick correction for those of you who receive the weekly e-newsletter from BLADE. The article "U.S. Customs Goes for the Jugular" is not new. Customs has more or less dropped its attempt to ban assisted opening knives. The article may have caused confusion about this. BLADE apologizes for the error.
