[Rhodes22-list] Has The World Gone Mad?

[Geankoplis]

Brad, 
	Perhaps I can help clarify this a bit as I teach 8th grade in a
middle school.  Hugging a friend, a brief embrace and smile to send you on
your way, we all need human contact.  Now replace that image/definition with
uninhibited, sexually explicit pelvis grinding but call it "just hugging".
Visualize unwanted "Hugging" where one party is afraid (due to social
pressure) to ask some one not to do so.  Picture kids leaping on others or
as a group as big as 8 or 10 blocking the whole aisle.  Basically just being
today's ego centric teenagers.  Now, do we go around spending our focus on
timing of the embrace, or measuring the placement of primary and secondary
sex characteristics placement in relationship to the opposite gender, or
just rely on subjective measurements?  Or should we focus on seeing that the
kids are safe, polite, and getting to their classes on time.  Am I
exaggerating?  No.  Do we, at my school have to ban hugging, again no, as
long as the kids police themselves.  But that is key, the level of maturity
that they exhibit has its rewards.  It is seldom as simple as the headline
appears. 

Chris 

-----Original Message-----
From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
[mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Brad Haslett
Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2007 7:44 PM
To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Has The World Gone Mad?

OK, we have lots of educators on the list.  Is this really a problem in our
schools these days?  I was a product of the late 60's and early 70's and I
would say school administrators then should have been more worried about
conception in the hallways or perhaps arson than hugging.  This story is
from a small town not too far from where I grew up.  Am I missing something
or have people gone nuts? This doesn't seem to be the only school policy
with such a policy.

Brad

(KMOV)- Some parents and students are complaining their school district is
going too far after a middle school in Mascoutah, Illinois has banned
hugging.

At least one student is being punished, and others are being warned.

Megan Coulter, 13 is in trouble at her middle school for hugging two
friends, a girl and a boy.

Her school is strict enforcer keeping it drug free, gun free, and now hug
free.

Coulter has received two after school detentions.

The middle school principal refused to talk to News 4, and not one student
seems to support the hugging ban.

Coulter's parents protested but say she was threatened with suspension from
school.

The 13-year-old is serving her detentions, and promises to stop hugging her
friends rather than risking further punishment.

The superintendent called news 4, and said the principals are only enforcing
school policy banning public displays of affection, but the policy does not
specifically mention hugging.

He says he believes the community supports the policy.

Be sure to watch the full report on News 4 at 10 p.m.
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