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Class .08
Remember the story from last week about the high schoolers that created an anti-drunk-driving t-shirt after their classmates were killed in an accident? Well, I got a lot of comments on it. Let's start first with the story:
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Five students at Oswego (Ill.) High School died in what investigators say was an alcohol-related crash. Several students said they wanted to discourage fellow students from drinking and driving during homecoming weekend, and wore shirts to school emblazoned "Class .08" the Friday before -- a double meaning of the class of 2008 and a reminder that .08 percent is the legal alcohol limit for drivers. School officials told the students to remove their shirts; all did but one. "I decided I wasn't going to back down," said Katie Kusnierz, 17, since their classmates' deaths "really impacted us." Kusnierz was thus suspended -- on the grounds that the shirt's message "could be" interpreted as promoting drinking. (Chicago Tribune) ...Of course, the school administrators "could be" idiots.
I got several comments on the story like this one, from Dennis in Missouri:
Hi Randy/Marcy. Enjoy your work a great deal, however, I have to disagree with your take on the T-shirt with '.08'. My first reaction is that it was promoting drinking. 17-year-olds should not be drinking at all. When I was in HS two classmates were killed because of drunk driving. On Monday morning there were plenty of tears and broken hearts. On Friday night there was lots of drinking again. If the kids really wanted to make a difference they would not be encouraging their classmates to keep their BAC below .08, they would encourage them to keep it at 0. All of the above arguments do not even touch on the fact that the human brain does not mature until 20-22 years old and that studies show alcohol has a different and more dangerous impact on people under that age than it does over that age. Finally, I have taught my kids (13, 16, 18) that if someone in authority over you makes a decision that is reasonable, even if you disagree, you submit to their authority. Otherwise we simply have anarchy with each person deciding for themselves what rules they will follow. Imagine a football game where each player played by their own rules. It would be chaos. So would a high school. One may disagree that the shirt promotes underage drinking but it is not unreasonable to believe that it does. Hence, the principal made a reasonable decision that ought be followed. [But] to the students' credit, it is clever.
While I have no idea who Marcy is, I absolutely agree that teens tend to be idiots about grown-up decisions, such as using mind-altering substances. (Hell: a good portion of adults are pretty stupid about it too.) And I agree that school administrators tend to be right about student motivations. But they sometimes get it drastically wrong, and then tend to be asses about being stubborn, sticking to their stupid first impressions rather than admitting they made a mistake. I'm pretty good at detecting that, even from afar. And the most interesting comment about this particular story came in today -- from someone who really knows that school. Mike in Illinois:
I live [in Oswego], and several of my children attended high school there. I have been frankly rather dismayed at the community's response to this tragedy (which happened about 9 months ago) -- quite a bit of 'Who can we blame, while ignoring our own culpabilities?' I heartily applaud Katie's actions. Unfortunately, you are wrong about the administrators; there's no 'could be' [about them being idiots].
I'll be interested to hear your comments about it.
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This reminds me of a similar episode of administrative stupidity which occurred when I lived in Massachusetts.
Several students at a local high school had been killed in a single-vehicle drunk-driving accident. Friends of these students bought the car from the junkyard and, with the permission of the school administration, placed it prominently on school grounds with a sign reading "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk."
It lasted about a week. Parents complained that the wreck was frightening their children. Sadly, instead of responding, "Well, yeah: that's the point/," school administrators caved, and removed the car from school grounds.
Clearly a case of the students having more sense than the adults.
Posted by: Garison, Holiday, Fla | November 17, 2007 7:47 AM
Guy in Tennessee said, "You kids were smart enough to come up with the idea of these shirts, I have confidence that you are smart enough to think of ways to get the principal's goat as well."
And he's right; kids are much smarter than adults credit them, which made me wonder why kids don't exercise that trait. And then it occurred to me... It keeps getting beaten out of them over the smallest issues until the kids wonder what's the point of even trying.
They are being prepared for life as an adult, where in the office no ideas are good enough because "that's already been tried and it didn't work" or "it won't eliminate the problem entirely, so we won't do it at all."
Extending that to our political process, our kids learn that there is no point in participation because "my one little vote will make no difference" or "once elected, politicians will do what they want, anyway."
Disenfranchisement, it starts in school and prepares you for a mundane, mediocre life of non-accomplishment to avoid making waves. It's an [American] institution.
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I wish I could argue with you, Mike. I wish I could tell you you're wrong. But I think you're 100% correct, that this is the way it is at many, many schools. -rc
Posted by: Mike from Dallas | November 17, 2007 8:46 AM
As the students of the "class of .08" had just lost friends in an alcohol related crash, I should think it would be glaringly obvious that they are trying to prevent others from making the same deadly mistake not trying to promote alcohol consumption. Teenagers are inexperienced but they are not, overall, stupid or heartless.
Furthermore the unfortunate children of people like Dennis, who raise them to never question authority, will likely grow up to be doormats who never stand up for themselves and blindly follow the crowd right over the edge of a cliff not unlike a herd of sheep. When I was in eighth grade I received the best advice I have ever gotten: Ask an adult, Question authority, Then decide for yourself.
I have been in Katie's position, in my case I won the argument and was not suspended from school, but I think she is to be commended for standing up for herself regardless of the consequences. I hope she will continue to be so strong minded and inspire the same quality in others.
Posted by: Amber in Sandpoint, ID. | December 17, 2007 11:09 AM