Date: Tue Sep 7 12:05:36 1999 From: zonie@AZTEC.ASU.EDU (RICK DESTEPHENS) To: AZRKBA@asu.edu
Arizona Republic writer did a follow-up story on the boy who was expelled for brining a collector pocket knife with him to school. You know the type of knife, the same one that millions of Boy Scouts (and regular folks like you and me) brought to school as a normal activity.
I wrote her a letter...
Hi Melissa.
Nice article about the boy who was expelled from school for carrying a collecto's Boy Scout knife. You have done much research into the topic at least as it relates to this incident.
This could be used as the basis to dig a little deeper into recent history to give the readers of the Arizona Republic a little perspective. In the early to mid-1960s, my older brother and his hunting buddies would typically bring their hunting rifles and shotguns to school. They would use the remaining hours of daylight after school to hunt or target practice. The firearms were stored in lockers, cars, or the Principal's office. No one thought much about it despite that this was during the height of the civil rights protests and our school was quite integrated. Naturally, many people carried not only pocket knives but genuine hunting knives on occasion. Some even made knives as a shop class project. What is different now?
My brother is twelve years older than me, but even in the 70s my friends would bring in shotguns for after school rabbit hunting or skeet practice. I was never much into guns at teh time, but I loved archery. My gym teacher found out I was an archer so she asked me to help teach archery. I brought my hunting bow, complete with hunting broadheads to school almost every day during the early fall and late spring months during my high school years. I had to use my compact bow because my favorite model wouldn't fit in my locker. Imagie if a student were to bring a hunting bow to school today. Why, they would be considered a criminal despite having no criminal intent and malice toward none.
Do you think your editor will allow you to do such a story?
RSVP,
Dear Rick,
Thank you for your letter. We have written about the subject. Another education reporter, in the West Valley, wrote extensively about two students who were expelled for having two guns in their vehicles' trunk intended for hunting. I am not sure what happened with the students, but The Republic did follow the story extensively. If you are interested, I could find more information, such as the dates, for your tolook up on our archives. I agree with you; it is an interesting debate. As some educators have called to tell me since the story ran, schools don't seem to be willing to take the risk anymore in worrying about what a weapon might be used for. Thank you for taking the time to write; I will forward your letter to the editorial page editor. Melissa Jones The Arizona Republic