Zero Tolerance

"No cell phones!"
A child is texting in class
Say goodbye to that phone
A child's father calls from Iraq
Say goodbye to that phone
It's okay because its fair

Never mind that these cases are different
Never mind one child was just goofing off
And the other was talking to his father who is in a war zone
In the name of zero tolerance
We must treat everyone the same

"No weapons!"
A child brings a knife to school
With the intent of hurting someone
Expelled
A child brings a toy gun to school
With the intent of playing
Expelled
It's okay because its fair

Never mind that these cases are different
Never mind one child wanted to hurt someone
And the other one wanted to share a toy
In the name of zero tolerance
We must treat everyone the same

Zero tolerance and fairness
May seem to go hand in hand
But only because people misunderstand
What fair really means
Fair is NOT treating everyone the same
Fair is treating everyone based on who they are

Want to read more about zero tolerance check out these links:
Zero-tolerance policies lack flexibility
Student Suspended for Wearing Rosary in School

Please feel free to share with me any other good articles or sites on zero tolerance...