Don’t talk back to teacher, by Chris McGreal– Short text, article
Don’t talk back to teacher, by Chris McGreal, is an article about the controversial subject of the presence of armed police in public schools across the United States of America. The article covers multiple stories about students who have been “unfairly” prosecuted by onsite policemen, which helped me to sympathize with these students, who have potentially had their reputations tarnished for minor offences. The article shows us how legislation in some American schools can stop kids from “just being kids”, while the disciplinary experience is more traumatizing the useful. This article got me thinking about tragic events such as school shootings in America, where an onsite policeman …show more content…
This idea is shown in the text through the example of Sarah Bustamantes, a 12-year-old girl who felt exploited by the system. Sarah had previously been diagnosed with bipolar disorders, and after being teased by other kids felt the need to spray herself with perfume. For doing this in class, the teacher called the onsite police, who took Sarah from class and charged her with criminal misdemeanor. Not only was Sarah ordered to appear in court, but she was also given a criminal record, which could significantly hinder her chances of future employment. This shows how this disabled girl was put in a vulnerable position by the onsite police, and how this situation was handled badly due to their presence. This vulnerability evokes an emotional response of sadness in me, and causes me to feel sadness for these students. I pity the many disabled students who have been punished for “acting out”, when it may be in their very nature. Another example involved fines issued for six-year-old children running up to $500. This fine is hefty, and as highlighted in the article, could be financially crippling to poorer families. The caused me to feel sadness because I believe that these people are being taken advantage of and unjustly punished. Because of these unjust consequences, many such kids could have their futures ruined by criminal records. The irony is that this system actually creates a youth to prison pipeline, …show more content…
This realization is that violence in schools is a very real, and very serious problem. While school shootings in America are rare, they still happen. The presence of an armed police officer at a violent school may actually end up resolving a situation like this, and possibly save innocent lives in the process. This article has done a great job of highlighting both sides of the argument, and I have come to realize that there are clear reasons that police officers are being deployed at these schools. This is especially true for more violent schools in America, where gang and drug related violence has become a serious problem in poorer areas. My only gripe with the system is that many unwitting and often good children are caught in the crossfire of these severe punishments. I believe that police officers should exercise a degree of common sense when disciplining kids, and perhaps the punishments for minor crimes be reduced. The article has help me come to realize that not all students can be treated equally. I have realized this as students with disabilities are often given punishments of the same severity as other pupils, where their actions can be chalked up to their impairment. Sarah Bustamantes is a good example of this. These people do not intend to act out, but are unjustly punished by a system that does not recognize their circumstances. This once again evokes a certain
Don’t talk back to teacher, by Chris McGreal, is an article about the controversial subject of the presence of armed police in public schools across the United States of America. The article covers multiple stories about students who have been “unfairly” prosecuted by onsite policemen, which helped me to sympathize with these students, who have potentially had their reputations tarnished for minor offences. The article shows us how legislation in some American schools can stop kids from “just being kids”, while the disciplinary experience is more traumatizing the useful. This article got me thinking about tragic events such as school shootings in America, where an onsite policeman …show more content…
This idea is shown in the text through the example of Sarah Bustamantes, a 12-year-old girl who felt exploited by the system. Sarah had previously been diagnosed with bipolar disorders, and after being teased by other kids felt the need to spray herself with perfume. For doing this in class, the teacher called the onsite police, who took Sarah from class and charged her with criminal misdemeanor. Not only was Sarah ordered to appear in court, but she was also given a criminal record, which could significantly hinder her chances of future employment. This shows how this disabled girl was put in a vulnerable position by the onsite police, and how this situation was handled badly due to their presence. This vulnerability evokes an emotional response of sadness in me, and causes me to feel sadness for these students. I pity the many disabled students who have been punished for “acting out”, when it may be in their very nature. Another example involved fines issued for six-year-old children running up to $500. This fine is hefty, and as highlighted in the article, could be financially crippling to poorer families. The caused me to feel sadness because I believe that these people are being taken advantage of and unjustly punished. Because of these unjust consequences, many such kids could have their futures ruined by criminal records. The irony is that this system actually creates a youth to prison pipeline, …show more content…
This realization is that violence in schools is a very real, and very serious problem. While school shootings in America are rare, they still happen. The presence of an armed police officer at a violent school may actually end up resolving a situation like this, and possibly save innocent lives in the process. This article has done a great job of highlighting both sides of the argument, and I have come to realize that there are clear reasons that police officers are being deployed at these schools. This is especially true for more violent schools in America, where gang and drug related violence has become a serious problem in poorer areas. My only gripe with the system is that many unwitting and often good children are caught in the crossfire of these severe punishments. I believe that police officers should exercise a degree of common sense when disciplining kids, and perhaps the punishments for minor crimes be reduced. The article has help me come to realize that not all students can be treated equally. I have realized this as students with disabilities are often given punishments of the same severity as other pupils, where their actions can be chalked up to their impairment. Sarah Bustamantes is a good example of this. These people do not intend to act out, but are unjustly punished by a system that does not recognize their circumstances. This once again evokes a certain