“Life’s not fair” is too diffuse a lesson to learn from this

Listen to what the parents told their abused daughter to deal with it.  “Life’s not fair?”  No.  The state is not fair.  Professional bureaucrats are sociopaths. Politicians are insane and dangerous. Those are the lessons of this story.

But nooooo; this is all just a great exception.  Normally, the state and federal employees who we want to invade other countries, build our cars, control our economy, and play doctor with us are all brilliant, eternally beneficient angels, with only a few weird exceptions.

Did the parents even consider teaching their daughter another lesson by pulling her out of that prison? (I have no idea what their circumstances are which is why I’m only asking if they considered it)

6 thoughts on ““Life’s not fair” is too diffuse a lesson to learn from this

  1. pduggie

    the law seems to say this

    “Elementary school campuses may not serve or provide access for students toFMNV and all other forms of candy at any time anywhere on school premisesuntil the end of the last scheduled class. Such foods and beverages may not be sold or given away to students on school premises by school administrators or staff (principals, coaches, teachers, etc.), students or student groups, parents or parent groups, or anyother person, company or organization.”

    Maybe Todd Staples is trying to CHA.

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  2. pentamom

    The Texas Department of Agriculture set WHAT rule? The rule that says a kid gets a week’s detention for having candy? Or the rule that says kids aren’t allowed to have candy?

    BIG difference — and just points up the issue more starkly. Having a stupid/unfair rule is bad enough — assuming that the existence of the stupid/unfair rule allows the authority to impose any level of punishment they choose for violating it is still another level of tyranny.

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  3. pduggie

    Todd Staples has a blog. I left a respectful comment on his Mother’s Day post. We’ll see if he approves the comment.

    Unfortunately, he and the former Ag Commish are both Republicans. She set the first policy, and he’s continuing it.

    http://commissionertoddstaples.blogspot.com/

    http://www.squaremeals.org/fn/render/channel/items/0,1249,2348_2360_0_0,00.html

    links to the law. The law prohibits students from giving candy to students, and says that

    “If TDA determines that a school has violated this subchapter, TDA may disallow meal reimbursement for the day on which the violation occurred and require the school to reimburse the food service account for the disallowed reimbursement.”

    Staples characterizes it as “candy possession” but that’s not the issue. The school saw it (rightly) as candy distribution.

    The law is so goofy. They have an exception for birthday parties (I think, it isn’t clear, maybe only some FMNVs are allowed, but not others?) and school nurses are allowed (!) to give out candy! And you can give candy if you have a special needs kid for whom candy is a behavioral reward.

    sheesh.

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  4. pentamom

    From what the print article on the TV station website said, it sounds like the parents were trying to teach something more than “life’s not fair.” They were fighting it, but teaching the “not fair” lesson in parallel. That actually seems potentially right to me — tyranny should be opposed, but in the meantime, so far as it is our lot, we endure by faith. It’s just another reminder that all news stories are edited.

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  5. Greg

    Unfortunately, I am only just now becoming aware of how much the legitimacy of the state is assumed. A local R&B station I listen to preaches this. It seems so difficult to breakaway from the “state-as-benevolent-caregiver” paradigm. I don’t stand amazed at the “assumption” in the sense that I don’t get it. I say that as one who does get it, because I’ve lived happily in that paradigm for a long time.

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