And One Ring To Bind Them

Just when I think I've heard it all, a kid from Texas gets suspended from school because he told another kid he had a magic ring and would use it make the other kid invisible! Where the hell is the eye-rolley where I need it?! A fourth grader named Aiden Steward, who recently watched one of the movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings trilogy, took a ring to school and told another fourth grader that it was forged in Middle Earth, and had the power to make people invisible. Later, that same day, young Aiden's parents got a call from the school to tell him that Aiden had been suspended for making "threats of terrorism".

In an ongoing climate of "zero tolerance", this little boy was persecuted for wearing a piece of jewelry and for using his imagination. It's definitely harassment of an intelligent and precocious child, but another idea that occurred to me is that the teacher of this fourth grade class may not be as well read as her students, and not understand literary references when she hears them. Also, being a midwestern teacher in a midwestern school, the teacher might think she is justified to punish children whose parents are Pagan or Wiccan. If a christian whose IQ is in the typical range of IQ's for Christians (around 96) thinks she can get away with humiliating and harassing a child who discusses Pagan ideas by having him suspended for "terrorism", you can bet your bottom dollar the midwestern teacher will do it. This teacher and her administration may be trying to drive Aiden's parents out of the school district. The trend among christian churches these days is to be as intolerant, threatening, and as unmessianic as possible, in hopes of gaining brownie points with God. Also, how come all these "zero tolerance" schools still have bullies?

Above is Aiden, our little would-be Frodo, holding his newborn brother. When I think of terrorists, this is not what comes to mind. Indeed, Aiden's father commented, "I  assure you, my son lacks the magical powers necessary to threaten his friend's existence."

While modern public schools make empty claims about their "zero tolerance" policies, yours truly does not suffer fools gladly. If any of the readers, fans, or trolls of this blog share this sentiment, following is the contact information in order to call and politely ask the ringwraiths who run the school to kindly insist upon teachers who know the difference between reality and fantasy.

Ms. Roxane Greer, Elementary Principal
601 S. Poplar, Kermit, Texas, 79745
432-586-1020
rgreer@kisd.esc18.net