School Bans Hugs Over 2 Seconds: Students Don’t Embrace ‘Public Display Of Affection’ Policy
MESA, Ariz. — A school policy banning student hugging prompted dozens of east Valley students to protest with a giant group hug across the street from campus. “I think it’s ridiculous,” said Chelsea Branham, a 14-year-old student at Shepherd Junior High School in east Mesa. Branham said she got detention this week for hugging her friend after school…. “It’s not like it’s supposed to mean anything,” she said. “It’s not like I was making out with him or something.”
Good Lord; I do believe that my pointy li’d haid is about to assplode…. Here’s yet another example of the people charged with leading our children through the minefields of public education clearly being off their medication. While I can understand the intent of the rule, if you’d been trying to figure how to accomplish your goal backasswards, you still wouldn’t have been able to top this one.
Yes, I would certainly that it’s probably not conducive to a positive learning environment when junior high schoolers are performing tonsillectomies on one another with their tongues. That’s a far cry from a simple hug, though…don’t you think? The simple expression of affection and human emotion that a hug represents is neither dirty nor lascivious. Of course, there are those who would take and inch and be a mile down the road before anyone knows what happened. Por ejemplo, a hug should not be used to undo your girlfriend’s bra strap so you can grab a quick feel. This would definitely seem to be beyond the pale, and schools should proscribe this sort of behavior. Having said that, though, shouldn’t we be able to count on the judgement of teachers and administrators? Shouldn’t we assume that they know the difference between dry humping and a simple friendly hug? Eh, apparently not.
Branham joined her classmates on Friday for a 20-minute, public hug-a-thon.
“She’s taking a stand and I’m standing behind her to do it,” said Stephanie Wiegold, her mother.
The “no-hugging” rule had previously been in the student handbook. After many students began expressing concern about public hugging and kissing in the hallways, the school began reinforcing the guideline by punishing huggers, which led to Friday’s protest.
If nothing else, I would think we should be applauding the students for recognizing the absurdity of this rule and staging an effective, non-disruptive protest. Perhaps school administrators will be publicly humiliated enough to realize the idiocy inherent in banning hugging. Jeebus, why not just ban chocolate milk or M&Ms while you’re at it? Or ban the wearing of crucifixes because administrators are worried they might be gang symbols?
Is this the sort of officious, off-the-wall, and impossible-to-justify lunacy that we want our children to be learning? I’ve always been a believer in the power of education, but even I have to wonder if the loons who decided to ban hugging are are working at cross-purposes here. What kind of example are these s—t-for-brains setting for the children they responsible for teaching and guiding?
Jeebus, have the maroons lost their (&^%$#@ minds??? Apparently so.
