10--year-old arrested for cutting her lunch with a knife

I think it really goofty and make 10 years old look bad herself! why didnt discuss with their parent instead arrested this 10 YEARS OLD!!!! What if she didn't know about what supposed to do.. She think it is ok for her to bring the knife to cut her steak.. Or want her used her hands to eat instead cut the steak?? but Parent might be know about it they should better know to cut the steak before she bring the lunch box to school.. Or she might took it without their know.. I am not sure about it.. But I am not agree what school think to arrest 10 years old!!! what is the crap about their parent instead this inncorrect girl (10 years old)!! come on be adult.. I guess that mean they want thrill to arrest no matter age and teach their lesson so what about their parent!!! Why didnt they suspend her days or explain to her what is right or wrong.. As long as She didnt do anything stupid to anyone.. COME ON!! 10 YEARS OLD!! DUh! they forgot about their parent!!!

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Ok. Lets set things in perspective here. This young girl brought a steak knife to school in order to cut her steak. Yes, her parents should have not let her take the knife with her to school. But since they didn't, she should have been taken to the office and have the situation explained to her. Charging a child, yes a child, with a felony for something that seemed to be an innocent mistake is rediculous. This "zero-tolerance" stuff is getting out of hand. This is the same type of stuff that had a 5 year old boy arrested for giving a girl his own age a kiss on the cheek. They charged him with sexual harrasment. He said he gave it to her for her birthday. They really need to think of the main issue about this zero-tolerance thing. They are CHILDREN!!!! not adults.

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what about the gang type girls who bring razor box cutters to slash someone in school and they let her back a couple days later ?was this was a black kid or white kid ?

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it is not a weapon if not entended to use that way. if convicted this 10 year old girl will carry this charge with her for the rest of her life. she should of never had it at school but did her parents pack it in her lunch? if so im sure she thought it was ok. if she packed it herself then her parents are still at fault for not talking to her long ago about whats right and wrong. what the hell is wrong with her parents? they should be in trouble,not her. i aiso have a 10 year old and he would know never to do any thing like that. how do i know? we talk to our kids. do these parents even pay any attenion to this child? if they did she would know better and the parents would know whats in her lunch. shame on the parents!!!! if this little girl never even new better and never threatened anyone with the knife shame on everyone involved in getting this little girl charged with a crime. i have kids in school so no i dont want any child or adult with a possible weapon in school but use commen sence here. schools should also be required by law to talk to there students several times a year about things like this. sounds to me like they have charged the wrong person if they feel a need to charge someone. even if the charges are dismissed it will still be in her record. you always hear that if the charge is dropped it is removed from your record,not true. if she ever gets in any trouble again it will be brought up. you also hear that when you become an adult it is know longer on your record,not true. again if she is ever in any type of trouble again it will be brought up. i say shame shame on the parents and possible the school if they have not discussed things of this nature with there students several times a year. if its that important and it is then take the time to talk to your students as often as possible!! sending students home with a piece of paper with rules is not enough. who knows if it ever makes it home and if it does who knows if the parents discuss it with ther kids. this in know way excuses the parents from there part. parents please take the time to talk to your kids about right from wrong. in todays times i dont have a problem with the schools being very strict on these type of things but lets all make sure we have talked to our kids and our students as often as possible!!!

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I agree with some of the prior comments that said rules are rules. Some form of punishment such as a minor suspension might be appropriate. However, the charging with a felony just shown how far we have come in putting our common sense aside. One of the things that makes a crime a crime is the intent. There does not appear to be any intent to harm here. Would the same punishment be given out if it had been a plastic knife? It is a knife.

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Every school has rules and, even if it appears foolish, they should be applied to all regardless. So many rules are bent that shouldn't be ... that's what criminal lawyers are paid to do and it sucks. HOWEVER, I've carried a knife since I was 10 (so many years ago) when I got my first from my grandfather. It's a tool, not a weapon (almost anything can be either) and this girl obviously, as attested by school officials, was using it as such. Poor judgement on the girl's or her parent's part, YES - but a felony charge? Pure chicken shit!!

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IN MY DADS DAY (HE'S 80) HE WALKED TO SCHOOL 2 MILES. A ONE ROOM SCHOOL HOUSE TIL 4TH GRADE.
THE SCHOOL WENT UP T0 8TH GRADE..
IF YOU DID'NT HAVE A POCKET KNIFE YOU WERE'NT A BOY.
IN HIGH SCHOOL YOU WERE LUCKY WHEN THREE OF YOU SHARED A RIDE IN THE RICH KIDS CAR.. WE WOULD LEAVE THE 22 RIFLES IN THE CAR TO GO SHOOTING AFTER SCHOOL.
POCKETS CONTAINED EVERYTHING YOU COULD IMAGINE HE SAID WITH A GRIN.. 22 SHELLS, FIRECRACKERS, WRENCHES.
TEACHERS WERE RESPECTED. BOYS WERE YOUNG MEN WITH THE RESPONSIBILITES OF THOSE DAYS..
THEY WERE'NT PERFECT.. THERE WERE KIDS WITH PROBLEMS. BROKEN HOMES OR SOMETHING JUST NOT RIGHT.
THIS IS THE FLAVOR OF MY DADS CONVERSATION.

AS A 50 YEAR OLD...
I SEE THE OVER JEALOUS SIMPLIFICATION OF LETS FIX EVERY COMMON SENSE PROBLEM WITH A LAW.
LET THE VERY , VERY FEW PROBLEM PEOPLE DICTATE THE RIGHTS OF ALL.
WHAT IS THE OUTCOME OF THIS TYPE OF THINKING?...
IN MY OPINION, THATS WHY MY DADS GENERATION WAS THE LAST' GREATEST GENERATION OF OUR NATION.
"THEY DID NOT NEED EVERY LAW TO BE DICTATED TO THEM BY A NATION OF ELECTED LAWYERS"
WE HAVE MENTALLY NUETERED OUR GENERATION OF YOUNG.
THE RIFLE IS THOUGHT OF SOMETHING EVIL.. NOT THE TOOL OF FREEDOM THAT SAVED US IN EVERY WAR.
MY DAD WENT ON TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY AND THEN SUCCESS IN LIFE. , INCLUDING 54 YRS OF MARRIAGE .

THAT STEAK KNIFE IN THE HANDS OF 299,999,998 MILLION PEOPLE IS A STEAK KNIFE . TO THE FEW CRAZY PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST THAT, ITS A WEAPON..

SORRY FOLKS CRAZY PEOPLE HAVE ALWAY BEEN THERE SINCE THE BEGINNING TIME OF HISTORY. LOCKE EM' UP OR FIX THEM.. BUT THE REST OF US WOULD LIKE OUR FREEDOM.
IF YOU DONT AGREE, THATS FINE .. PLEASE EAT YOUR NEXT STEAK WITH YOUR FINGERS, THE FELLOW SITTING NEXT TO YOU IN THE RESTAURANT MIGHT HAVE A CONCERN IF YOU LOOK SUSPICIOUS.


WHERE ARE OUR FUTURE LEADERS?
WE'LL DAZZLE EM WITH" X" BOX KIDS.

LETS TAKE OUR KIDS OUT AND SPEND TIME WITH EM' OK.
MERRY CHRISTMAS,

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I think that way to many of you are missing the point. There is a perfect median as has been stated before and many times. The FELONY is taking it to far. The zero-tolerance policy caught the knife and got the girl in trouble (as it should have). As the article states just suspend her and get her in trouble to make an example that they will not stand for "weapons" to be brought to school. Now if she does it again then there is a problem. We think of our children as these evil people who want nothing more than to hurt others. COME ON!!! Granted there are situations that need to be handled in a more strict manner but this is not one of them. Can you honestly compare this to such happenings as Columbine. No they are on different playing levels. Bottom line is punish her but don't over exagerate the situation!

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Isn't there anyone at the school with enough brains to make a judgement call? What did they do, fire all the thinking people and hire robots?

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im afraid what all of your childrens will grow up to be, serial
killers, perhaps or murdered by one? with no law, its chaos...look at other countries, murders everyday by the thousands...some laws are frivolous, but without laws we'd be another Iraq...just what i want...and yes its up to the parents to teach common sense, but at what age does a child develop common sense on there own?? not to take the knife to school with them, duh. I dont need a sign telling me not to carry a lighter on a plane, or bring a
knife with me to school. Its unfortunate we need laws like these for the people who lack common sense. I do disagree that she shouldnt be charged with a felony, but suspension is reasonable. Shes 10 not 2. If all of you people are so against with being protected from the criminally insane, then move to another country...see ya! Too much stuff happens here already, especially within schools, i want to go to work knowing my children will be safe. She may of not intended to hurt anyone, but what if someone got their hands on it that did??

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In the late 1950's and early 60's, I took both my rifle and pistol with ammo to school, on the school bus. So did the rest of the 12 man (2 girls) team. On one bus there were 5 team members each with 2 guns. No one even blinked......

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IT'S ALL BUSH'S FAULT

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Do we now consider everyone at Outback to be armed with a weapon and open to prosecution ? Wake up America !!!!
What about zero tolerance for over reacting. How many kids will be charged for brandishing a baseball bat during gym, or worse yet a pair of scissors in art class?
The officials involved should be ashamed.

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Most likely the Mother placed the knife in her lunchbox to begin with. The parents should sue for malicious prosecution. Repremanding the child is one thing- but charging her with a felony is a criminal act in itself. This country is going to hell fast.

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Why is it necessary to corect someones speeling? WHo do you think you are? The board monitor?
The rules are too strict. The kid is ten and probably too the knife herself. Maybe her mother should have cut the meat before she packed her lunch and this could have been avoided. To charge a 10 yr old with a felony is out of line. The knife should have been taken away and they should have issued her a warning and called the parents.
This is just another waste of tax dollars going after a kid who made a mistake.

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Honestly. This is the No-Tolerance policy at its worst. As a current high schooler myself (I'm 15 years old) I can give TONS of examples of potential weapons being brought to school- and used. Scissors, for example. A few months ago, I witnessed a student stab another in the leg with one. Was the student expelled? Yes, of course. However, in order to prevent that from happening, the school would have had to confiscate every and all scissors from the school. Which is not possible.

My lunchroom also has several microwaves for students to use (with a seperate one for the teachers). I am frequently bringing in leftovers from dinner the night before. I have brought in steak before, but I had to rip it apart with two forks. I did not work well, and I cannot picture a 10 year old (my brother is 11, so I have a pretty good idea) trying it.

A few years ago, my mom packed a plastic knife for something (I think it was for an apple), without my knowledge. I found it during lunch, but I simply wrapped it in a napkin and threw it out in the trashcan with the rest of my class. If it had been found, I would have been expelled.

This whole No-Tolerance policy is driving everyone -and I mean everyone- I know, crazy. One of our football players was suspended from games and school for several days because a bottle of Tylenol was found in his car. The thing was, he had had a injured ankle the week before, and the perscription he had obtained was only for that week. He forgot to remove the bottle from his car, and during a drug bust, it was found. The local newspaper actually covered the entire story.

So there.

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EXCUSE ME! A zero tolorance regarding knives or anything else would not have stopped Columbine. No one ever ignored any kid bringing weapons of any kind to school since classrooms were created. Kids weren't showing up banishing ninja stars and guns everyday and then just decide one day to use them. What was ignored were the kids themselves and the bullies that torture kids everyday. That's where the zero tolerance belongs. Sure make sure there are no guns but first find out why a chlid might feel the need to defend themselves since it's obviousl no one else is. God help our children.

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To bad teachers and school administrators do not have common sense

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I live in Florida where pedophiles roam in every neighborhood. Where four young girls were murdered inside a year. Where just recently four teens from Ft Meyers drove to Miami and killed Sean Taylor while trying to rob him for the second time. Where a five year old black girl was tasered while beeing dragged from her class room.
Where a black teen was beaten and choked to death at a youth camp.
Need I say more?

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Let's all email the Ocala Police Department. That should help to resolve this matter? What do you think?

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