My sister screwed up

[lacktheknack]

Thank GOD that a school actually held up its own rules for once in an eternity. That's so rare, you don't even know it.

 

[lightningmagurn]

Eh, alcohol is a funny thing, see.


Was the school right? Yeah. Sure. They followed the law, and issued a punishment that I'm sure will do absolutely no good whatsoever. But hey, that's the law, and that's the rules, and plenty of folks have already said you can't really do much about it.

However, the laws are flawed. They always have been. They always will be.

Laws should be reserved for things that are inherently harmful and dangerous. Laws should be in place for the prevention of things things that are violent, aggressive, and otherwise disruptive to society.

Sure, alcohol can be disruptive... but it isn't illegal at ALL ages. Just the ages we have arbitrarily decided people are too STUPID to have it. Which is perhaps the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

Believe me, we're ALL too stupid to have it. But since we're having it, we might as well be teaching the lessons about RESPONSIBILITY, and ALWAYS WATCH YOUR DRINK, and NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE, and NOBODY LIKES A DRUNK.

Instead, we make it this mysterious wonder-elixer that kids can't have because fuck-all if they can understand psychology.

And sadly, the psychology behind that just makes them want it more. It makes them MORE likely to drink. It makes them MORE likely to experiment. And it makes them LESS LIKELY to have any supervision or guidance.

But of course, knee-jerk reaction laws like these are a the modern age of civilization.

Just remember, when the LAW has to take over for Common Sense... then Common Sense can no longer be said to be Common.


I can only hope someone teaches this girl about drinking RESPONSIBLY... about WHEN and WHERE drinking is appropriate. If you don't talk about it, then they're just going to drink WHEN and WHERE they please. And then you can look forward to even MORE suspensions, perhaps arrests? I don't know how the law works up there exactly.

Meh, oh well. Anyways... that's my two cents. Make of it what you please.

Perhaps the law is common sense, and that's why it's the law.

 

[PhantomEcho]

Perhaps the law is common sense, and that's why it's the law.

Ah yes, there's the answer. Obviously it's common sense that we should teach our kids there's this wonderful beverage that we all have... but they can't touch... because they're just 'not old enough to understand'.

Yep, that's -never-, -ever- been proven to do exactly the opposite thing from DETER kids.

Nope. Common Sense. I'm sure you're right. (/sarcasm)

 

[godofallu]

I know where you're coming from. My little brother called me up a week or so ago, I had to pick him up and drive him to a detox center where the police had taken his girlfriend.

I'm not sure why the police thought he was sober, when he was clearly smashed. My little brother is 19 btw. (damn it I just realized I missed his birthday)

Anyways yeah 10 day suspension is harsh, but let's be honest, you don't fail or get expelled from 1 suspension. Your little sister will be fine. I wouldn't have willingly admitted to breaking the law when there was no way for them to prove it, but hey rookie mistake.

 

[cthulhumythos]

school's right. she shouldn't drink at that age anyhow. i think. whats the limit in canada?

 

[willingdruid]

I misread the title as 'I screwed my sister up', this thread is far less erotic than i expected.

 

[hooksashands]

Your sister thought she was doing the right thing by telling the truth, but she just got nailed along with her friend who, from the sound, is a 115lb girl that gets smashed off two sips and can't even keep that much down. So either she needs friends who aren't total dumbasses or she should learn lying is better than thinking you'll be let off the hook for being honest.

 

[Stu35]

Okay here's the quick story my sister is in Grade 9, before a dance she had every intention of drinking but didn't like what they got and only ended up having two sips. She continued to go to the dance where one of her friends threw up. They ended up all getting pulled into the office where my sister admitted to drinking before the dance. Now I need your guys help. She ended up getting a 10 day suspension, is this right? I figure because there was absolutely NO drinking at the school and my sister wasn't even close to inebriation that she shouldn't be suspended. Does anyone know anything that could help.

P.S. We live in Canada if that matters.

EDIT; School Rules, not the Morality of it

Seems pretty clear cut to me, she admitted to committing a crime they had no way of proving.

So, yeah, she deserves the suspension for sheer stupidity.

For what it's worth, I live in Britain, we have a more relaxed attitude to underage drinking, and as a result we're better drinkers than North Americans. However we don't have quite the grown-up attitude that Europeans have, so we tend to binge drink to fuck and it ends badly quite often.

However, we're still the undisputed underage drinking champions of the world (as well as the undisputed underage pregnancy champions of Europe)... So, yeah, we've a lot to be proud of in our youngsters.


...


...

You got any room in Canada? Don't really fancy raising my young ones here.

 

[idodo35]

well it isnt illigal for them to punish her for this its their school, their dance and their rules... so yup ur sister is screwed nothing to do about it...

 

[lightningmagurn]

Perhaps the law is common sense, and that's why it's the law.

Ah yes, there's the answer. Obviously it's common sense that we should teach our kids there's this wonderful beverage that we all have... but they can't touch... because they're just 'not old enough to understand'.

Yep, that's -never-, -ever- been proven to do exactly the opposite thing from DETER kids.

Nope. Common Sense. I'm sure you're right. (/sarcasm)

No, I mean that people commonly agree that (where I live) you shouldn't get fitshaced until you're 21. The law doesn't say anything about lack of education, that's the parents and schools job.

 

[Kakashi on crack]

School policy is zero tolerance just about anywhere. They were in the right, simple as that.

 

[loc978]

pff. Tight-asses. Kids are gonna drink. The more you tell 'em not to, the greater the taboo thrill when they do. Your school is flat-out, 100% in the wrong.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

Yes it is fair.

 

[hazabaza1]

School rules, sucks to be her.

 

[PhantomEcho]

Perhaps the law is common sense, and that's why it's the law.

Ah yes, there's the answer. Obviously it's common sense that we should teach our kids there's this wonderful beverage that we all have... but they can't touch... because they're just 'not old enough to understand'.

Yep, that's -never-, -ever- been proven to do exactly the opposite thing from DETER kids.

Nope. Common Sense. I'm sure you're right. (/sarcasm)

No, I mean that people commonly agree that (where I live) you shouldn't get fitshaced until you're 21. The law doesn't say anything about lack of education, that's the parents and schools job.

Ah. Well, 21 is a pretty arbitrary number. And most people who agree are -over- that age. The truth of the matter is, these kids are going to drink. If you make it illegal, they're going to drink SECRETLY. It's kind've like the way they handle drugs. You make drugs illegal, you start telling people what they can and can't do to -themselves-... and that's only going to make them HIDE it from you. It doesn't stop anything.

So while I agree with the logic. And believe me, I don't think drinking and school functions have any place in the same SENTENCE... I'm arguing with the logic of the laws, on their level of actually working, rather than if they're agreeable or not.

I don't think kids have any place getting smashed out of their gourds either. But we TEACH them to do so by inhibiting their ability to experience drinking. We mystify it, rather than justify it. We don't teach them to drink responsibly, we teach them to drink SECRETLY... and in turn, without supervision, they learn to drink IRRESPONSIBLY, and for FUN.

Laws like these ENCOURAGE kids to abuse alcohol, rather than prevent it.

And that's why I'm opposed to the whole idea. There's no CRIME in drinking. There's only a crime in drinking if you're young? That's not common sense. That's overreaction to childish stupidity. A real law would be to ensure that kids understand the perils of drinking, and that weight of guilt is a burden of responsibility they will have to bear for the rest of their lives. Tell them how many kids die each year because of alcohol abuse, be it poisoning or drunk driving. Teach them how to know when they've had to much, teach them how much they can drink without directly inhibiting their senses.

And then leave it alone. Let them drink. Let them drink with their friends, let them drink with their family... let them experience the responsibility of it. And when/if they make poor decisions... let them experience that too.

Because nothing is going to stop it. They're going to do it whether you let them or not. Making it 'harder' isn't a real solution. It's just posturing by the law to make it LOOK like they're doing something.

Because there IS no solution for human stupidity. And it doesn't go away at 21. Or 18. Or any age.

 

[chinangel]

sorry, as a canadian who was once in school (like...7 years ago) I can say that your sister is S.O.L

 

[CODE-D]

Shouldve just said she was sick....unless it was painfully obvious she was wasted and took more than "sips".

 

[cthulhumythos]

school's right. she shouldn't drink at that age anyhow. i think. whats the limit in canada?

18 or 19, depending on the province. Most provinces allow younger drinking of some form under the direct supervision of parents.

oh. okay, thanks.

so yeah. she shouldn't be drinking in the first place. school's within their rights.

 

[lightningmagurn]

Perhaps the law is common sense, and that's why it's the law.

Ah yes, there's the answer. Obviously it's common sense that we should teach our kids there's this wonderful beverage that we all have... but they can't touch... because they're just 'not old enough to understand'.

Yep, that's -never-, -ever- been proven to do exactly the opposite thing from DETER kids.

Nope. Common Sense. I'm sure you're right. (/sarcasm)

No, I mean that people commonly agree that (where I live) you shouldn't get fitshaced until you're 21. The law doesn't say anything about lack of education, that's the parents and schools job.

Ah. Well, 21 is a pretty arbitrary number. And most people who agree are -over- that age. The truth of the matter is, these kids are going to drink. If you make it illegal, they're going to drink SECRETLY. It's kind've like the way they handle drugs. You make drugs illegal, you start telling people what they can and can't do to -themselves-... and that's only going to make them HIDE it from you. It doesn't stop anything.

So while I agree with the logic. And believe me, I don't think drinking and school functions have any place in the same SENTENCE... I'm arguing with the logic of the laws, on their level of actually working, rather than if they're agreeable or not.

I don't think kids have any place getting smashed out of their gourds either. But we TEACH them to do so by inhibiting their ability to experience drinking. We mystify it, rather than justify it. We don't teach them to drink responsibly, we teach them to drink SECRETLY... and in turn, without supervision, they learn to drink IRRESPONSIBLY, and for FUN.

Laws like these ENCOURAGE kids to abuse alcohol, rather than prevent it.

And that's why I'm opposed to the whole idea. There's no CRIME in drinking. There's only a crime in drinking if you're young? That's not common sense. That's overreaction to childish stupidity. A real law would be to ensure that kids understand the perils of drinking, and that weight of guilt is a burden of responsibility they will have to bear for the rest of their lives. Tell them how many kids die each year because of alcohol abuse, be it poisoning or drunk driving. Teach them how to know when they've had to much, teach them how much they can drink without directly inhibiting their senses.

And then leave it alone. Let them drink. Let them drink with their friends, let them drink with their family... let them experience the responsibility of it. And when/if they make poor decisions... let them experience that too.

Because nothing is going to stop it. They're going to do it whether you let them or not. Making it 'harder' isn't a real solution. It's just posturing by the law to make it LOOK like they're doing something.

Because there IS no solution for human stupidity. And it doesn't go away at 21. Or 18. Or any age.

Well, while I agree with you on one hand, I can tell you that on the other, you're wrong. I don't drink because it's against the law. I've tried some booze and had a drunk escapade, but as someone who is under the legal age, I don't drink.
People who are over 21 drink irresponsibly and for fun. Letting them get a head start doesn't mean they won't.
Some kids don't care. My school teaches you everything you've talked about. How to tell when you've had enough. What some of the consequences can be, how many kids wreck themselves every year getting drunk. And kids still go out and get hammered. As teenagers, most of us really don't care about our future too much. In many cases, kids drink to get drunk. They know how dangerous it can be, and how fun it can be. As a teen, the bit of the brain responsible for thinking things thru (Frontal lobe?) isn't fully developed, and it's rare to see someone sit down to try and figure out if it is a good idea to drink, if they are too drunk to drive, or anything to that effect. Teens will disobey the law, and if you remove the punishments, they will systematically abuse booze. We aren't perfect, and knowing something could end poorly doesn't stop us from doing it.