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http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50405-2001Apr22.html

Overkill On Schools=20
Zero-tolerance and our exaggerated images of violence.=20
By James Forman Jr.
Monday, April 23, 2001; Page A15=20



While two years have passed since Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold's =
rampage through Columbine High School, the memory of their act continues =
to influence the national debate on school safety and discipline. =
Unfortunately, the panic created by Columbine and other highly =
publicized school shootings threatens to undermine rational educational =
policy.

There is no dispute that the risk of being killed in school is =
extraordinarily low and getting lower. School shootings have declined =
throughout the 1990s, to the point at which a child now has less than a =
one-in-2-million chance of being killed in school. Today a student is =
more likely to be killed by lightning than in a school homicide. And it =
is not just school shootings that have declined: According to the =
Centers for Disease Control and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, =
fights, gun possession and overall school crime are down, too.

But despite the fact that schools are getting safer, school officials =
and educators are creating zero-tolerance and other hard-line policies. =
Lawmakers in Texas have proposed a law that would allow school =
principals to carry weapons. A North Carolina firearms practice site =
trains law enforcement officers at newly developed "RU Ready High," a =
mock school that comes equipped with 16 classrooms and an audio system =
that simulates the screams and gunfire of a mass shooting. And five =
students in Mississippi were suspended and criminally charged for =
throwing peanuts on a school bus, one of which hit the bus driver. =
According to the sheriff: "This time it was peanuts, but if we don't get =
a handle on it, the next time it could be bodies."=20

Why are lawmakers adopting punitive approaches to a nonexistent crisis? =
Because despite the facts, the public largely believes that youth and =
school violence are on the rise. Though the overwhelming majority of =
Americans never will be victimized by a school shooting, 71 percent of =
respondents to an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll felt that a school =
shooting was likely in their community. Similarly, although youth crime =
is declining steadily, 62 percent of poll respondents felt it was =
rising.

Who is responsible for the public's erroneous belief that school =
shooters lurk everywhere? In part, the media. Their focus on school =
shootings is part of their general infatuation with crime coverage. =
Though crime dropped 20 percent nationally from 1990 to 1998, network =
coverage of crime increased 83 percent during that period, according to =
a recent study prepared by the Berkeley Media Studies Group and the =
Justice Policy Institute.

But there is another, less likely, culprit: handgun control advocates. =
Following Columbine and other recent school shootings, supporters of =
handgun control made a concerted effort to publicize school shootings, =
in the hope that an outraged public would force politicians to buck the =
NRA. That gambit failed, however, and the results of two years of hyping =
school shootings are now in: no meaningful gun control, more punitive =
zero-tolerance policies.

The school shooting furor echoes another public crisis from the 1980s: =
the crack cocaine debate. As with school shootings, the uproar over =
crack cocaine stormed into the public consciousness with rhetoric often =
outpacing reality. And as with the school shooting debates, some =
liberals joined in. Reps. Charles Rangel and Major Owens, two leading =
African American Democrats, led the fight to increase penalties for =
cocaine trafficking. In 1986 Major Owens said that crack cocaine "is the =
worst oppression we have known since slavery."

Today, 15 years later, few policy analysts of any persuasion believe =
mandatory minimum drug sentences make sense. Even a conservative =
criminologist such as John J. DiIulio, the head of President Bush's =
Office on Faith Based and Community Initiatives, has argued the =
"conservative crime-control case . . . for repealing mandatory minimum =
drug laws now." The Judicial Conference of the United States, the =
federal Sentencing Commission, the Department of Justice and a raft of =
Republican-nominated federal judges all have questioned the efficacy of =
mandatory minimum drug sentences. And a recently released study by the =
Journal of the American Medical Association eviscerates the case for =
criminal prosecution of cocaine-addicted mothers by demonstrating the =
exaggerated nature of the "crack babies" hype.

But the crack cocaine debate also demonstrates another rule of politics: =
It is easier to enact bad policy than to undo it. Even after public =
fervor has died, the laws often remain on the books.

Schools today do face tremendous challenges, including preparing =
students for an increasingly demanding workplace, educating increasing =
numbers of special education students and providing a quality education =
to all despite gross disparities in school funding. Given all these =
challenges, developing zero-tolerance policies for students who toss =
peanuts on a bus can safely be left off the agenda.

The writer is a fellow at the New America Foundation.=20




=A9 2001 The Washington Post Company


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<DIV><FONT size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50405-2001Apr22.html">=
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<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3D4><FONT face=3DArial>Overkill On =
Schools<!--plsfield:stop--></FONT></FONT></STRONG> <BR><FONT=20
face=3Darial,helvetica>Zero-tolerance and our exaggerated images of=20
violence.</FONT>=20
<P><FONT size=3D2><!--plsfield:byline--><I>By James Forman =
Jr.</I><BR><!--plsfield:disp_date-->Monday, April 23, 2001; Page A15 =
</FONT>
<P><!--plsfield:description--><NITF>
<P></P>
<P>While two years have passed since Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold's =
rampage=20
through Columbine High School, the memory of their act continues to =
influence=20
the national debate on school safety and discipline. Unfortunately, the =
panic=20
created by Columbine and other highly publicized school shootings =
threatens to=20
undermine rational educational policy.</P>
<P>There is no dispute that the risk of being killed in school is=20
extraordinarily low and getting lower. School shootings have declined =
throughout=20
the 1990s, to the point at which a child now has less than a =
one-in-2-million=20
chance of being killed in school. Today a student is more likely to be =
killed by=20
lightning than in a school homicide. And it is not just school shootings =
that=20
have declined: According to the Centers for Disease Control and the =
Bureau of=20
Justice Statistics, fights, gun possession and overall school crime are =
down,=20
too.</P>
<P>But despite the fact that schools are getting safer, school officials =
and=20
educators are creating zero-tolerance and other hard-line policies. =
Lawmakers in=20
Texas have proposed a law that would allow school principals to carry =
weapons. A=20
North Carolina firearms practice site trains law enforcement officers at =
newly=20
developed "RU Ready High," a mock school that comes equipped with 16 =
classrooms=20
and an audio system that simulates the screams and gunfire of a mass =
shooting.=20
And five students in Mississippi were suspended and criminally charged =
for=20
throwing peanuts on a school bus, one of which hit the bus driver. =
According to=20
the sheriff: "This time it was peanuts, but if we don't get a handle on =
it, the=20
next time it could be bodies." </P>
<P>Why are lawmakers adopting punitive approaches to a nonexistent =
crisis?=20
Because despite the facts, the public largely believes that youth and =
school=20
violence are on the rise. Though the overwhelming majority of Americans =
never=20
will be victimized by a school shooting, 71 percent of respondents to an =

NBC/Wall Street Journal poll felt that a school shooting was likely in =
their=20
community. Similarly, although youth crime is declining steadily, 62 =
percent of=20
poll respondents felt it was rising.</P>
<P>Who is responsible for the public's erroneous belief that school =
shooters=20
lurk everywhere? In part, the media. Their focus on school shootings is =
part of=20
their general infatuation with crime coverage. Though crime dropped 20 =
percent=20
nationally from 1990 to 1998, network coverage of crime increased 83 =
percent=20
during that period, according to a recent study prepared by the Berkeley =
Media=20
Studies Group and the Justice Policy Institute.</P>
<P>But there is another, less likely, culprit: handgun control =
advocates.=20
Following Columbine and other recent school shootings, supporters of =
handgun=20
control made a concerted effort to publicize school shootings, in the =
hope that=20
an outraged public would force politicians to buck the NRA. That gambit =
failed,=20
however, and the results of two years of hyping school shootings are now =
in: no=20
meaningful gun control, more punitive zero-tolerance policies.</P>
<P>The school shooting furor echoes another public crisis from the =
1980s: the=20
crack cocaine debate. As with school shootings, the uproar over crack =
cocaine=20
stormed into the public consciousness with rhetoric often outpacing =
reality. And=20
as with the school shooting debates, some liberals joined in. Reps. =
Charles=20
Rangel and Major Owens, two leading African American Democrats, led the =
fight to=20
increase penalties for cocaine trafficking. In 1986 Major Owens said =
that crack=20
cocaine "is the worst oppression we have known since slavery."</P>
<P>Today, 15 years later, few policy analysts of any persuasion believe=20
mandatory minimum drug sentences make sense. Even a conservative =
criminologist=20
such as John J. DiIulio, the head of President Bush's Office on Faith =
Based and=20
Community Initiatives, has argued the "conservative crime-control case . =
. . for=20
repealing mandatory minimum drug laws now." The Judicial Conference of =
the=20
United States, the federal Sentencing Commission, the Department of =
Justice and=20
a raft of Republican-nominated federal judges all have questioned the =
efficacy=20
of mandatory minimum drug sentences. And a recently released study by =
the=20
Journal of the American Medical Association eviscerates the case for =
criminal=20
prosecution of cocaine-addicted mothers by demonstrating the exaggerated =
nature=20
of the "crack babies" hype.</P>
<P>But the crack cocaine debate also demonstrates another rule of =
politics: It=20
is easier to enact bad policy than to undo it. Even after public fervor =
has=20
died, the laws often remain on the books.</P>
<P>Schools today do face tremendous challenges, including preparing =
students for=20
an increasingly demanding workplace, educating increasing numbers of =
special=20
education students and providing a quality education to all despite =
gross=20
disparities in school funding. Given all these challenges, developing=20
zero-tolerance policies for students who toss peanuts on a bus can =
safely be=20
left off the agenda.</P>
<P><I>The writer is a fellow at the New America Foundation.</I> </P>
<P></P>
<P></P></NITF>
<P>
<CENTER>=A9 2001<!--plsfield:end--> The Washington Post Company</CENTER>
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