Student Punished for Hugging Friend

Kilmer Middle school has a ban on students touching one another. A student in the school gave his girlfriend a slight hug and was given detention. The father protested that this rule was wrong since it violated the right to expression.

In all societies, touching is natural. It is not only acceptable, but obligatory as a means of expressing friendship. Well adjusted children naturally touch each other. It is the child that is not well adjusted that will not touch another or want to be touched. Remember Cho, the Virginia Tech mass murderer, he didn’t even want to have eye contact with other students.

What happens when these Kilmer Middle School students leave Kilmer? Will they want to enforce “no touching” on others? Will they call the police if others touch them? Will they shoot another for touching them? Will they be self righteously assured that that people must never touch others? Will they become legislators that try to enforce their behavior on others?

The principle behind “freedom of expression” is that is OK to express yourself in any way that does not produce loss, injury or harm. The corollary behind “freedom of expression” is that it is also an individual’s right NOT to listen to others.

Part of a public school education is learning how to interact with other people. American culture has a complex system of expression. Some expressions are taboo. Some expressions are normal. Some expressions are standard and good. It is often confusing to know what to do. A good public school system should not inject their own moral system, but should teach and clarify the norms of society. Government, including the school system, does not have any right to enforce a no touching rule if the touching conforms to the norms of society and is acceptable.

Peer pressure is the greatest force for moral conformity. For example, if one student inappropriately touches another in a crowded school hall, other students will see the unapproved behavior and will apply pressure on the student to conform. Not all pressure to conform should be from the top.

It would behoove the Kilmer Middle school teachers, administrators, and principal to educate themselves as to normal societal behavior. The Kilmer Middle school teachers, administrators, and principal should be properly educated – and well adjusted – before they educate others. The Kilmer School system has so aberrated their students and faculty with funny moral beliefs that they should be forced to hire outsiders to teach a course on normal American behavior.

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