Zero Brain - As part

Zero Brain - As part of the "drug war" - and especially after the Columbine massacre - "zero tolerance" became the latest cliche in the nation's bottomless library of catch phrases.

My son was sent home from school last year - because he had five little soft-plastic pellets in his pocket. No problem - except that when asked, he told the principal that they were from a toy gun, ergo violating the schools' "zero tolerance policy" on "weapons". (Had he lied and told them they were from a "fill the holes" game, he'd have been just fine, of course)

Catherine Seipp writes an excellent article on how zero tolerance rules can be bad for kids' health. That may well be true - but I'd suggest that their main effect it to teach kids that authority is really just not that bright.