This is the world that we live in

Yesterday I got an automated call from the school district informing me that a student at one of the high schools was expelled and arrested for bringing a fake hand gun to school. (An email sent later in the day said the student had been taken into police custody, which is not the same as arrested, I think.)  Three other schools were placed on lockdown as a precaution.

My first thought was what kind of idiot brings a fake gun to school?  Of course I was grateful (so grateful!) it was a false alarm, but I still find the whole thing very unsettling.

Given our current social climate, I understand the idea of zero tolerance policies. It seems you can never be too careful these days, and any perceived threat must be taken very seriously.  But what if this kid really did just make a stupid mistake with no intended malice?

I don’t know the whole story or whether or not this is a troubled or potentially dangerous kid, but I can’t help but wonder what comes next for him.  And it makes me more than a little sad that my kids live in such a (necessarily?) unforgiving time when their youthful choices can have such devastating consequences.