AN EIGHTH GRADER IN TEXAS RECEIVED A TWO-DAY
SUSPENSION FOR SAVING THE LIFE OF ONE OF HIS CLASSMATES.
ONE OF HIS CLASSMATES WAS SUFFERING FROM A SEVERE
ASTHMA ATTACK, AND THE TEACHER DECIDED TO EMAIL THE NURSE
AND WAIT FOR A REPLY.
THE STUDENT IN QUESTION, ANTHONY, DECIDED THAT MAYBE
WAITING FOR THE NURSE IS NOT THE BEST IDEA WHEN YOUR CLASSMATE
HAS NOW FALLEN TO THE FLOOR AS A RESULT OF THIS ASTHMA ATTACK.
HE GRABS THE STUDENT AND GOES INTO THE NURSE'S OFFICE,
AND THANKFULLY THE STUDENT IS NOW OKAY.
SHE RECEIVED THE TREATMENT SHE NEEDED, SHE TEXTED ANTHONY
TO LET HIM KNOW THAT SHE WAS OKAY, AND EVERYTHING WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE FINE.
HOWEVER, THE TEACHER, WHO IS UNIDENTIFIED, WAS NOT HAPPY
THAT ANTHONY DID NOT COMPLY WITH THEIR ORDERS TO NOT LEAVE
THE CLASSROOM, SO AS A RESULT HE GOT SUSPENDED.
TWO-DAY SUSPENSION, AGAIN, FOR DOING NOTHING OTHER THAN
SAVING HIS CLASSMATE'S LIFE.
SOMETIMES YOU DO HAVE TO BREAK THE RULES DO THE RIGHT
THING, AND SO I ALWAYS PICTURED IN MY HEAD, THEY SAY WHAT
IF THERE WAS A TICKING TIME BOMB, WOULD YOU TORTURE
SOMEBODY GET THE INFORMATION?
FIRST OF ALL, THAT IS A BS THING, THERE IS NO TIME BOMB, IT
IS JUST TO LET YOU TORTURE SOMEONE.
THERE IS NO JACK BAUER, THE BOMB DOESN'T GO OFF ON A 24-HOUR.
IF THERE ACTUALLY WAS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY A
TICKING TIME BOMB AND I FELT I HAD TO TORTURE SOMEONE, IF
I DID THAT I WOULD IMMEDIATELY STEP DOWN.
EVEN IF IT WAS THE RIGHT THING, I SAVE THE TOWN, I CAN'T
CONTINUE DOING THE JOB BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO
TORTURE SOMEONE.
THE ONLY POINT I'M MAKING IS THAT IF HE GETS SUSPENDED FOR
BREAKING THE RULES EVEN THOUGH HE DID THE RIGHT THING, I
DON'T THINK HE SHOULD THINK OF IT AS A BAD THING.
IT IS MORE OF A SENSE OF PRIDE AND COURAGE THAT YOU WERE
ABLE TO BREAK THE RULES AND DO THE RIGHT THING AND SUFFER
THE CONSEQUENCES.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME THIS IS A DETERRENT FOR ANY
OTHER STUDENT WHO WANTS TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
IT TEACHES STUDENTS TO JUST COMPLY, DON'T THINK OUT OF THE
BOX, DON'T BREAK THE RULES, DON'T DO ANYTHING THAT COULD BE
CONSIDERED AS A CIVIL
DISOBEDIENCE IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE CURRENT POLITICAL
SYSTEM, JUST COMPLY.
AND I HATE THAT MESSAGE.
YES, IT IS ONE SMALLER ISSUE, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE
BROADER PROBLEM IN THIS COUNTRY YOU UNDERSTAND WHY THIS
PROBLEM EXISTS.
WE SHOULD NOT CREATE A SYSTEM THAT TELLS PEOPLE,
ESPECIALLY KIDS, THAT YOU NEED TO JUST COMPLY.
THAT GETS TO THE LARGER ISSUE, WHICH IN THIS CASE
IS THE TEACHERS.
TEACHERS ARE TOLD, IF YOU DON'T FOLLOW PROCEDURE, THERE
WILL BE CONSEQUENCES ON YOU.
YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW THIS MANDATE, AND IF YOU GO ONE INCH
OUTSIDE THE MANDATE WE ARE GOING TO COME FOR YOU.
AND SO SHE IS TOLD, IF A STUDENT HAS A HEALTH PROBLEM YOU
EMAIL THE NURSE.
WE DON'T SEND EVERY PAPER CUT TO THE NURSE, THAT IS PROBABLY
THE REASON.
YES, BUT BE A HUMAN BEING, AND THIS GETS TO WHERE I GREW WITH
YOU NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT AND MY NUMBER ONE PET PETE IN THE
WORLD: GOD GAVE US A MIND, IF YOU BELIEVE IN GOD, OR
DARWIN, SO THAT WE CAN USE IT.
USE HUMAN JUDGMENT.
NORMALLY YOU WOULD FOLLOW PROCEDURE, UNLESS SOMEONE
IS DYING ON THE FLOOR!
IN WHICH CASE, PICK THEM UP AND TAKE THEM TO THE NURSE.
THE LACK OF COMMON SENSE IS WHAT ENRAGES ME THE MOST.
YOU ARE NOW DEALING WITH A LIFE OR DEATH SITUATION, AND
YOUR STRATEGY IS TO SEND AN EMAIL.
IT IS ABSURD.
IF I WAS THAT GIRL'S PARENTS AND I FOUND OUT THAT THAT PETER SENT
AN EMAIL DURING MY DAUGHTER'S ASTHMA ATTACK, I WILL DO
EVERYTHING IN MY ñ
EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO GET THAT TEACHER FIRED.
I WOULD BE MORE PISSED AT THE ADMINISTRATION.
YOU CANNOT SET THESE RULES WHERE THE TEACHERS ARE AFRAID THEIR
GOING TO GET FIRED IF THEY STEP ONE MINUTE OUTSIDE OF THE RULES.
PART OF BEING A TEACHER IS NOT JUST TEACHING TO A TEST OR
FOLLOWING ALL THE RULES THAT ARE
GIVEN THROUGH THE SYSTEM, BUT TO ACTUALLY USE HUMAN JUDGMENT.
SOMETIMES IT IS STEPPING OUTSIDE THE MANDATE.
I LOVE ANTHONY'S QUOTE ñ
AND BY THE WAY, THE TEACHER DOES NOT DISAGREE.
THE TEACHER WROTE HER OWN POINT OF VIEW OF WHAT HAPPENED,
AND IT WAS NO DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THE STUDENT SAID.
I'M GOING TO READ THE FULL QUOTE.
WHEN SHE SAID DON'T PICK HER UP I MEAN KNOWING THE NURSE,
ANTHONY SAID, " FUCK THAT, WE AIN'T GOT NO TIME TO WAIT FOR NO
EMAIL FROM THE NURSE."
I ACTUALLY KIND OF LOVE HIM.
IT IS GREAT.
ANTHONY, YOU ARE A HERO.