I served as an elmentary teacher for a number of years. One thing that my students would become royally and righteously angry about is being accused of something they did not do! What I found even more striking is that they could become even more severely enraged if I did not pursue the matter until the students who were misbehaving were caught and punished in a manner that would be likely to deter them from quickly repeating the same offense.
These plucky and outspoke children despised the idea that I and other teachers- often at the insistence of the School Owner or Principal were FORCEd to implement. That being, This is sa serious act and AS we are NOT able to determine the child or children directly responsible- THE whole class will have to be disciplined.
I remember students telling me - in no uncertain terms that doing this woulsd be both UNFAIR and Wrong! I remember students calling out the names of a clssmate or the names of classmates saying things like, " You know you did this. Don't make ALL of us suffer for you!" While it was tempting to act against the MANED students, wiyhout proof, I was not permitted to continue to consider pursuing that avenue>
It seems we have a large and growing list of things in America where everyone is ASSUMED guilty and dealt with as such- some of the TSA procedures seem to stem from this notion. So, Should fairness and treating people correctly and properly- looking for the guilty without penalizing the innocent- be an ideal that stokes the passion and outrage of ADULTS as well as 9 year olds in 2011 America?
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