Editorial
Time for adult judgment, please

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Sometimes judgment seems so scarce, especially in the people paid to use it. That thought came to mind with yesterday's story of how the responsible persons of Prosser, in south-central Washington, handled the case of a 15-year-old who drew a picture of President Bush's head on a stick.

It was in an art class at Prosser High. Students were to keep a notebook of images. One young man, a bit of a punk rocker who wears his hair in a Mohawk, drew a picture of an Arab. One of the Arab's hands was holding an assault rifle and another holding a stick, upon which was impaled the presidential cranium. A caption called for an end to the war in Iraq.

The student made other drawings, one showing the president as a devil launching a missile, and another of Ralph Nader depicted as a good guy.

The teacher was concerned about the images, and showed them to the principal. The principal, who said later, "We involve the police anytime we have a concern," showed them to the police. The chief of police, who said later he wasn't sure what to do, called the Secret Service, which traveled from Spokane to interrogate the boy.

He was not charged with a crime, but was admonished by the school. It was the right thing to do, but surely it did not require intervention of the federal government.

There will always be those who say, "Better not take a chance." Indeed, the agent in charge of the Secret Service Field Office here, Wallace Shields, says that whenever a person has reason to believe someone might be a threat to the president, to let them know. Yes, but you have to decide whether reason exists.

The story fits a contemporary pattern established in the "zero tolerance" cases, such as the boy who brought a non-working antique gun to a Seattle school as part of a history project, and was permanently expelled. The Prosser case seems to be another in a long line of cases in which local authorities say, "We're not going to judge this."

Too often, zero tolerance means zero judgment. A matter that might have been handled by the art teacher, or at most by the principal, is presented to a federal police agency. For the student it is intimidating; for the public safety it is overkill.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company