A Middle School from Cambodia, Illinois

An eigth-grade girl in Illinois got punished for hugging two friends at school last Friday. District Big Brother Superintendent Sam McGowen defended the punishment, and referred the media to the student policy handbook, which states:

“Displays of affection should not occur on the school campus at any time. It is in poor taste, reflects poor judgment, and brings discredit to the school and to the persons involved.”

Emphasis mine.

So let's review: According to this Illinois school district, displays of affection (and by implication, affection itself) are distasteful, reflect impairment in judgement, and discredit the society and organizations in which said affection is displayed.

Pol Pot had an almost identical policy regarding public displays of affection when he was the "superintendent" of Cambodia.

What seems clear to me is that this very student policy is distasteful, reflects poor judgement, and discredits the organization to which it belongs.

And one last thing, why do they call it a student policy? I doubt the students wrote it.