ZERO TOLERANCE RULES GO AGAINST WESTERN BELIEFS

As the history of the 1990s is written, the most famous phrase of the era
will prove to have been "zero tolerance."

Conceived as a slogan in the war against drugs, zero tolerance has come to
mean much more in the minds of the young people toward whom it is directed.
It means as it says: "no tolerance." No mistakes. No forgiveness. No room
for error.

When a phrase such as zero tolerance gains in a culture, its implications
extend far beyond the original intent of those who promote it. In all
language, there is a surface meaning -- the regulations as written -- and a
"subtext" -- or deeper psychological import. It is this subtext that can
migrate in malignant form to create internal mind-sets never foreseen by
the authors of the original text.

For example, shortly after zero tolerance was implemented as school policy,
a rock band was formed called Zero Tolerance. The concept of "no tolerance"
migrated from school dictums to the wider culture, with implications much
broader than originally intended.

Another example: the zero-tolerance policy in Orange County soon gave birth
to a youth gang called "Straight Edge," which practiced its own form of
zero tolerance through physical abuse of people whose appearance, beliefs
or behavior it didn't like.

Seen from the widest perspective, zero tolerance is a concept that stands
in direct opposition to long-held principles of western civilization such
as forgiveness, forbearance, the right to a trial before a jury of peers,
and many others. Most importantly, it stands opposed to the founding Greek
ideal of "sophron," or moderation, which has informed western civilization
for two millennia.

When the Taliban -- following scripture that abjures graven images --
destroy an ancient Buddhist statue, they are following a policy of zero
tolerance in accordance with their own views. In short, zero tolerance is
an idea that leaves no room for compromise, mitigating circumstance or even
serious thought.

Unfortunately, after years of being taught the concept of zero tolerance,
some unstable students have internalized the message in an inappropriate
way. Faced with adolescent problems and lacking the administrative power of
adults, they have responded with a personal vision of zero tolerance that,
tragically, makes the evening news.

No parent or concerned adult will disagree with policies prohibiting
weapons, drugs or even bullying in our schools. But such policies should be
titled in reference to the subjects they address.

A drug policy, for example, could be called "Policy Regarding Drug and
Alcohol Possession On School Property," and still retain the sanctions of
present regulation.

At its base, the phrase "zero tolerance" runs counter to the fundamental
precepts of Judeo-Christian culture.

Parents, teachers and administrators would go a long way toward reducing
tension among our youth by abandoning this slogan and returning instead to
traditional western ideas of decency, kindness, forgiveness and, yes,
tolerance.

Lance Jencks

Costa Mesa