Common sense, long on the run in the USA, was found in the halls of a public school recently, cornered by administrators, and was strangled to death. Reportedly, after so many years of being in hiding, it didn’t put up much of a fight.

I bring this up because a seven year old was suspended from school for bringing a novelty pen that buzzed when someone held it. Dude, you don’t suspend Ralph Malph in training.

Tech Dirt reports:

On January 15, 2013, G boarded his bus “armed” with a novelty pen that emitted a small buzz when touched, and showed it to some friends. At some point during the trip to school, the bus driver noticed the pen, asked to see it and then confiscated it from G.

Three days later, the principal of Hershey Elementary, Joy MacKenzie, called G’s parents and told them their son had violated the school weapons policy. They were asked to remove him from the school immediately and then handed down a four-day suspension for his violation. At no point were G’s parents allowed to contest the decision.

What a joke.

*subhead*Dumb.*subhead*