School Defends Serving Gin to 6th Graders

[Nova]

None of the laws I'm aware of quantify it. It's a legal judgment call, I believe.

Public schools are different from churches. In the Episcopal Church I was raised in, you could have the wine as during communion after you were confirmed (which could happen from about age 13 on up).

I always knew you folks in the false religions had more fun!

 

[southcitymom]

I always knew you folks in the false religions had more fun!

Oh so true!!!

 

[KarlK]

I agree with the poster that said there is probably more alcohol in cough and cold medicine.

There is indeed, often up to 36% in some syrups. That's 72 proof. A teaspoon containing a 50/50 blend of gin and water would be about 20% alcohol. Even if swallowed by a much smaller kid than a 6th grader such a minute amount of alcohol will have no physiological effect other than the slight warmth in the stomach one notices after taking cough syrup if one pays attention.

Gin tastes pretty bad on it's own.

Which is probably why gin was chosen to flavor the water. Even in small amounts it has a horrific taste, but without it being poison, and no kid in his right mind would ever want to swallow that.

So while the reasons why gin was selected stand the test of reason, prevention of a PR disaster was poorly managed. The media's hysterical exploitation of this event should have been seen coming from a mile away.

Hopefully tabloids will be too busy reporting about Elvis being found living inside a hotel's complimentary mini shampoo bottle to mention this story.

 

[Taximom]

Parents administer medications to their children knowing full well what is in the medicine. The schools that my children attend require medical forms signed by doctors to administer any medications, including cough meds and even desitin rash ointment, to children.

I still say gin or any other type of alcohol should not have been including in the lesson plan at that school.

I'm truly befuddled by those here that think this wasn't such a bad thing! If the weirdo-neighbor-possible-pedo slipped your child a drink of water with a touch of alcohol in it, many here would be asking for the death penalty!!!

OK, I'm exaggerating a little. Just trying to make a point.

 

[KarlK]

I'm truly befuddled by those here that think this wasn't such a bad thing! If the weirdo-neighbor-possible-pedo slipped your child a drink of water with a touch of alcohol in it, many here would be asking for the death penalty!!!

OK, I'm exaggerating a little. Just trying to make a point.

That's because the weirdo-pedo would not be doing this as part of a supervised cultural experience about the customs of an African tribe .

Reasonably though the spirit could have been replaced with Listerine mouthwash which is the only mouthwash I know whose taste is almost as atrocious as that of gin. It contains more alcohol than gin but despite that I'm 100% sure no one would have made a big deal of it because mouthwash is meant to be spitted out, unlike gin. What happens here is that some people seem to be concerned that some of the kids could have been tempted to swallow the gin. To those I say this: have you ever tasted gin?

 

[Taximom]

I really like gin and tonics! Maybe it's the lemon or lime that takes away the nasty flavor some of you have described.

 

[sherri79]

That's because the weirdo-pedo would not be doing this as part of a supervised cultural experience about the customs of an African tribe .

Reasonably though the spirit could have been replaced with Listerine mouthwash which is the only mouthwash I know whose taste is almost as atrocious as that of gin. It contains more alcohol than gin but despite that I'm 100% sure no one would have made a big deal of it because mouthwash is meant to be spitted out, unlike gin. What happens here is that some people seem to be concerned that some of the kids could have been tempted to swallow the gin. To those I say this: have you ever tasted gin?

i know how awful it taste and i doubt the kids wanted to swallow it. i do not want the kids to get the idea that you can not drink responsibly or the idea that a little booze is ok when you are in 6th grade. if they had used a better tasting booze it would have been bad but since they picked a nasty 1 its ok? to blame this on the culture of Africa is wrong imo. we do not allow you to make a small cut on a child's private area because some cultures in Africa use female circumcision. we can teach a child about the good points in other cultures with out breaking the law. the point of this was to teach the kids that if you lie your actions will show the truth. anything with a bad taste would have worked.

 

[txsvicki]

I'm really curious about what type of honesty was being taught and why alcohol was used in the first place. I just don't see any educational value or passage into a new stage of life by giving someone blindfolded a spoon of water and a spoon of part gin and asking them to be honest. Do they expect adults who have gone beyond this rite of passage to identify gin as water and lie about it all, request more sips? What is the point with gin. Anything could have been used. Why alcohol? Also, I didn't read anywhere that the kids were actually told to spit the micro mixed drink out either. Maybe the kids spit it out because they really didn't trust the adults in what they were asked to sip and because it tasted so bad. I say the kids had good sense and now if the adults would leave them alone, give parents simple courtesy and respect, and teach them what they are paid to do, they will all be much better off.

 

[Paladin]

I'm really curious about what type of honesty was being taught and why alcohol was used in the first place. I just don't see any educational value or passage into a new stage of life by giving someone blindfolded a spoon of water and a spoon of part gin and asking them to be honest. Do they expect adults who have gone beyond this rite of passage to identify gin as water and lie about it all, request more sips? What is the point with gin. Anything could have been used. Why alcohol? Also, I didn't read anywhere that the kids were actually told to spit the micro mixed drink out either. Maybe the kids spit it out because they really didn't trust the adults in what they were asked to sip and because it tasted so bad. I say the kids had good sense and now if the adults would leave them alone, give parents simple courtesy and respect, and teach them what they are paid to do, they will all be much better off.

They were reliving an old African tradition. They were just trying to make it authentic. Remember, this is a charter school that focuses on African culture. I think the whole ceremony was more about honoring tradition than it was about teaching honesty. The parents were present. They chose to send their children to this school, so I'm guessing they also know that some African traditions don't fall in lines with American society's laws or norms.

 

[txsvicki]

They were reliving an old African tradition. They were just trying to make it authentic. Remember, this is a charter school that focuses on African culture. I think the whole ceremony was more about honoring tradition than it was about teaching honesty. The parents were present. They chose to send their children to this school, so I'm guessing they also know that some African traditions don't fall in lines with American society's laws or norms.

I didn't realize that the school focuses on African culture, and thought that they were just doing something special for African heritage day.

 

[Paladin]

I didn't realize that the school focuses on African culture, and thought that they were just doing something special for African heritage day.

There are circumstances in which I would be upset.

1. If it were a public school...especially since there is no particular focus on any one culture.

2. If the parents were not present.

I'd be pretty pissed if my kid were given booze without me being present or without my consent. But if I was present, and saw them giving them a teaspoon a booze, I think that's as good as giving consent. Just my opinion. I certainly don't speak for anyone else.