Why Get Excited About Peanut Butter?
Just as school began, Bangor High School announced a ban on peanut products in the school, to accommodate the needs of an incoming student. Further, the school asked families to modify their practices at home.
A few days later, Renee Ordway of the Bangor Daily News wrote a column on the reactions of parents and citizens, and gave her response to the reactions:
The mother of the student wrote in too, to explain the family's situation:
Yet the results of a poll show that readers, or those who take the poll, are not susceptible to sweet reason:
As you can see, by a better than two-to-one margin, the poll participants say it's unreasonable for the school to ban peanuts. As you can see from the comments on the first BDN article, many of those opposing the ban are at pains to explain that they're not anti-child ogres.
Maybe Ms. Ordway misses the point?
Do you really think that all the rage this question seems to evoke has anything to do with peanut butter?
Are those who question the ban just narrow-minded bigots?
Let's try out another possible explanation, a working hypothesis. Let's just say that the average citizen feels that she or he has very little control over the schools, or say in how the schools operate, but feels nearly powerless. Maybe they feel particularly powerless against the schools' seeming obliviousness to the "will of the people." Maybe it isn't a coincidence that right now in Bangor it looks like there will be a spirited race for Board seats in the upcoming election.
One test for a working hypothesis is this: does it fit the appearances? Does it explain them?
Failure to recognize a high level of frustration among Bangor citizens and parents doesn't bode well for the near future.
But a basic dissatisfaction with the schools might explain how folks get so exercised over just a little peanut butter!
A freshman student with a severe food allergy has Bangor High School officials on the alert for an insidious foe - the humble peanut.
"We’re taking every precaution we can," Principal Norris Nickerson said Monday. Last week, the school sent a letter home to parents requesting that they refrain from packing peanuts or other nuts or nut products in their children’s lunches. Furthermore, the letter asked parents to make sure their children wash their faces and hands thoroughly before coming to school if they’ve had contact with nuts in the morning.
"Peanuts banned at Bangor High", Meg Haskell, Bangor Daily News, August 28, 2007
By following the article link above you can see the comments and discussion this kicked off.
A few days later, Renee Ordway of the Bangor Daily News wrote a column on the reactions of parents and citizens, and gave her response to the reactions:
I wish that I had so little to worry about, so few things to feel frustrated with that I could get myself all worked up into a foam-at-the-mouth frenzy because Bangor High School students were being asked not to bring peanut-containing products to school this year.
The mother of the student wrote in too, to explain the family's situation:
We are grateful for the Bangor School Department’s vigilant professional approach and concern for their students. I would also like to thank each of you for your cooperation and understanding of this important situation
Yet the results of a poll show that readers, or those who take the poll, are not susceptible to sweet reason:
As you can see, by a better than two-to-one margin, the poll participants say it's unreasonable for the school to ban peanuts. As you can see from the comments on the first BDN article, many of those opposing the ban are at pains to explain that they're not anti-child ogres.
Maybe Ms. Ordway misses the point?
Do you really think that all the rage this question seems to evoke has anything to do with peanut butter?
Are those who question the ban just narrow-minded bigots?
Let's try out another possible explanation, a working hypothesis. Let's just say that the average citizen feels that she or he has very little control over the schools, or say in how the schools operate, but feels nearly powerless. Maybe they feel particularly powerless against the schools' seeming obliviousness to the "will of the people." Maybe it isn't a coincidence that right now in Bangor it looks like there will be a spirited race for Board seats in the upcoming election.
One test for a working hypothesis is this: does it fit the appearances? Does it explain them?
Failure to recognize a high level of frustration among Bangor citizens and parents doesn't bode well for the near future.
But a basic dissatisfaction with the schools might explain how folks get so exercised over just a little peanut butter!
posted by PP | 9/18/2007 07:25:00 AM
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