The Moral of the School Story

After a day to stew on it, for the two of you who read it, it's time for the "moral of the story" regarding the educational blurb I posted yesterday. Here's what we can take:

Lesson 1: Jurisdiction

Who's responsibility is it to punish an irresponsible student? In some ways, it is the school's responsibility. In others, the parents must step up. The school cannot, however, replace the parents. In no way should the school have authority to take Billy's allowance. Let the parents rule their side.

Lesson 2: Proper Punishment

The school has an avenue to pursue in the matter; they can take away free lunches. Instead, the school decides to take his allowance. I don't think anyone would dispute the absurdity of such an action, even in a made-up story.

Lesson 3: Foresight and Rapid Reaction

You don't know from my story, but isn't there a chance the school could have found out about the Johnsons' financial prowess before being suckered? What if I told you the school offered the free lunches within minutes of hearing about Mr. Johnson's job situation? Sure, it's possible the school could have done the proper research and thought things through and still have been burned, but it's much less likely.

Now, apply these lessons to the AIG Bonus stories that are floating around.