Queen Pelosi Requisitioning Military Air Travel for Her Family

The audacity of Barack Obama could only be exceeded by the audacity of Nancy Pelosi. Doug Ross reports on how the military have been commandeered as common chauffeurs for Pelosi's children and grandchildren -- even on flights containing no congressional members.

It appears that this is all costing the American taxpayer millions of dollars, especially since Queen Palousy is only reimbursing the government for the flights at a bare minimum:

"Military flights cost between $5-$20 thousand dollars per hour to operate. Pelosi only reimburses the government between $120-$400 per flight. You and I pick up the rest of the tab with our tax dollars.

It's all perfectly legal, of course - or is it? Even if it is, perhaps we should start asking why a politician's children and grandchildren should have their travel subsidized at taxpayer expense?"

This post lists requisition forms and food/beverage receipts that are sickening to behold and this post lists numerous additional requisitions back to 2007.

Not only is this a violation of her oath to run the most uncorrupt Congress in the history of the universe. It is a slap in the face of every American who is footing the bill. What's more, San Fran Grand Nan and her husband are multi-millionaires several times over -- and yet she still prefers to suck the coffers of government dry and ask Joe and Jane Average to cough up yet more in taxes to cover it.

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Local Blogger; Wiretapping Trial

Well today is the day we find out the results of local blogger Billy Burke publisher of the Pocomoke Tattler wiretapping charges.

While the trial has been put-off and postponed several times Mr. Burke will today finally know his fate.

The trial was finally set to be a jury trial after the state bussed in a out-of-town judge that would hear the case.

On the Maryland Judicial Case search site Mr Burke's trial again has changed from a "Criminal Jury Trial", to a "Criminal Non-Jury Trial" holding the same date.

Event Type:	Criminal Jury TrialNotice Date:
Event Date:	11/02/2009Event Time:09:30 AM
Result:	Postponed/ResetResult Date:10/22/2009

---

Event Type:	Criminal Non-Jury TrialNotice Date:
Event Date:	01/05/2010Event Time:09:30 AM
Result:	Result Date:

Mr. Burke was accused of "illegally recording" the Mayor of Pocomoke during the time that Mrs. Burke had been running for a council seat in Pocomoke and after publishing an out of context clip (posted below for you to hear) of the recording on his blog The Pocomoke Tattler.



The events that followed turned their life upside-down including a "raid" of their home where the PCPD collected most anything electronic that the Burke's owned and possesed, computers, cameras, recording devises, etc.

Charge and Disposition Information

(Each Charge is listed separately. The disposition is listed below the Charge)

Charge No:

1CJIS Code:1 5705Statute Code:CJ.10.402

Charge Description:

Wiretapping

Offense Date From:	03/27/2009To: 03/27/2009
Arrest Tracking No:	08-1002-04545-6Citation:
Charge Amend No:	0Sentence Version:0Charge Class:

Disposition

Plea:	Plea Date:
Disposition:	Disposition Date:

This case surely lacks in any prosecution;
1st the recording was made in a public place. (hearsay)
2nd Mr. Burke (IMHO) did not receive a "speedy trial" while the state (for whatever reason) was looking to find an out-of-town robe.

Now of course I'm not an attorney, but I did study and make many phone calls on Mr Burke's behalf in relation to Marylands "wiretapping" laws and if all accounts are accurate he will be acquitted today. (and I did stay at Holiday Inn)

Yes it is immoral, unethical, and just not a nice thing to do while your 'mark' is unaware they are being recorded in what 'they' think to be a private conversation no matter where that conversation takes place. BUT... is it illegal?

We shall see.

Did Bank Robbery Suspect Eat Evidence?

As cops search a bank robbery suspect on the hood of a police cruiser, the alleged thief chows down on a piece of possible evidence.

STREETSBORO, Ohio (Nov. 21) -- Police say a bank robbery suspect in Ohio may have eaten evidence when he gobbled a piece of paper while handcuffed and lying across the hood of a police cruiser.

A police video camera captured the 35-year-old John Ford of Cleveland grabbing the paper with his mouth as police emptied his pockets.

Ford was arrested following a report of a bank robbery in Streetsboro just south of Cleveland on Thursday.

Police say a man walked into the bank and handed a teller a note that demanded money.

Police say they found money in a bag in Ford's car, which fit the description of the bank robber's vehicle, along with a bank die pack that had exploded.

Ford was being held in the Portage County Jail on Saturday where his file did not indicate he had a lawyer.

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Undercover Wife Busts Husband by Posing as a Chatroom Teen

With its 'To Catch a Predator' sting operations, NBC's 'Dateline' has spawned a Web meme of motivational posters and jokes deriding repulsive sexual deviants. Those undercover sting operations have also inspired a wave of Net vigilantes who personally attempt to ensnare those unwitting, perverted dimwits.

A 69-year-old man in Wales was recently duped by an undercover crusader, and the operative just so happened to be in the next room. Instead of exchanging chat-room messages with what he thought was a 14-year-old girl, David Anthony Roberts was actually propositioning his own wife.

Cheryl Roberts, David's wife of 20 years, had recently grown suspicious of her husband's extensive online activities, particularly those he carried out under the message board alias of "Corky." With that in mind, she created profiles of 14- and 15-year-old girls on the site Bearshare and began engaging in clandestine discussions with her husband. The conversations apparently turned sexual in nature and finally culminated with David propositioning the 14-year-old character.

WalesOnline reports that Cheryl, who has since divorced her husband, called police after the incident. They made an arrest and subsequently found child pornography on the man's computer. David -- who, officials believe, may suffer from a neurological disorder -- plead guilty to eight charges of child pornography and is now a registered sexual offender. He is also being required to attend a sex offender program and is not allowed to contact anyone under the age of 18 on the Web. Chris Hansen would be proud. [From: Wales Online]

St. Paul ‘happy-slapping’ video that has police and citizens outraged

The arrests and investigation followed the Monday posting of a YouTube video featuring eight Black males terrorizing bicyclists and pedestrians -- including children and older people -- in what appeared to be Minneapolis and St. Paul.

St. Paul police have arrested an adult and a juvenile in connection with a series of random attacks in Minneapolis and St. Paul, which were recorded on video and posted on YouTube.



The adult from Oakdale, whose age was not released, was booked into the Ramsey County Jail, while a 17-year-old with no listed hometown, was taken to a juvenile detention center. Both were booked Tuesday on suspicion of strong-arm robbery and aggravated assault, according to St. Paul police reports. Charges do not appear to have been filed.

Several other suspects have been identified but have not yet been arrested, police said.

A police report showed that at least one person came forward after he was tackled behind by an unknown male at 6 p.m. Nov. 14 while walking eastbound on Grand Avenue near Avon Street in St. Paul.

“Assault was probably posted on YouTube”, the report said.

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CALL TO ACTION!

Never Forget

Read the letter to Obama here!

Americans, it is time to unite, not as Republicans or Democrats, not as Conservatives or Liberals or Progressives.

It is time to unite as CITIZENS.

President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder have forgotten that their chief duty is the safety and the security of the American people.

IT IS TIME FOR US TO REMIND THEM.

AG Eric Holder will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, November 18, to testify about the administration's plan to bring Khalid Sheikh Mohammed back to the scene of Al Qaeda's greatest single atrocity--Ground Zero--where he will brag about the slaughter of 3,000 innocent men, women and children and his lawyers will tell a "jury of his peers" that HE is a victim of the U.S. Government.

This is insanity.

Please join 9/11 Families for a Safe & Strong America, firefighters of TheBravest.com and Keep America Safe in Washington, D.C. to tell Eric Holder and members of Congress,

"WE WILL FIGHT YOU ALL THE WAY!"

We know this is short notice....but that's how the Administration planned it...they are counting on you just sitting this out, yelling at the cable news coverage of this outrage instead of showing up and changing the narrative in the MSM echo chamber.

Where: Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room G-50

Constitution Avenue and 1st Street, NE

U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C.

When: Wednesday, November 18, 9:30 am

Who: AG Eric Holder

More to follow...

neverforget@theBravest.com

Hat Tip; Kack

Police Officer Uses Taser On 10-Year-Old Girl

OZARK, Ark. -- Ozark police said they were called to a home where a mother asked for help with her unruly child, but the 10-year-old's father said he's outraged at the force police used against his daughter.

"I would like to say Ozark police Tased this little girl right here. Ten years old and [they] shot electricity through her body, and I want to know how the heck in God's green earth can they get away with this," said the girl's father, Anthony Medlock.

Medlock said his daughter was at her mother's house when Ozark police Officer Dustin Bradshaw shocked her in the back with a Taser and arrested her.

"If you can't pick the kid up and take her to your car, handcuff her, then I don't think you need to be an officer," Medlock said.

Medlock said his daughter does show signs of having emotional issues, but she "doesn't deserve to be treated like a dog. She's not a tiger."

According to a police report, the officer was called to the home by the mother and witnessed the child kicking and screaming. The officer's statement said the girl's mother, Kelly Hamlert, told him to use a Taser on her if he needed to.

The officer did shock the girl after he said she kicked him in the groin. "He had no other choice. He had to get the child under control," said Ozark police Chief Jim Noggle.

Noggle said the officer shocked the girl for about a second. Ozark police said it is their policy to use a Taser on someone who is a threat to others, no matter their age.

Noggle said simply restraining the child could be harmful. "Well, if he tried to restrain her, he might hurt her by restraining her. If you grab somebody, you can slip an arm out of joint. They can slip from you and fall on the ground," Noggle said. "I don't know what kind of policy it is. I don't think it's right," Medlock said.

Medlock said this is not the first time the girl's mother has called police to take her daughter to a juvenile facility. He said he will now try to get custody of his daughter.

"She just wants somebody to love her, and I do," he said.

40/29 News checked with several other police agencies about their taser policies. The Fort Smith Police Department said it will only uses a Taser on a person 14 years old or older if they are a threat to someone.

Fort Smith Police said it's usually the discretion of each police department to make their own policies on using a Taser. Noggle said no action is being taken against the Ozark officer who used the Taser on the girl, and he said her case will go before the juvenile court system.

VIA

No American President Ever Bowed to a Foreign Leader — Until Now

President Obama created a new presidential precedent when he bowed to the Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko Saturday.

No president of the United States in the more than 230 years since the country was founded in 1776 had ever bowed to a member of royalty. That was until Barack Obama’s presidency.

In April, President Obama bowed to the Saudi king during the G-20 meeting. At the time, Obama’s deferential bow was somewhat obscured, and the White House insisted that the president simply had leaned forward to shake the king’s hand.

But the president's recent demonstration of royal deference to the Japanese emperor and empress suggests his earlier action was no aberration.

What should we make of this? Is it trivial to worry about what on its face could easily be interpreted as nothing more than a polite gesture by our president to respect the culture of a country?

America was founded on republican virtues — small “r,” that is. Like the French Republic, our nation does not recognize royalty or social rank, especially from officials of the republic.

The conduct of our president when he deals with foreign leaders is a serious matter. After all, he represents the American people and our Constitution.

Indeed, when President Obama bows before a foreign leader, the whole country bows with him.

It is difficult to grasp what President Obama’s motives are for bowing to foreign royalty (it would be nice if a reporter asked his press secretary Robert Gibbs why he does it).

But Obama’s motives do not really matter when we consider his behavior.

What matters is how the rest of the world will interpret his actions. When it comes to bowing before foreign leaders, there is a fine line between showing politeness and servility, between respect and weakness

Continued HERE

Million-Dollar Car Crashes in Marsh

I think if I were driving a million dollar car I'd chance the bird and forget the cell phone. DUH!

LA MARQUE, Texas (Nov. 14) -- A man blamed a low-flying pelican and a dropped cell phone for his veering his million-dollar sports car off a road and into a salt marsh near Galveston. The accident happened about 3 p.m. Wednesday on the frontage road of Interstate 45 northbound in La Marque, about 35 miles



The Lufkin, Texas, man told of driving his luxury, French-built Bugatti Veyron when the bird distracted him, said La Marque police Lt. Greg Gilchrist. The motorist dropped his cell phone, reached to pick it up and veered off the road and into the salt marsh. The car was half-submerged in the brine about 20 feet from the road when police arrived.
Gilchrist said he doesn't know if the car was salvageable, but in his words, "Salt water isn't good for anything." He says the man, whose identity hasn't been released, was not injured.
A 2006 Bugatti Veyron was recently offered for sale in Jonesboro, Ark., for $1.25 million.

Florida man dialed up 911 for phone sex

Meet Joshua Basso. The Florida man was arrested yesterday after allegedly placing a series of obscene 911 calls during which he asked a female operator about her breasts and whether she would have sex with him.

When confronted by cops, Basso would not say whether he was masturbating while talking to the operator, as he claimed during the calls, according to a Tampa Police Department report.

The 29-year-old rooming house resident admitted placing the calls, but "did not think he would get in trouble for calling 911." That miscalculation resulted in Basso being charged yesterday with a misdemeanor count of misusing the 911 system (he was booked into the Hillsborough County jail, where his mug shot was taken).



Asked why he chose to dial 911 from among "all the numbers he could have called," Basso told police that his LG cell phone was out of minutes and he "called 911 because it was free."

An excerpt from one of Basso's calls--which he placed while a shower was running in the background--can he listened to via the above link. Basso appears to be pleasuring himself while an operator diligently tries to obtain his address.

click image to enlarge

VIA

Matthews on Ft. Hood Suspect; 'That's Not a Crime to Call al Qaeda, Is It?'

Ummm!! Why yes Chris .... IT IS!

"Article 104 of the UCMJ. Communicating with the enemy.
That the accused, without proper authority, communicated, corresponded, or held intercourse with the enemy."

MSNBC's Chris Matthews has said some things that would make your scratch your head - like getting a thrill up his leg from a speech given by Barack Obama. However, this one will really make you wonder what he was thinking.

On his Nov. 9 broadcast of "Hardball," in an interview with Zuhdi Jasser, president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, Matthews compared the incident of Maj. Nidal M. Hasan at Ft. Hood to Sirhan Sirhan's 1968 assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.

"You know, I have a hard time with this because people like Sirhan Sirhan, who is still serving time for killing Bobby Kennedy, didn't like what Bobby Kennedy had said on television," Matthews said. "Bobby Kennedy had made political statements saying we're going to sell arms, fighter planes directly to Israel, not under the table. We're going to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Those are the things that triggered his killing spree. He killed one person - Bobby Kennedy, horrifically. But did he become a different religious person because he committed the crime? And when did this happen?" [Audio: Part I here (925 KB), Part II here (1.18 MB)]

More HERE

Forklift Accident Leads to Epic Booze Bath for Driver

Deep in the recesses of a vodka warehouse in Moscow, you'd think they'd have more respect for alcohol than evidenced here.

In this video, a hapless forklift driver (perhaps after getting acquainted with the product he was moving?) manages to epically crush an entire shelf of stock, which dominoes to bring an amazing $150,000 worth of booze down on himself. Somehow, he only only sustained a leg injury.



Hopefully his skin absorbed enough hooch to knock him out long enough to miss how badly he got fired.

Sexy Craigslist Ad Allegedly Posted by Social Worker as Revenge on 9-year-old

A Long Island social worker is facing charges after she allegedly posted a sexy Craigslist ad with the name and phone number of a 9-year-old girl who argued with the social worker's daughter at school.


Margery Tannenbaum of Hauppauge, N.Y., is charged with aggravated harassment and endangering the welfare of a child for allegedly posting the child's name and phone number in an online ad targeting sex-seeking men. Prosecutors say Tannenbaum created the ad after the girl argued with the social worker's daughter at a Smithtown, N.Y., elementary school, according to New York's WCBS-TV.

Tannenbaum, 40, denied the allegations when she was arrested last spring. Her lawyer, Tad Scharfenberg, told WCBS that his client still maintains that she is innocent.

"She's a good mother, she's never been in any trouble before, she takes good care of her kids," he told WCBS. "I'm defending her to the fullest, she maintains her innocence."

Tannenbaum is accused of listing the girl's name and phone number in conjunction with the e-mail address, lacethong23@yahoo.com. The girl's mother got a call from a man who asked for the child by name. When the woman told the caller she was the girl's mom, he responded: "Oh, hot lady lives with foxy momma!"

"I told him that the hot lady you are referring to is 9-years-old," she told the station.

The state has been asked to review Tannenbaum's social work license, and parents at the school attended by both girls are hoping for a swift resolution.

One change has already taken place: Tannenbaum was the class mother for both girls last year, and she has since been replaced.

SOURCE

Mom Opens "Haunted House" in Home Where Kids Died in Fire

A woman ran a "haunted house" attraction for Halloween in the same burnt out home where her two children died in a house fire earlier this year, before police had to shut it down.

Nearly six months ago on May 29th, firefighters arrived to the house at 1460 North Lilac Avenue which was already well-involved in flames.

The firefighters quickly extinguished the flames, but discovered 2 little boys, 5 year old Mario Sisneros and 3-year-old David Sisneros lying unconscious, overcome by heat and smoke in a converted bedroom along with their puppy.

Read more HERE

Dog bit off baby's toes as mom slept

Mom blames medication as reason she didn't hear baby's cries, officials say

JACKSONVILLE, North Carolina - Authorities say they are charging a North Carolina woman who slept as a pit bull chewed the toes off her 4-month-old baby's left foot.

The Onslow County Sheriff's Office said Monday that the child's mother, Robie Lynn Jenkins, and her boyfriend, Tremayne Spillman, will be charged with felony child abuse.

Deputies say the couple were dog-sitting the 1-year-old pit bull for a friend who had been arrested on gun charges.

Officials say Jenkins told investigators she was on medication and didn't hear the child crying as the two slept in the same room Sunday night. She says she didn't notice the injury until she changed the baby's diaper Monday morning.

Jenkins and Spillman did not have a listed phone number, and authorities would not say whether they had attorneys.

VIA

Nut causes riot, offers free merchandise

This nut entered the store and offered to pay for everyone's purchase up to $500.00 and they in turn called friends and family. When they found out that this woman was full-of-it they trashed the store and stole what they wanted anyway, the trial lawyer in the video says the thieves are not responsible. HUH?

Welcome to the new Obamerica, where if you don't have it you're entitled to just take it.

Pennsylvania Man Busted With Marijuana Stuck on Forehead, Police Say

Police in central Pennsylvania say they've nabbed a real pot head.

Twenty-nine-year-old Cesar Lopez is charged with drug possession after police say an officer saw him with a bag of marijuana stuck to his forehead.

Investigators say an officer saw Lopez looking at the inside of his baseball cap in a convenience store early Saturday morning in Lebanon, about 75 miles northwest of Philadelphia. When Lopez looked up, the officer spotted a small plastic bag appearing to contain marijuana stuck to his forehead.

Police say the officer peeled the bag off Lopez's forehead and placed him under arrest.

Authorities say the sweatband of a baseball cap is a frequent hiding place for drugs.

Drunk Driver Calls 911 on Self.

In Wisconsin, a woman decided to call 911 dispatch while driving home drunk from a local watering hole. The following is a transcript of the conversation.

Caller: I just want to know if somebody can follow me home because somebody seems to think I can’t drive home straight.

911 Operator: OK, why is that?

Caller: He seems to think I am too intoxicated to drive.

911 Operator: OK, and so you called 911, or he called 911?

Caller: Well, he wanted me to call 911 because he thinks I’m too drunk to drive.


The ‘he’ in this case was a boyfriend who’d consumed a 12-pack by himself, yet still had the wherewithal to point out the driver, who’d knocked back 6, should not be getting behind the wheel (and yet no foresight or judgment whatsoever to pass up a ride home).

The woman failed the Breathalyzer and was ticketed in her own garage, but not before earning the unlikely kudos from a county sheriff (possibly, a distant relation):

“I think a judge will look at her and say, ‘You know what? You stepped up to the plate. You did the right thing. I think it’s commendable.”

NAACP raises questions about mayoral succession

Group fears appointment of white or Republican mayor if Dixon is convicted
Can you imagine the outcry if the tables were turned here?
Maybe Obama will have a beer with'em.

Leaders of the Maryland NAACP, worried that a Baltimore mayor's criminal conviction could result in the appointment of a white or Republican leader who may not fully represent the majority black and Democratic city, are asking state lawmakers to strip the governor of authority to permanently fill the office.

The request, made in a resolution adopted at a state meeting of the civil rights group last weekend, marks the first time a mainstream organization has raised questions about succession should Baltimore Mayor Dixon be convicted of any of the nine charges she faces. Dixon has been indicted for theft and perjury and the first of two trials is scheduled for early next month.

"There is that possibility of a conviction, and we want to know those protocols that are in place," said Elbridge James, the political action chairman of the state National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. "If it looks like it is going to rain, I am going to buy an umbrella."

Still, it is not clear that the resolution or a law change is warranted. According to Dan Friedman, an assistant attorney general who is counsel to the General Assembly, the governor does not have the authority to make an appointment.

Instead, the state constitution defers to the city's charter, he said, which elevates the city council president to be mayor in case of a vacancy. That's how Dixon became mayor in 2007 after Martin O'Malley, her predecessor, was elected governor.

Marvin L. Cheatham, the president of the Baltimore Chapter of the NAACP, introduced the resolution because he heard an attorney on a radio program discussing a lack of clarity on succession if Dixon were to be convicted and sentenced.

"Our concern is who would the governor appoint?" Cheatham said. "Here you have a predominantly African-American city. What if the governor appointed somebody white? ... Would he appoint someone Irish to be the mayor?"

Cheatham also said he worried that a future Republican governor could appoint someone from his party to lead a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans 9 to 1. "Would not the Republican governor have the ability to pick a Republican mayor?" he asked. "We just think there are some unanswered questions about the process," Cheatham said.

The resolution passed "nearly unanimously" with little debate from the 150 or so delegates who attended the meeting, James said. It lays out two options, asking either for the governor to defer to the city's charter and elevate the city council president to mayor; or a revision to state law to prevent an emergency mayoral appointee by the governor to run for the office in the next election.

Rick Abbruzzese, a spokesman for Gov. Martin O'Malley, reiterated that the governor cannot appoint a mayor of Baltimore, and did not answer other questions about the resolution. The adoption of the resolution was first reported by the online news Web site Investigative Voice.

The state constitution is difficult to follow on the topic of succession, Friedman said. One section of the document indicates that the governor has the authority to appoint a new leader should the sitting mayor be convicted and sentenced. However, that section has been superseded by a separate portion which clearly defers matters to the city's charter, Friedman said.

"If the [city charter] provides for an automatic succession, then that is what happens," Friedman said. "Baltimore's charter provides for that." Should Dixon be removed from office, City Council President Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake would become mayor. The city's charter then directs the remaining city council members to elect a new city council president.

Cheatham said he wants the attorney general's office to issue a written opinion on the matter.

The mayoral vacancy would occur if Dixon is convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor that relates to her official duties and sentenced. Dixon faces seven theft-related charges for using gift cards that were donated to her office for distribution to needy families. She's also accused of failing to report lavish gifts from her then-boyfriend on her city ethics forms.

The removal provision of the state constitution could also apply to city councilwoman Helen L. Holton, a West Baltimore Democrat. She is charged with two campaign finance violations and set to be tried Dec. 7.

Should Holton be removed from office, the city's charter directs the remaining city council members to elect a new council member to finish out the term. The city's next general election is in November 2011.
VIA

Boy Scout, 6, Suspended for Fork

1st Grader Brings Camping Utensil to School for Lunch, But Zero Tolerance Weapons Policy Leads to 45-Day Suspension

A 6-year-old boy's excitement over joining the Cub Scouts may just land him in reform school for 45 days.

Zachary Christie was suspended from his 1st grade class in Delaware's Christina School District after bringing a camping utensil - a combination knife/fork/spoon - to use at lunch, prompting calls to reexamine schools' zero-tolerance policy for bringing weapons to school, according to a New York Times report Monday.

Zero tolerance policies were instituted in many school districts across the country, at least in part due to violence at Columbine and Virginia Tech, the report notes. Their rigid enforcement is designed to eliminate the appearance of bias or discrimination on the part of school officials.

The school district's policy is enforced "regardless of intent" and "does not take into consideration a child's age," reports CBS News correspondent Jim Axelrod.

But residents, and some lawmakers, are now wondering why schools can't apply a more common-sense discretion to such instances.

"It just seems unfair," said Zachary, who is being home-schooled while his mother, Debbie Christie, tries to fight the suspension. That involved Zachary appearing before a district disciplinary committee with his karate instructor and mother's fiancé vouching for him as character witnesses.

"Zachary wears a suit and tie some days to school by his own choice because he takes school so seriously," his mother said. "He is not some sort of threat to his classmates."

Christie started a Web site, helpzachary.com, to drum up support for her son.

State Representative Teresa L. Schooley wrote the disciplinary committee, asking each member to "consider the situation, get all the facts, find out about Zach and his family and then act with common sense for the well-being of this child."

But the strict enforcement of the policy has its supporters.

"There is no parent who wants to get a phone call where they hear that their child no longer has two good seeing eyes because there was a scuffle and someone pulled out a knife," said George Evans, the school district board's president.

There has been a move to give school officials more flexibility in "weapon"-related incidents. After a third-grade girl was expelled for a year after bringing in a knife to cut the birthday cake her grandmother sent in to the class, a new law was passed allowing officials to modify punishments on a case-by-case basis. But that was for expulsions, not suspensions as Zachary is faced with. Another revision to the law is being drafted to address suspensions, according to the report.

VIA