Pubdate: Sat, 04 Mar 2006 Source: Toronto Star (CN ON) Copyright: 2006 The Toronto Star Contact: http://www.thestar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456 Author: Paul MacDonald Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) A RULING FOR TOLERANCE Editorial, March 3. The Supreme Court of Canada, in overturning a lower court's earlier decision to ban kirpans, has ruled that Sikh students have the constitutional right to carry ceremonial daggers to school. In ruling that a blanket ban on the kirpan infringes on fundamental religious freedom, the Supreme Court justices have, once again, allowed political correctness to take precedence over common sense. In an age of increasing gang violence where metal detectors are often utilized in schools to prevent weapons from being brought in, the Supreme Court, in its wisdom, does not see Sikh students carrying concealed weapons as a risk to the safety of the school community. There has never been a documented case in Canada of a kirpan being used as a weapon, they state. There's probably never been a case of a bread knife being used as a weapon either, but it's still not a good idea to allow them to be carried by students in schools. If at some point in the future there's an incident in a school involving a kirpan where someone is injured or killed, will the Supreme Court justices still agree that the constitutional "right" to wear a dangerous religious symbol outweighs the public's right to safety and security? If tolerance of dangerous weapons and religious symbols like the kirpan is allowed, what's next? Rastafarians consider marijuana a sacrament in that religion. Should it be allowed in schools, too? The Supreme Court justices had the power to impose certain conditions in their ruling. As a compromise, they could have ruled that kirpans be allowed in schools, as long as they're made of rubber. Paul MacDonald Toronto - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman