How we create the ‘selfish society’

In Weaverville, Ca., Kyle Bradford, 13, appears to be the kind of kid you want to have around — a decent sort who shares what he has.

But when he tried to share his school lunch with a friend who didn’t like the cheese sandwich the cafeteria gave him, he became a school scofflaw and got detention.

“We have a policy that prohibits students from exchanging meals. Of course if students are concerned about other students not having enough to eat we would definitely want to consider that, but because of safety and liability we cannot allow students to actually exchange meals,” said school superintendent Tom Barnett.

It’s a wonder previous generations ever made it out of school alive, if you believe the lawyers.

“It seemed like he couldn’t get a normal lunch so I just wanted to give mine to him because I wasn’t really that hungry and it was just going to go in the garbage if I didn’t eat it,” the young miscreant said.

This is a case where the concerns about getting sued compete with the mission of schools to educate kids and — if at all possible — maybe help create good kids, too.

“By all means the school can teach them math and the arithmetic and physical education, but when it comes to morals and manners and compassion, I believe it needs to start at home with the parent,” his mother said.

(h/t: Mike Reszler)