11-year-old claims classroom punishment violates Geneva Convention—and she’s right (kind of) The Daily Dot
23 hrs ago
Everybody has had the most terrible teacher of all time, the ones who won’t extend the due date on your research paper even though you’re totally hungover, or the ones who say, “The bell doesn’t dismiss you; I dismiss you.” Or, if you’re still in elementary school, it’s the ones who make you put the blocks away before you’re done constructing the princess castle.
But one girl is fighting back against her instructor’s oppression. By accusing her of some awfully serious criminal activity in what was probably a fairly innocuous student survey.
This, from the 11-year-old’s father.
Obviously, the creativity shown by his daughter should lead her to some ice cream. But let’s take a quick look at what the 1949 Geneva Convention actually says about collective punishment.
According to article 33 in the fourth convention, the treaty states, “No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed.” Meanwhile in article 50 of the same convention, it states, “No general penalty, pecuniary or otherwise, shall be inflicted upon the population on account of the acts of individuals for which they cannot be regarded as jointly and severally responsible.”
So by the letter of the treaty, it appears that Mason Cross’s daughter is absolutely correct.
Poster Comment:
The Geneva Conventions refer to conduct during war time. Obviously, going to grade school is not a war time activity.
But, if she were my daughter I would buy her ice cream for having the great thought of bringing up this subject.
Personally, I think collective punishment is all wrong. I also say resist, resist, resist. At all costs resist.
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