Where'd the Middle Go?

I've noticed a disturbing trend in this country--a reduction of the bulging middle. I'm not referring to the spare tire we seem to acquire with age; I'm referring to common sense and the ability to react to each individual situation. We, as people, are not cardboard cutouts that react to situations in exactly the same way.

School rules are an excellent example of far left/far right decision making. Let's take the high school student in Georgia whose Mom phoned from Iraq. Rule--no cell phone use during school hours. Absolutely, positively, no exceptions. Pardon me while I blink several times in astonishment after hearing that the student was suspended. Has this school forgotten that perhaps, this individual is stressed having his Mom in Iraq in the first place? Does the administration of this school not listen to the news--which is usually headed with the latest "Kill" count? What if...this was the last time this individual got to speak to his Mom? What if...something happened--it has before?

Perhaps instead of seeing the world in black and white, we should view it for what it is--a vibrant collage of color.