Communication Breakdown: Fruitiness in Florida

Orange River Elementary School: No Kissing Zone!

     It seems like there’s a problem in today’s society: no one knows how to communicate anymore. The breakdown in communication often results in conflict, coulpes divorcing, misread Facebook messages, government distrust, wars…pick your product, all of them can be traced back to an inability to communicate honestly and effectively. Yet another fine (italicised for sarcasm) example of this is playing out right now in Fort Myers, Florida.

     It all started with a kiss. (Isn’t that always how strange situations start?) Fast becoming the “kiss felt ’round the country,” it happened at Orange River Elementary School on Monday, between two twelve-year-old students. Nothing untoward, it was a simple kiss on the cheek, according to most sources familiar with the story. At some point and for some reason, authorities were called. The reason that they were called is what is being questioned. According to SGT Stephanie Eller of the Lee County Sheriff’s Department, authorities were called and subsequently dispatched to the school, because school authorities “caught two children kissing on the playground.” This is now being countered by the school district, which is now stating that authorities were called due to a “separate, non-school related situation,” and not because of the smooch.^{(1) (2) (3)}

     The problem that I have with all of this, is that someone is obviously lying about the whole thing. Either the school district is lying in their statement issued earlier today, or SGT Eller and the sheriff’s department are lying. I don’t believe that Fox News is lying in its recounting of the details to the public, because they’re simply regurgitating what they’ve been given by both parties. It is possible that someone is covering up a more serious issue, however misinformation and deception are poor tools to use in doing so.

     If there is indeed something more serious going on, it might serve both the district and law enforcement better to state that there is an “ongoing inquiry into a non-school related issue,” and leave it at that. Instead, two public entities are engaged in a “He said, She said” pissing (not kissing!) contest, and the citizenry is ending up on the short side of the stick. Perhaps the county Sheriff and the board supervisor need to have a meeting and get on the same sheet of music?