Thankfully, no one was shot or hurt, but then neither were any drugs confiscated. Instead, the entire exercise was a lesson in everything we hope not to teach our children, that:
- School officials are not to be trusted;
- Police are not to be trusted;
- Grownups are dangerous and weird.
That's what I heard as I watched reruns with two college freshmen, and that's what I would take away from the experience were I a Stratford student.
Disturbingly, some parents weren't especially upset, much less appropriately outraged, that their children were treated like insolent Kurds during one of Saddam Hussein's mood swings.
Some were angry, but others interviewed said they trusted officials to do what was necessary. An Internet survey by a San Antonio, Texas, TV station found that 33 percent of those responding thought the action was appropriate and "it sends a strong message to students."
Yes, one could say that. Saddam's Fedayeen sent strong messages to outlaws, too. Would that the urge to draw parallels between a totalitarian state and a South Carolina school were impossible to justify.
I don't mean to minimize the danger of drugs in our culture, and I don't blame school officials for taking the problem seriously. McCrackin surely had a legitimate duty to try to stop illicit commerce on his watch.
But scaring young people to death, pointing pistols in their faces, handcuffing them for failing to respond quickly enough defines the phrase "over the top." McCrackin says he didn't know police would draw their guns - and police were just doing their jobs - so who's to blame? Surely someone.
What happened at Stratford is inexcusable, unacceptable and un-American.
The American Civil Liberties Union has said the raid was illegal, and the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division is investigating. In the meantime, McCrackin might consider taking some R&R, and the Goose Creek Police Department might goose-step on over to Tikrit. I hear our special-ops guys could use some backup.