Crossing the Line

Johnny and Billy had been flailing away at each other on the playground for a good ten minutes. Noses were bloodied. Eyes were blackened. Then Billy spit on Johnny. And a tall man strode in between them and started laying about with a paddle.

"Ouch! Ow!" shrieked the boys. "What are you doing?"

"I am punishing Billy for spitting," said the man calmly. "Don't worry. This is a limited, targeted action."

"But you're hitting me, too!" complained Johnny.

"And us, too!" complained the other children on the playground.

"Sorry about that," said the man. "A little collateral damage. It happens."

"Are you trying to teach us that violence is wrong?" asked Billy. "By beating the tar out of us?"

"Of course not," the man replied. "That would be hypocritical. What I'm teaching you is that certain kinds of violence are wrong. Punching, kicking, ... and paddling, of course ... are totally cool and righteous. Heck, you can paddle each other till you're blue in the face ... or wherever. But spitting is right out!"

"Who are you?" whined Billy, giving voice to the question in everyone's mind.

"I am Mr. Sam," said the man, "the principal of Flibberstock Elementary."

"Where the heck is that?" asked Johnny. "I never heard of Flibberstock Elementary."

"Three counties to your west," explained Mr. Sam.

"And you are here because ... ?" queried Johnny.

"I am here because young Billy crossed a line!" said Mr. Sam severely. "The spitting line!"

"I don't understand this line of yours," ventured Billy uncertainly.

"It's not my line!" snapped Mr. Sam indignantly. "It's the State Principals Association's line! All of the principals agreed that spitting is wrong!"

"While paddling is fine?" asked Johnny. "Just asking."

"Yes, of course!" fumed Mr. Sam. "That is obvious!"

"And all those other principals are coming to paddle us, too?" squeaked Billy. All of the children were looking around apprehensively.

"Well, ... no," admitted Mr. Sam. "Some of them didn't think we should do anything. Some of them said they didn't see the spitting, so they couldn't be sure. Some of them didn't want to get involved."

"How many didn't want to get involved?" asked Johnny.

"Well, ... all of them," muttered Mr. Sam.

"So they chose you to act for them?" suggested Johnny.

"Not exactly chose," said Mr. Sam. "Not as such. More admonished and begged and threatened me to ... sort of ... not do it."

"Then why are you here?" asked Billy.

"Why, because Flibberstock Elementary is the biggest, richest school in the state!" declaimed Mr. Sam proudly. "It is our responsibility to enforce the will of the State Principals Association, even if they don't want us to!"