Buda is a small town immediately south of Austin (almost an Austin suburb these days). Apparently a couple weeks ago there was a bomb threat phoned in to a high school. After the threat was received, 1850 students were evacuated… but apparently there are 1858 students at the school, since 8 special-ed students were left inside.

Principal Shirley Reich said one reason the children were kept inside was the chilly day, 47 degrees outside, and that “if anything I erred on the side of compassion for them.”

Now, maybe Ms. Reich did have honestly good intentions, and maybe it’s just an honest mistake. But I still can’t help but feel some sense of confusion over her sense of compassion.

So, it’s chilly outside, and it’s compassionate to keep 8 special-ed kids inside and send 1850 other kids outside into the cold.

Or, it’s compassionate to send 1850 kids away from the potential for an explosion, and keep 8 kids at ground zero.

This must be some of that “new compassion” I keep hearing about these days.