No, they're not. The people that create these policies are actually geniuses.
The stated purpose of these zero tolerance policies is to make schools "safer".
But the real purpose of these polices is threefold:
- So radically demonize guns that in the minds of these children even pointing a finger and saying "bang" is as bad as murdering all your classmates. Then when you grow up you are less likely to be a gun owner and more likely to be a gun control supporter (and a supporter of an all powerful state).
- Get the children used to arbitrary and capricious laws ruling their every action and thought. No matter how illogical, irrational or just plain crazy the rules are you obey without question. This way when they're someday asked to load their fellow citizens onto cattle cars they'll never think twice about it (or at least they will grow up never thinking to question bad laws).
- Eliminate the concept of personal responsibility (in both the children and the teachers). The rules have "zero" room for interpretation so again you just do what you're told regardless of how illogical. And if something bad DOES happen (like in Sandy Hook) you (the teachers and administrators) have zero liability for the carnage (this is also why so many oppose arming teachers ... then they would be culpable if children are slaughtered en masse). And the children grow up craving more and more laws to control them because the real killer is liberty.
We're up against a cunning and wile evil here, don't underestimate your enemies assuming them to be stupid.