Democracy is alive and well in Thousand Oaks. Why? Because our friends, De Anna and Dan Goldberg, corrected a perceived injustice to their son by using the political system to make their displeasure known and to bring about a big change in the composition of the school board.

When their son was expelled from Los Cerritos Middle School because a small pen knife used for the Boy Scouts was found on his household keychain inside his backpack, the principal felt she had to exercise "zero tolerance" and expel the 11-year-old Boy Scout.

After lengthy discussions with Superintendent Mario Contini, Dan learned that the current school board in general—but Dorothy Beaubien and Dolores Didio in particular—always supported zero tolerance in similar cases. Dan then had to hire an attorney to defend his son in juvenile court, where he was given the chance to explain the extenuating circumstances ignored by zero tolerance.

His son had inadvertently placed the household keychain, with the small penknife attached, inside his backpack, and most importantly, the boy's intentions were entirely innocent. The judge quickly dismissed the case.

But instead of starting retaliatory litigation, as far too many Californians do, Dan searched and found that Texas had had similar zero tolerance legislation, which proved unworkable on many counts, and which Texans had modified because of cases similar to his son's.

Dan discussed amending the educational codes with state Sen. Tom McClintock's office, which showed interest in changing the law. Dan then mobilized friends of the family, people who had endured similar abuses of power, others who knew his son's impeccable record, fellow Boy Scout parents, and put them together to form a political action committee.

He raised funds and recruited candidates to oppose Beaubien and Didio in the upcoming school board election. His PAC put so much heat on the two incumbents that, after 20-plus years on the board, both Beaubien and Didio suddenly decided not to run this November.

Let this be a warning to all who think zero tolerance means "zero judgment."

Democracy is alive and kicking in Thousand Oaks. John Barchilon housand Oaks