Ionia kindergartner suspended for making gun with hand

[girl shooter]

Ionia kindergartner suspended for making gun with hand

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/03/ionia_kindergartener_suspended.html

By Brian McVicar The Grand Rapids Press
March 04, 2010, 10:39PM
IONIA --

To the little boy's mother, it was just a 6-year-old boy playing around.

But when Mason Jammer, a kindergarten student at Jefferson Elementary in Ionia, curled his fist into the shape of a gun Wednesday and pointed it at another student, school officials said it was no laughing matter.

They suspended Mason until Friday, saying the behavior made other students uncomfortable, said Erin Jammer, Mason's mother.

School officials allege Mason had displayed this kind of behavior for several months, despite numerous warnings.

"I do think it's too harsh for a six-year-old," said Jammer, who was previously warned that if Mason continued the practice he would be suspended. "He's six and he just likes to play."

Jammer says her son isn't violent, and there are other, more effective ways of teaching him not to make a gun with his hand.

"Maybe what you could do is take his recess away," suggested Jammer, adding her son doesn't have toy guns at home.

"He's only six and he doesn't understand any of this."

When did childhood games become crimes?

 

[mesinge2]

The world's gone crazy. the only word to describe it unbelievable.

Even if they were going to punish him, which is crazy in the first place.

Since when is suspension the first punishment. It went from warnings to suspension, .
Its kindergarden, how about a time-out, or detention during recess, or after school detention.
Why was it a suspension, that should be saved for a final punishment when other punishments fail.

 

[cskny]

This doesn't seem like a kid who got suspended just for making a "gun" sign, that seems like a "parents" interpretation trying to garner support for a miss-behaving boy.

The article states:

They suspended Mason until Friday, saying the behavior made other students uncomfortable, said Erin Jammer, Mason's mother.

School officials allege Mason had displayed this kind of behavior for several months, despite numerous warnings.

Apparently, the child has been miss-behaving for months and unresponsive to warnings (and I'm sure all those "alternate" attempts at discipline, because that's where schools start).

Feels like there's an AWFUL lot more to this story that's missing.

 

[ConstitutionCowboy]

How about no punishment at all, and teaching the rest of the students Mason Jammer's display of good gun handling? Playing guns like that teaches you to keep that trigger finger pointed along the side of a firearm and out of the trigger guard.

Woody

 

[geigersd]

If he'd have used his middle finger, he'd be protected by the First Amendment right to freedom of speech! LOL......

 

[D94R]

I had a guy give me the "I'm shooting you with my imaginary gun" hand on the highway because he didn't like that I didn't let him cut me off. Even when he admitted it to the cop who took the report he still wasn't charged with anything. Where's this guys "suspension" of being sent to jail for a while? If it's such an issue that a 6 year old boy can't make the hand gesture because it's a "serious" offense now, then how come an older adult who has more ability to actually make that threat serious gets nothing in court??? This zero-tolerance crap in school is just zero-common-sense.

 

[jn1965]

startofrant/
We have totally lost our minds!

The kid was PLAYING! How many of us did that with our hands, or picked up an appropriately shaped stick when our trusty cap guns were not available? How many of us went to school WITH our cap guns? I know the teacher had a drawer full of rolls of caps she had relieved me of

This crap has got to stop... he mad the other kids uncomfortable? BS! How many 6 year olds will go to a teacher and say "Billy is making me feel uncomfortable..."?
This is the teacher pushing her own agenda and the school doing it's 'ZERO TOLERANCE' BS

What the parents in that school and in all schools should do is send little Johnny and little Betty into school packing a set of 'pearl handled peace makers'.

JEEZE!

/endofrant

 

[Old Shooter]

If this had been a crime whenI was in Kindergarten my playmates and I would be serving life with no parole.

Unless this kid is a REAL problem child it sounds kind of harsh punishment for growing up a boy.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I grew up 10 minutes down the Grand River from Ionia and all I can say is wow.

We used to play cowboys and indians on the playground.

Unless this kid is a REAL problem child it sounds kind of harsh punishment for growing up a boy.

I would agree if this kid was in 4th grade. This is kindergarten.

Of course there is more to this story but who cares. Its kindergarten.

They suspended Mason until Friday, saying the behavior made other students uncomfortabl

Nope not other students. Maybe faculty. Maybe other students parents. But not other kindergarteners.

 

[inclinebench]

A good friend of mine had to go to a teacher conference when his son, who is an outstanding student, and a very very good kid, used a piece of mulch from the playground as a toy gun. My friend was very distraught about it, and argued tooth and nail that there is nothing the matter with a 7 year old playing, and using his imagination. The school saw it differently. Just a shame. I probably did not help matters when I suggested my friend threaten a law suit against the school for providing the materials (mulch) that his boy used as a pretend gun.

 

[ConstitutionCowboy]

No one felt uncomfortable. The teacher(s) just jumped at the opportunity to be totalitarian. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.

Woody

 

[janedoedad]

It wasn't a gun!! It was the "L" for Loser being displayed in a horizontal rather than vertical manner.

When I was in school, in CA no less, Wild West days brought an armory of toy guns to school. No one was scared, we all wanted the next best toy gun that the other kid had.

Hmmm.... Kinda like now being all grown-up and such and coveting someones elses gun because it is better than mine. . .

Wow! All I need to know I learned in Kindergarten (and the next 12 years of confinement. . .)

 

[Yo Mama]

Phone number to school: (616) 527-2740‎

I let them know how rediculous this is, and how they should go google themselves.

 

[DCR]

This is the natural result of the "zero tolerance" and "mandatory minimums" mindset.

Years ago, my son was chastised at preschool for bringing his blue plastic Ghostbusters proton pack to show and tell because it had a "weapon" component.

Lucky for the entire staff and administration my wife forbade me from addressing their thinking errors - she "took care of business" herself!

 

[cskny]

There are 8 lines of text in the article. 1 of which talks about this child having ongoing problems.

Is there a bigger article explaining this somewhere that allows all these grand conclusions and the condemnation of a school, the teachers, other parents, other kids, etc?

In the end, if this is a disruptive child with behavioral problems, bowing to 'pro-gun' social pressure and forcing him back in the class is about as stupid as taking him out for making a gun gesture in the first place (if that's all he really did!). If he's got behavioral problems, he needs actual assistance to help himself and the class.

Wouldn't it seem more prudent to wait to hear the details before drawing these conclusions?

 

[rainbowbob]

School officials allege Mason had displayed this kind of behavior for several months, despite numerous warnings.

...if this is a disruptive child with behavioral problems...

All we have to go on is the article presented. Based solely on that information - there is nothing to even suggest this kid has "behavioral problems" - other than continuing to act like a normal kid "despite numerous warnings".

My grandson (a kindergartner) is an angel and one of the best behaved kids I've ever known (including my own). He has been making "guns" out of his hand, toast, bananas, sticks, paper, etc since he was two. This, despite the fact that his mother (my daughter) is an "anti" who tries to discourage his obvious affinity for shooting. Fortunately, I think she is getting the idea that she is fighting a losing battle. My son-in-law (bless him) has bought his son about every kind of toy gun you can imagine!

My grandson and I play cops and robbers, pirates, etc - just like I did when I was a kid. It is NORMAL - especially for a boy - to be interested in "projecting aimed force". It is one of those amazing phenomenons that distinguish us as the most successful organism on the planet (at least for the "moment"). It's what we do to be so successful. That behavior has fed us and protected our young for countless eons.

To discourage that behavior - to "criminalize" it - is literally "inhuman".

I've been able to start off my grandson with air-soft recently, with the rational that he is going to be interested no matter what anybody thinks - so he will be better off learning safe handling practices and respect for what comes out the muzzle.

Much of the world has lost its ability to recognize who - and what -we are as humans. My hope is this is a temporary aberration that won't have any long-term hold on the culture. In fact, it has only been around for a couple of decades (a blip in the scheme of things), and I think there are signs that this kind of thinking is already becoming marginalized.

For the sake of the species - I hope so.

 

[jn1965]

There are 8 lines of text in the article. 1 of which talks about this child having ongoing problems.

Is there a bigger article explaining this somewhere that allows all these grand conclusions and the condemnation of a school, the teachers, other parents, other kids, etc?

In the end, if this is a disruptive child with behavioral problems, bowing to 'pro-gun' social pressure and forcing him back in the class is about as stupid as taking him out for making a gun gesture in the first place (if that's all he really did!). If he's got behavioral problems, he needs actual assistance to help himself and the class.

Wouldn't it seem more prudent to wait to hear the details before drawing these conclusions?

Dude, It is KINDERGARTEN!

How many kids have 'behavioral problems' at six years old? Running around, being rambunctious, calling other kids names, etc al part of being 6 and not understanding what it means to live in society yet. Kids, especially at that age are NOT miniature adults no matter how hard we try to make then so.

Next thing you will hear is that they will allow the boy back in class only if he is put on drugs...

What they heck are we coming to in this country?


cskny, don't mean to call y ou out - do not take it that way

 

[Joe Demko]

It's a crime against humanity that people like yourselves with such a sweeping grasp of child-development, pedagogy, school law, and civil rights can't be arsed to run for school board. See, if you did that, you'd have the opportunity to put the opinions you regularly bring to these "ZOMG!!!!!11! Jack-booted thugs suspend junior patriot!!!!!1" threads into practice.
Of course, that'd mean an actual commitment of time and energy toward molding society into what you think it should be. Bag that.

 

[Art Eatman]

E. Nuf.