Kid suspended from school for DRAWING a gun on paper?

[JKimball]

Wow.

I started a thread in the activism forum with some contact info if people want to let their voices be heard:

http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=3654075#post3654075

I just sent an email to the contact at the district using the email address LarryS provided.

Man, I hate to think what would have happened to me if I had been caught drawing some of the pictures I drew (on my desk!) when I was in Jr. High if I'd had that principal.

 

[bumm]

In times past,I think it's been almost universal for us older people to say such things as "Kids today have it easy." No more. I would HATE to be a kid now.
Marty

 

[Joe Demko]

Before anybody sends off any scorching emails to the principal involved, let me urge you to state what you have to say in a businesslike manner. Especially if you are from somewhere outside the district, any insult-filled scathing emails will just be deleted and anything worthwhile you might have contributed will be disregarded. How much regard do you give people who flame you?

 

[awalkalongmingocreek]

The punishment was just.

Schools can indeed address and limit the romanticism of violence. For example, schools can limit gang colors and gang gestures.

A weapon is a requirement for violence and the leaders of the school should be commended.


One poster stated that the parents should get a lawyer. If I were the principle, I would say bring it on.

 

[Dr. Peter Venkman]

I was thinking the same thing, Doc but thought it too cruel to mention.

Maybe it was an INK-blot test? Maybe the kid inherently knew he was going to get arrested because he psychoanalyzed his superiors and thought correctly that they themselves would see a firearm, but others an airplane or whathaveyou.

I'm getting too into this.

 

[GTSteve03]

A weapon is a requirement for violence and the leaders of the school should be commended.

A weapon is an inanimate object until used by a person with intent.

People have been killing each other for thousands of years with nothing more than bare hands. The gun has nothing to do with it, it is merely a tool.

 

[bulgron]

re: home schooling and such. It's worth remembering that kids get their values from their parents first. I don't believe there's much that any school can do to override the values you teach your children at home, provided you teach those values consistently and with good explanations of why you are teaching them.

I live in an extremely liberal and very anti-gun area. But that doesn't mean my kids won't grow up shooting and won't grow up understanding the bill of rights, including the 2nd. Along the way, I'll also teach my kids about how people in authority can't always be trusted with that authority, can't always be trusted not to lie, and most importantly can't be trusted to not abuse the authority.

It's all a part of growing up.

In fact, if my kid had been suspended for something like doodling a thing that sort of but not really looks like a gun, I'd take that as an opportunity to teach my child what jerks people in authority can be. I'd also take that as an opportunity to teach my child how to respond effectively to jerks in authority. After all, it's my job to teach these things to my kids.

When you have kids, you step up to teaching another human being about the perils in the world. These include topics such as sex, religion, drugs and, yes, guns.

It isn't the school's job to teach about these things; it's yours as a parent.

When I hear about kids learning all the wrong values in a public school, I don't blame the school, I blame the parents who apparently don't spend enough time with their kids to overcome the bad examples set in their local public school.

If you're prepared to home school, then certainly you can find the time to teach your kid the constitution and at least introduce them to the federalist papers.

Yes?

 

[esmith]

It will be a sad day when people die from being shot by some ink on some paper.

 

[Brad Johnson]

The punishment was just.

Schools can indeed address and limit the romanticism of violence. For example, schools can limit gang colors and gang gestures.

A weapon is a requirement for violence and the leaders of the school should be commended.


One poster stated that the parents should get a lawyer. If I were the principle, I would say bring it on.

Using that logic we cannot have baseball teams, as bats are also used in violent behavior. We cannot have football teams, as it is gang violence for an inward purpose. We cannot have bands because it is a group (gang) activity to the exclusion of others.

Oh, what the heck... we cannot have schools because the very education they provide is used to devise violent plans that invariably injure others.

(I really want to say a few more things in response to this post, but it wouldn't be very High Road of me.)

Brad

 

[Old Fuff]

awalkalongmingocreek:

Schools can indeed address and limit the romanticism of violence.

To a degree, but I see nothing in the reproduction of this student's drawing that has anything to do with violence. In fact, if the picture had not been specifically identified as a representation of a firearm I probably wouldn’t have identified it as such.

Further, in and of themselves, firearms do not necessarily equate violence – at least illegal violence. On two occasions in my life I have discouraged and prevented violence because I was armed. But at the same time I did not commit an act of violence because I didn’t fire a shot.

Also firearms are used for many purposes totally unrelated to violence. I would submit that the U.S. Olympic Shooting Team is an example of this.

A weapon is a requirement for violence

An act of violence can be committed by many things including the human body itself. You will find examples at any domestic violence shelter. In any case violence is not committed by weapons, but rather people using them.

Certainly some people use weapons (and other things) to commit violence, and this includes firearms. But people also use weapons (including firearms) to defend themselves against violence.

You may be able to make a case that a firearm can be used illegally as a weapon, but I doubt that that can be said about a picture of a gun, which in and of itself is harmless. If it wasn’t we’d have to ban books with pictures of guns, wouldn’t we?

 

[Black Adder LXX]

I can't believe nobody has noticed this, but the problem is that we need more pen and pencil control legislation. If this student had not had a pen, he would not have been able to draw that deadly gun/spaceship/smileyface thing. I'm just glad no one was killed.

A weapon is a requirement for violence and the leaders of the school should be commended.

You're entitled to your opinion of course, but I believe the student's pen would have been more dangerous than that drawing.

 

[Sharps-shooter]

As a former bareknuckle boxer, I would submit that a wepon is in no way a requirement for violence.

Moreover, a drawing of a wepon does not in any way condone or state an intention to commit violence. Lots of times, artists draw or paint things they are worried about, etc.

The grown ups in this situation ought to grow up, and take a look around at the real world. Figure out what is and isn't important. If this is the worst thing going on in their school, that's pretty good.

As for the kid, I hope they took advantage of the school-free time.

 

[KiltedClaymore]

GHAAAHH!!! this happened to me! i was expelled from my elementry school (WWWAAAAAAAAYYYYYY back in 3rd grade) for talking about a rabbit hunt i went on over thanksgiving break. how is this happening in my state? this is supposed to happen in places like california or washington DC!

 

[TnRebel]

and this is different in what way from the PC crowd banning the Confederate Battle Flag, The PC mud slide has picked up so much speed I fear for this country's life span.

 

[Crunker1337]

This nearly happened to me.

I was a high school sophomore when it nearly happened (in March 2007).

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Also in left-wing districts, indoctrination is usually not limited to firearms issues. All parents should occasionally take a look inside their children’s textbooks – especially those in middle and high school.

It's highly important to talk to your kids about the beliefs you want to raise them with. Not just with guns, but with religion, sexuality, economics/thriftiness, ect. A parent HAS to be fervent and tenacious in teaching their children. You can't just glaze over the issues with one or 2 "family talks" and then let it be. You can bet the public school machine is already working it's hardest to mold your child with their ideals. You have to fight that.

I went to a private religious middle school, and I am very thankful my parents made that decision.

 

[Mikhail Konovalov]

I feel nothing for this kid. When I was in middle school I was sent to off-campus detention for six months for drawing a scythe. This kid got off easy.

 

[Puddin99]

My 9 year old son took a look at the picture and said, "that's not a gun, it doesn't have a trigger".

Ken

 

[Wes Janson]

Three years ago, in high school, I spent an entire month working on a single piece for my drawing class. An entire month of classes to produce a 1.5x scale pen-and-ink reproduction of a classic schematic of the M1911A1, which got me an A+.

It all depends on where you go and who's in charge.

 

[SamTuckerMTNMAN]

I am a school teacher

I am going to have all of my students draw a picture of things they should bring to defend their early american settlements (US History), I will encourage them to use guns. They will go in my classroom. If I'm in the news I'll let you boys know.



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ps - last year picture taken down off of wall, other kid brought round dowel rod as 'gun' in play, rod removed for 'resemblence' to weapon.

The punishment was just.
Schools can indeed address and limit the romanticism of violence. For example, schools can limit gang colors and gang gestures.
A weapon is a requirement for violence and the leaders of the school should be commended.
One poster stated that the parents should get a lawyer. If I were the principle, I would say bring it on.

Romanticism of violence? Gang colors and gestures? Weapon required? Dear friend, you do not know what a weapon is. And violence occurs everyday without 'them'. And romantic or not, history is violent, and to cower away in righteous indignation or fear, or both, generally results in the worst kind of violence. I suggest educating yourself more by reading about the role of weapons in preserving peace, freedom, and everything in this world that is good, but you can bet damned sure that there are others who aren't suspending kids for drawing weapons, and those kids are going to grow into strong soldiers.

 

[Bazooka Joe71]

I could understand if the gun was drawn with bullets coming out and aimed at his teachers or fellow students, but that picture?????

I need to dig up a picture I found that my mom took on my first day of kindergarden...Its a picture of me with one arm around my buddy and a capgun replica of a 92fs pointed in the air....Those were the days.

Wes,

Three years ago, in high school, I spent an entire month working on a single piece for my drawing class. An entire month of classes to produce a 1.5x scale pen-and-ink reproduction of a classic schematic of the M1911A1, which got me an A+.

Lets see it!

 

[XD Fan]

Like SamTucker, I to am a public school teacher. I routinely discuss my hobbies of shooting and hunting with my students.

The only time a student at my school has been disciplined for speaking of guns was when one of my students suggested that he would like to shoot specific other students with a sniper rifle. I informed my principle, and the student was dealt with in away that had full parental support.

This incident was handled approtpriately by the administration and other students freedom of speech has not been affected.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Source

Here's an exercise.

Determine the source.

The "guns are bad" thinking is not part of education. It's not in the curriculum.

Do a little detective work.

Where is that thinking model coming from?

Who is propagating it?

How does it travel down from [wherever] into the policies of the "system" of schooling?

Is it explicitly taught in the courses needed for a teaching degree?

Is it coming from the NEA?

Is it dictated by the Secretary of Education?

What's the source?

It's a fallacy. It's bad data. It is not a natural thought.

It's being invented and injected into the system.

Let's run it back to source.

Not glibly, mind you. It is pervasive, so the source has wide reach and influence.

You have a glaring illogic, in that "educated" and "intelligent" people are promoting a lie.

It's worth chasing that down.

So . . .

What's the source, really?

 

[JKimball]

I have a cousin who has been a teacher and is currently doing a master's program to become a principal. I was talking to her about the idea of teachers carrying concealed and she mentioned that there are a lot of teachers and administrators that are truly afraid of being involved in a school shooting. It is almost viewed as an occupational safety hazard. As long as they are left defenseless, I guess I can't say that I blame them. But surely they can't believe that suspending kids that draw pictures of guns (or anything that even remotely resembles a gun) is going to make them safer and somehow fix the problem.

 

[Cannonball888]

Maybe it was an INK-blot test? Maybe the kid inherently knew he was going to get arrested because he psychoanalyzed his superiors and thought correctly that they themselves would see a firearm, but others an airplane or whathaveyou.

I'm getting too into this.

I get the impression that he had drawn a gun first but then decided to disguise it to look like a spaceship with aliens at the last minute because he knew trouble was coming.

My 9 year old son took a look at the picture and said, "that's not a gun, it doesn't have a trigger".

Ken

Look carefully. It has a trigger and a trigger guard. Nonetheless, the school's actions are as ridiculous as the one that made a student cut off the guns on his plastic army men.