2nd-grader suspended for drawing picture of a gun

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071020/ap_on_re_us/gun_drawing_suspension

DENNIS TOWNSHIP, N.J. - A second-grader's drawing of a stick figure shooting a gun earned him a one-day school suspension.
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Kyle Walker, 7, was suspended last week for violating Dennis Township Primary School's zero-tolerance policy on guns, the boy's mother, Shirley McDevitt, told The Press of Atlantic City.

Kyle gave the picture to another child on the school bus, and that child's parents complained about it to school officials, McDevitt said. Her son told her the drawing was of a water gun, she said.

A photocopy of the picture provided by McDevitt showed two stick figures with one pointing a crude-looking gun at the other, the newspaper said. What appeared to be the word "me" was written above the shooter, with another name scribbled above the other figure.

School officials declined to comment Friday. A message left at the superintendent's office Saturday was not returned.

Kyle drew other pictures, including a skateboarder, King Tut, a ghost, a tree and a Cyclops, the newspaper reported.
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This struck home with me because my 4 year old son's teacher recently sent a note home with him explaining that he was making guns (out of lincoln logs or legos or something) and that was not allowed at school.

I had never really thought about him doing stuff like that at school and immediately began explaining to him that at home we can play with toy guns and safely shoot "real" guns (his airsoft I bought him) but he is not to talk about guns or play guns at school. I basically told him that "Guns scare some people"...because I couldn't think of a better way to explain it.

What do you guys think of those situations, it's hard to explain to a kid to hide your favorite thing to do because it might scare people. Anyone have any similar experiences and resolutions to share with the crowd???
 
IMO just another example of sick adults projecting their neurosis and phobias onto innocent children. Now if Kyle was a fast thinker he could have said the figure with a gun was a third world freedom fighter struggling against US imperialism. Then the teacher would have given him an A+ for art and applauded him in front of the whole classroom! :p
 
I got one for ya. The high school my kids go to (Boonville H.S.), whose mascot is a Daniel Boone type character, with buckskin, fringe and coon skin hat carrying a muzzle loader (They're called the Boonville Pioneers). Last year they change the emblem and he now carries a staff with a flag on it???? I'm sure that would have been a lot of help with a bear. But they're no longer allowed to wear the shirts with the old design. When the new shirts arrived they had a big sale on the old ones but were told they could not wear them to school.

Another one:

When my son was in kindergarten we had a mild earthquake that caused a crack in our living room wall. The following week while drawing pictures at school of their homes he drew a long jagged line across the front of it and told the teacher he lived in a "crack house". It had been a long time since I had been summoned to the principle's office. Of course it's funny now but at the time I was wondering when DEA was going to knock down the front door.
 
oh boy

when i was four my dad taught me to shoot his s&w 22 revolver. good thing i was homeschooled or i might have taken the picture to kindergarten, and gotten my folks locked up.:cool:
 
When my son was in kindergarten we had a mild earthquake that caused a crack in our living room wall. The following week while drawing pictures at school of their homes he drew a long jagged line across the front of it and told the teacher he lived in a "crack house".
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Comedy gold!
 
When my youngest daughter was 3 years old she could not say "s". At that time I had just bought a black horse and was riding it almost daily. My daughter loved that horse and told every one about daddy"s new black "hore" and every day after work daddy would ride his new black "hore" and sometimes would let his friends ride her also. I did not know she was telling this to people until I heard her tell her grandmother about it.
 
Maybe I was wrong

I told mine some people are stupid and are frightend, adding "don't talk about... and watch them carfully as they are unpredictable.
 
Afraid to Make a Decision

Sigma 40,

You shouldn't tell your son that some people are scared of guns. You should tell him that some people are scared to stand up for what they know is right.

School administrators use the ban everything approach because they are afraid to make a judgment call about anything. It is the same attitude that has a school suspend a kid that is minding his own business and gets jumped in the hallway. Better to punish everyone then have to decide who is right and who is wrong.

Tell your son to have more courage then his principal (but then he probably already does).
 
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I have a step son that was over heard talking about shooting with another class mate. I was sent to the school pyc and in the end was denied entry in the the navy listed as disturbed.

I now have my 7 year old son, shooting his Mini Henry bolt off the front porch at rats in the garden (kolibre). How do I tell him This is not right?

He has been instructed not to say anything about firearms in the house, what we have and what we do with them. Kids will be Kids,,,,

It seems the Rule life is on the edge!
 
Earlier today I was watching some old Looney Toons on DVD that I got from the library.

I was thinking about this thread and how, even though I never fired a "real" BB gun until I was 16 and a gun firing live ammo until I was 17, that I had a lot of gun influence when I was a kid (19 now).

I remembered just about all the cartoons that I was watching, especially the ones with elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam. I never noticed how they always have his finger on the trigger, shooting where there was not a safe area behind and more. I was surprised how, with all this, I always knew the danger of firearms and that I could play with a toy one but I didn't even want to touch a real one.

I also used to play cowboys and indians and would carry around little toy revolvers in holsters.

Kids who like firearms aren't a danger when they get older as long as they're taught properly. This is my belief, looking back at my childhood.
 
Years ago when my sister was in school she told a classmate that there was a coffin on a rock pile and a vampire lived in it. The teacher over heard it and a few days later the deputy sherrif weas out to investigate.

It kind of makes you wonder about teachers. I thought they were supposed to smarter them whom they were teaching. Not to imply all teachers are that way but it does seem to be the increasly common.
 
I had an elementary school teacher back in the 60's that was trying to indoctrinate us on the perils of over population. She said that if the people kept multiplying, that the weight of all of them would make the world collapse. I was like "huh?" but she persisted. I guess that is why I did not give teachers my full credulity after that.
 
What do you guys think of those situations, it's hard to explain to a kid to hide your favorite thing to do because it might scare people. Anyone have any similar experiences and resolutions to share with the crowd???
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It is a sad thing, but I would not tell him to not to talk about it or enjoy it in public. I would send a letter back to the school saying: "They are LEGOS! I never heard of a play LEGO gun being used in a gun crime. Get over it. There are plenty of bully kids in your school. Send a letter to their parents, because they are the dangerous ones."

What I would preach to my child is to never talk about guns when angry and not to say you are going to use a gun against someone.

The problem in this story is he drew a picture of a kid pointing the gun at another. That is not harmfull, not violent, not threatening...but it is not a good idea for a kid to think it is ok to point guns at others.

If your son is expressing his interest innocently and peacefully...I would let him, no matter where he is. If they do anything like expell or suspend him, I would take them to court BIG TIME!

Just be sure you reinforce that peacefull and innocent practice of use of guns. But, his expression of his interest (FREEDOM OF SPEECH) should NEVER be silenced because of liberal jackazz school administrators.

We as a community of proud firearm owners need to fight back against this opression against our rights and our freedoms by these folks.

When someone goes on a rampage, they call the guys with guns to come save them. When someone shoots at someone, guys with guns are called to save & find the offender.

When someone is running around shooting people, no one calls the guys with anti-gun sentiment to come save them.

Operator: "Hello, New York office of UCLA. May I help you?"
or
Operator: "Hello, Los Angeles County Brady Campaign. How can I be of service fine, unarmed citizen?"

Caller: "YES! We are in school...and there is someone running in the halls shooting, killing people...OH MY GOD! PLEASE send one of your lawyers down to get him to stop! Threaten him with penal code and gun laws. That is the ONLY thing that will stop him!"

How REDICULOUS does that sound?

Pilot: "I'm Meridith Champ, and we are in Chopper 4, above County High School this afternoon, and - OH! Here they come. A convoy of Mercedes' and Lexus' are congregating on the school lawn. An army of fine suited, unarmed men have stepped out of the vehicles. Dark, supple leather briefcases at their sides. Yes folks, this armed offender is in for it! They are behind the Caddilac...it appears they are reviewing their strategy for entry. Yes, they are drafting a resolution right now. These lawyers are putting themselves on the line for the victims of this tragedy. ... Chopper 4 will update you with details as they come. Stay Tuned."

The point is when badguy with gun shows up, goodguy with gun is called. Responsible firearm ownership and use should be encouraged unto our children and they shouldn't be affraid to enjoy it.
 
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