zero tolerance insanity
- Thread starter uzimon
- Start date
I'll agree the first link is bogus, but c'mon guys... read the 2nd article!
The kid drew 2 stick figures depicting the boy shooting another student. The one figure was labeled "me" and the other one had been scribbled out. I'm willing to bet the word scribbled out was either "you" or the name of another student. I highly doubt this is innocent playing, this is probably a child expressing his dislike of another student in a malicious hateful way. Granted it is difficult to know the true nature of the picture without seeing it and knowing the circumstances (was the kid he gave it to his friend? was the kid getting shot a friend?), but I wouldn't rule out it being purposefully malicious.
I would think people who always advocate responsible use of firearms would see the harm in this. Make believing and playing cops/robbers etc. is very different than expressing your dislike for another child by portraying you shooting them. I don't think its acceptable and I would discipline my child if they did it. I feel this is even more important for people who actually own guns... threatening and/or joking about shooting someone is not acceptable.
The kid drew 2 stick figures depicting the boy shooting another student. The one figure was labeled "me" and the other one had been scribbled out. I'm willing to bet the word scribbled out was either "you" or the name of another student. I highly doubt this is innocent playing, this is probably a child expressing his dislike of another student in a malicious hateful way. Granted it is difficult to know the true nature of the picture without seeing it and knowing the circumstances (was the kid he gave it to his friend? was the kid getting shot a friend?), but I wouldn't rule out it being purposefully malicious.
I would think people who always advocate responsible use of firearms would see the harm in this. Make believing and playing cops/robbers etc. is very different than expressing your dislike for another child by portraying you shooting them. I don't think its acceptable and I would discipline my child if they did it. I feel this is even more important for people who actually own guns... threatening and/or joking about shooting someone is not acceptable.
Good Golly Miss Molly!revance said:
Where I see the harm, is in prohibiting these kinds of actions. People, adults as well as kids, have a distinct tendency to release their aggressions, anger, and frustrations by day-dreaming, writing, play-acting and/or drawing. If it wasn't allowed, then how do you expect a person to release the tensions? Actually go berserk? Because that's exactly what happens when milder expressions of pent-up emotions aren't allowed to be released.
Drawing stick figures, one shooting the other, even putting names to them, is not even close to being the same, as actually acting on the violence.
I used to believe that "zero tolerance" was about the adults not having to make decisions. Oh, that's a part of it. More and more, I believe it is behavior modification. It has all the earmarks of Effective Communications, a Psych 202 course from the mid '70's.
It probably isn't that simple, yet on the surface, it sure seems that way.
Sigma 40 Blaster
New member
Duly noted, very good point.
As others have noted I find it more disturbing that "masculine" qualities are being labeled as bad. Boys play with guns, action figures, and sports. Girls jump rope, play with dolls. Someone somewhere is trying to turn our boys into soft little wimps and turn us and them into girly men.
I have found middle ground between a caveman and a girly man (well, actually more towards the caveman side) and am perfectly happy and productive where I'm at.
sw_florida
Moderator
The drawing was silly to act on. But kids who threaten another kid by pointing an imagined gun at him is a form of bullying and should be dealt with.