Teacher Lets Students Bring Nerf Guns to School for Project, School Suspends the Kids

Opposing Views ^ | 06/04/2013 | By Dabney Bailey

[Responsibility2nd]

There have been a lot of news stories recently about young children being punished for talking about guns, making toy guns, owning toy guns, and drawing guns. This new story takes the cake: a group of students from Chase Lake Elementary School in Edmonds, Washington, asked their teacher if they could bring Nerf guns to school. The teacher gave permission, but the school punished the children with suspension anyway.

The students even had a perfectly legitimate reason to bring the guns to school; they wanted to fire foam darts 100 times as part of a probability experiment.

The school quickly enforced its zero tolerance policy and booted the students. In fact, they even suspended students who were simply present during the experiment. Shannon Shumard’s fourth grade daughter and sixth grade son got caught in the crossfire because they played with the guns, even though other students brought the guns to school.

The parents of the suspended students have said that they intend to appeal the suspensions, but the school stands strong by its convictions. “Again, it’s a matter of safety and it’s of the utmost importance. So even if it’s a toy, we take it seriously,” said Amanda Ralston, a spokeswoman for the school district.

The peculiar thing about this story isn’t that the school enforced such harsh penalties on the students – that seems to be the popular strategy nowadays. What’s odd is that the students were punished instead of the teacher.

Kids violating the rules is one thing, but punishing students after a teacher gave the Nerf guns a thumbs up is much more problematic.  

Shumard added, "If the teacher and the school staff don't even know their own rules, how are the children supposed to know them?"

All of these recent stories have called into question the severity of school gun policies. Do you think that being so relentless against guns will help prevent children from brining real guns to school, or do you think that the schools are overreacting to a bit of harmless fun?

Source: Komo News

 

[Responsibility2nd]

Is anyone surprised here?

[madprof98]

At some point—soon—we should recognize that we cannot get this country back, and we should plan to divide up the ruins in some reasonable way.

[ecomcon]

HOLDER:
What we need to do is change the way in which people think about guns, especially young people, and make it something that’s not cool, that it’s not acceptable, it’s not hip to carry a gun anymore, in the way in which we changed our attitudes about cigarettes. …

One thing that I think is clear with young people and with adults as well is that we just have to be repetitive about this. It’s not enough to simply have a catchy ad on a Monday and then do it every Monday. We need to do this every day of the week and just really brainwash people into thinking about guns in a vastly different way.

[Uncle Miltie]

About 2000, my daughter had a birthday party in the summer, and we had a water-gun fight. Plastic, colorful, squirt guns. Each girl was allowed to take theirs home. They were excited.

Not one parent allowed their kid to take the squirt gun home.

[bgill]

they even suspended students who were simply present during the experiment

What planet did I wake up on?

[SpaceBar]

The one part of the equation I seem to be missing is why don’t we hear an equal number of stories of parents wanting school officials’ heads on pikes?

[servo1969]

Schools are generally supposed to teach children how they will be expected to act in society when they are grown. So, what are these zero-tolerance policies actually teaching them? Gun are inherently evil - unless the government issues one to you. Then they are righteous and good.

Progressives want the next generation to feel sick to their stomachs at the very sight of a firearm; a Pavlovian response so ingrained it can not be ignored. Our children are being psychologically programed every day, Guns are bad...Guns are bad...Guns are always bad...Only the State can be trusted with guns...

[ScottinVA]

Not the “Land of the Free, Home of the Brave” anymore...

America has become deathly afraid of its own shadow.

[Da Coyote]

Indeed, there is no low below which a public school administration will fail to descend.

If and when revolution II occurs, I volunteer to man the guillotine.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Zero tolerance is an attempt to push tyranny down our throats with the hopes that somebody will snap and the liberals can say, “SEE?! People can’t be trusted with guns or their own freedom!”

[ScottinVA]

I truly hate what America has become.

[Blood of Tyrants]

We tried that 150 years ago. It ended with the government sending troops to kill anyone who disagreed with fedgod. It won’t be any different today.

[DPMD]

What we may see as overreaction by the school officials is actually pre-planned deliberate response. The intent is to completely suppress all thought of guns in any context by children so that they are totally conditioned to equate even the mere idea of a gun with immediate negative connotations.

It’s programming, pure and simple, “brainwashing,” if you will. We are trying to achieve total gun control through our children, as we have already done in the case of likening liberalism and massive government with good connotations, and individual liberties with bad, groupthink with good.

Any doubts on why liberals want to lower the mandatory school age, or impose Common Core on our kids?

[Scrambler Bob]

“they even suspended students who were simply present during the experiment”

Well, I am ‘near’ the scene of a shooting in Chicago (within about 2000 miles).

So I should be arrested for participation/accessory/obstructing justice, etc.?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Welcome to the United LGBT/Bolshevik insane asylum, courtesy of Cass Sunstein.

[VR-21]

You’re absolutely correct ecomcon. What this seemingly lunatic zero tolerance policy really is, is nothing but a systematic brainwashing project. It’s Pavlovian.

[Orangedog]

Schools are generally supposed to teach children how they will be expected to act in society when they are grown. So, what are these zero-tolerance policies actually teaching them?

It teaches them that dogma trumps all else. You do as you are expected to do and don't complain when the rules change after the fact. School isn't about education. It is about learning to be pliant and unquestioningly obedient.

[exit82]

Not one parent allowed their kid to take the squirt gun home.

Wow. Did you and your kid become the neighborhood pariahs after that?

[Jack Hydrazine]

We have the means to get our country back but not the will.

[Gene Eric]

>> Not one parent allowed their kid to take the squirt gun home.

Pussies. We’re armed to the teeth with Nerf and water guns.