[tomakaze]

[this never made it to the website, it was on page B2 of the May 13 Tri City Herald]
This is flat out ridiculous.
locked down after some over reacting teacher notices someone with agun (eeeek!) in *nearby feild* - not even on the grounds but in a feild nearby (I know that area - if the school distric owns that field it sure as hell aint posted.) Christ.
I skipped some school in my day to hunt pheasant with a (gasp!) shotgun, and no doubt there are other folks in this forum who've done the same.
Now this kid's life is screwed, he's sucked into the criminal penal system and for what? plinking birds with a friggin pellet gun, and some education ministry functionary's vision of "Zero tolorance". (and more likely because the over reacting twits were embarrassed by their "lockdown")
And to boot they're not even applying the law correctly - last time i checked a pellet gun wasn't a "firearm".
Oh well.
[bracing for the flood of idiot neo-cons, who usually show up to voice their support of crap like this.]

[TYVets]

A Pellet Gun !

[RedBloodedAmerican]

A teacher unfamiliar with identifying guns might not know the caliber size from a distance. I have seen some handguns that are CO2 that are as big as 44's. She took the right action. And the kid will not be ruined, he will probably get a good lecture. Unfortunately, this wouldn't have happened had the parents taught the child gun responsibility (such as not taking it near school), as well as there are other obvious issues, such as the kid LYING to his parents about being sick. Way more to this story than just some kid shooting birds that is not written here.

[Onelifetogive]

pellet gun...Stupidintendent Ray Tolacher said staff members heard the shots

They have good ears! Pellet guns make very little sound.

[kellynla]

These are dramatically different times than when you and I went to school. Call me what you like, but after all the children and teachers who have been terrorized and killed by other children whose parents were not as responsible as yours, mine and others; you cannot be too careful. Better to er on the safe side than to have to bury another child due to a parents' irresponsibility. Bottom line. The kid belonged in school. The only time I skipped school my father was waiting for me when I got home. You can be assured I never skipped schoool again. Flame away if you like. I have my asbestos suit on.

[Joe Brower]

Latest breaking news from the Nation of Cowards.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Kissler saidthe boy, who told his parents he was too sick to go to school, was apparently hunting small birds with a pellet gun in a feild next to the school. Superintendent Ray Tolacher said staff members heard the shots about 12:40 pm and saw the boy, called the police and took emergency precautions.

Land of the free, home of the brave?

These people are an absolute national embarrassment and a disgrace. Sheesh! And these educators can't tell the differences between the sound of a pellet gun and a real firearm?

Gawd help us.

[xm177e2]

[bracing for the flood of idiot neo-cons, who usually show up to voice their support of crap like this.]

?

The term "neo-con" is for Reagan Democrats who permanently moved to the GOP, and other ex-liberals. It is meaningful mostly only in terms of foreign policy, there is no real "neo-con" platform on domestic issues.

[EggsAckley]

Superintendent Ray Tolacher said staff members heard the shots about 12:40 pm

I didn't know that pellet guns make that much noise, as to be heard across the school yard and the field.

[RogueIsland]

Why do I have to read practically to the end of the article to find out it was a fricking pellet gun. Man, are we an emasculated nation or what?

[Fiddlstix]

......I skipped some school in my day to hunt pheasant with a (gasp!) shotgun, and no doubt there are other folks in this forum who've done the same......

Yep! Did it myself a few times in my day......

[Mulder]

Welcome to Amerika.

The kid did nothing that his ancestors didn't routinely do. Now he is yet another victim of the emerging terroristic police state society.