We have yet another case of the “zero tolerance” policies being imposed in our school as an excuse of zero judgment or though by school officials.We have been discussing the steady stream of absurd actions taken by school officials under “zero tolerance” policies. For a prior column, click here. In the latest case, an 11-year-old boy was suspended from school for talking about guns on a school bus. That’s right, for saying the word “gun.” The boy reportedly said that he wish he could have defended the school with a gun to stop the massacre.
Bruce Henkelman of Huntingtown, M.d., said his son was suspended for 10 days after a bus driver heard him talking about the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school. She turned her bus around and took him to the principal, Darrel Prioleau. Henkelman said “The principal told me that with what happened at Sandy Hook if you say the word ‘gun’ in my school you are going to get suspended for 10 days.” Henkelman said in an interview with WMAL.
Prioleau reportedly demanded to know if there were firearms at home and called in the police. A deputy allegedly told him that his entire house would be searched.
These cases make a mockery out the school system and shows a virtually moronic enforcement of these policies. What these educators are doing is avoiding any requirement of personal judgment or thought. These abuses continue because principals and school officials face no discipline for abusing a child in this way. They teach the students a dangerous form of authoritarian learning with the imposition of senseless and arbitrary rules. While we have seen suspensions for finger guns, stick figure drawings, and even a LEGO toy, this is the first I have seen involving pure speech in the use of the noun “gun.” What type of citizens are we shaping in our schools when a child is interrogated (without his parents) by police and threatened with a search of his home for using the word “gun”?
By the way, that story involving the LEGO toy also was the product of the school officials in Calvert County — showing a disturbing pattern among its school officials.
Sources: WMAL
Apparently, this blogger is not familiar with the Hello kitty bubble gun case in PA where a six year old was suspended for talking about the Hello Kitty bubble gun at the bus stop. She didn’t have the “gun” with her, she was just talking about blowing bubbles with it after school. 10 days, reduced to two because the parents said they didn’t allow toy guns in the home. If they had said, yeah, all the kids have nerf guns, they would still be in counseling.
Hmm is anyone else encountering problems with the pictures on this blog loading?
I’m trying to determine if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog.
Any responses would be greatly appreciated.
anonymous,
Ah yes. Clan Gunn. A fine group of folks with a long history in Scotland going back to the 12th century, at least. I always stop by their tent and visit them at the highland games. Kid would definitely get in trouble for wearing the clan badge, or an image of the badge on a t-shirt. Translated from the Latin, the motto of Clan Gunn is, “Either Peace or War.”
Some school administrators just don’t appreciate history or genealogy.
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs12/i/2006/301/9/3/Clan_Gunn_Crest_by_smhill.jpg
otteracy scribe and others, your daughter having decals she would get suspended for at that school is nothing compared to my distant cousins who would get suspended from that school simply because they have the surname “Gunn”.
direct quote: “The principal told me that with what happened at Sandy Hook if you say the word ‘gun’ in my school you are going to get suspended for 10 days”
So anyone saying or writing my distant cousins’ last names would get suspended. Even though it is required by the schools to sign both your first AND last name on ALL homework (and in-school) assignments
Unless they were teachers, principals, or school staff”
But if it’s a kid, it’s either detention, suspension, or one of those plus arrest by the police for simply writing his or her surname on their homework or simply saying their surname as required by the school such as during rolecall.
“Gunn”
“Gunn”
“Gunn”
Isn’t it something of an archaic paradox that the same “zero tolerance” folks that brook no deviance from their policy now concerning the mere utterance of a word, likewise preach tolerance, acceptance, equality among all people. That they seek to control and mold behavior of those things they deem important, critical, acceptable, and yet are so draconian concerning those things they deem, bad, abhorrent, evil. The very same things they rebelled about and over, had done to them and suffered over and now, regurgitate it back maligned to their own agenda.
After the lawsuit is filed depose the Law Enforcement Offender who questioned the kid. If the LEO has kids subpoena the kid in and ask him if daddy ever talks about that thing he wears on his hip. If the kid uses the “gun” word call a recess in the depo and ask the Judge for a search warrant of the home. Depose the Superintendent and ask if he owns a gun. Ask if he has kids in the house with that gun.
this child’s parents should contact federal officers and an attorney because the Supreme Court has found that interrogation a minor child without parents/attorney present is a violation of their rights. here in Florida it is a 3rd degree felony punishable by up to three years in prison. even if the state law has not caught up with federal court findings it is still illegal in any state.
nick,
The best years to take them on vacations are between the ages of 7-13. We did a 4 week Revolutionary War trip, a 2 week train trip to New Orleans (through Chicago … the year before Katrina hit), and then 2 separate 4 week trips out West (Southwest one year and Northwest the next). We left Disney World for their parents to handle. 😉
God love the Park Service for all the private tours they arrange and the joy they get from sharing all their knowledge with history loving kids. The first 5 are all in their 20’s now and it’s great fun to sit and listen to them when they start trading remembrances of all the adventures they shared on these vacations.
I have not read the book you mentioned but according to our Lakota guide, there were no “warriors” present at all and the mutilation, which was extreme, was all done by pissed off women. He was most emphatic about it and you might want to read up on the other battles that were going on at the same time or being prepared to take place … there really was no way the warriors could have been in two places at the same time. Old men, retired warriors if you will, were present and male children along with the women. The female children and old women stayed in the village/camp. Our guide told us the lie has been told since the day the defeat occurred and continues today but the Lakota have their own story … and they were present and survived.
Lincoln “corralled” Maryland into not joining the Confederacy. These mental midgets in this particular school district are herding the sheep of today. Baaaa.