Police Called to School Because ‘Math Symbol Looked like a Gun’

Ban 1. It is an erect phallic symbol
Ban 3. It refers to a pair of boobies and is totally unacceptable.
Ban 5. Looks like an evil sickle.
Ban 7. Military version of a sickle.
Ban 8. It is a sign of oppression representing handcuffs.
Ban 9. It is a flaccid phallic symbol.
Ban S. It is a snake symbol ... evil I tell ya, evil!
Ban X. Obvious reference to evil star knives.
Ban Y. Why, because Y not!

I can't even type the next oppressive symbol. More hand cuffs ... the symbol for infinity!

AAAAAAAAAAAKKKK.

BAN THE WORLD!

P

Future of math: Retirement of the square root symbol and the required use of (x)^(1/2).

As someone who went to college for physics and engineering, I used the latter far more often than the former.

a reply to: kaylaluv

I agree. I'd love to live someplace like Canada where I can go to a mall or a movie theater or a church or an outdoor music concert, and my kid can go to school without worrying if there's going to be a shooting today.

Meanwhile in Canada...

A 25-year-old man with a weapon was shot and killed by an Ottawa police officer after a stabbing at the Island Park Metro Sunday night, and Ontario's police watchdog is investigating.

...

Ottawa paramedics said a 49-year-old man suffered significant stabbing injuries and was taken to the Ottawa Hospital's Civic campus trauma unit, where he was listed in serious but stable condition.

A woman in her 50s also suffered minor injuries, paramedics said.

Darn those Canucks! If they had only outlawed the "greater than" (">") sign!

Seriously, if you're that scared of a square root sign, you have my pity, bless your heart. Don't even look at a cube root sign; it has a cocking hammer.

TheRedneck

originally posted by: TheRedneck
a reply to: kaylaluv

I agree. I'd love to live someplace like Canada where I can go to a mall or a movie theater or a church or an outdoor music concert, and my kid can go to school without worrying if there's going to be a shooting today.

Meanwhile in Canada...

Ottawa paramedics said a 49-year-old man suffered significant stabbing injuries and was taken to the Ottawa Hospital's Civic campus trauma unit, where he was listed in serious but stable condition.

A woman in her 50s also suffered minor injuries, paramedics said.

Not exactly a mass attack, is it? Most likely an argument escalated between people who knew each other.

Seriously, if you're that scared of a square root sign, you have my pity, bless your heart. Don't even look at a cube root sign; it has a cocking hammer.

Oh, sooooo clever.
Frankly, that kind of crap is beneath you.

a reply to: kaylaluv

Not exactly a mass attack, is it? Most likely an argument escalated between people who knew each other.

Quite a thought process you have there. It happens in Canada, therefore it was just an argument that got out of hand. It happens in the US, therefore it is an example of the savagery of our country.

Frankly, that kind of crap is beneath you.

Frankly, the whole premise of this THREAD is beneath all of us. A student was investigated over a square root symbol? I don't give a rat's reflective patootie why, by who, or how, or how quickly it was dropped... someone investigated a square root symbol. And you're good with that!

Someone stop the planet please? I just need to step off to stretch my legs a moment... I'll come back, I promise...

TheRedneck

a reply to: TheRedneck

ONE person got stabbed, another with minor injuries. NOT a mass attack on the general public.

No, a student was not investigated over a square root symbol. That’s why one has to use discernment when viewing the media. According to the sheriff’s office, a benign conversation between the kids started over the square root symbol, then turned into something else when a specific kid said something (we don’t know what he said). That kid’s comment elicited a response, which led to the authorities being called.

a reply to: kaylaluv

No, a student was not investigated over a square root symbol.

That kid’s comment elicited a response, which led to the authorities being called.

Pick a side, please? Were the authorities involved over a conversation between students about a square root sign, or not?

Your use of language is not very clear to the typical conservative. We tend to think logically. "No/yes" is not a clear answer to us.

TheRedneck

a reply to: TheRedneck

Well..."investigate" is likely way too strong of a word. A deputy went to talk to the parents and see what was up. That closed the investigation.

I grew up in a small town. Graduated in a glass of 48 students, most of whom rode the bus in from a local farm or ranch. The town itself had 1200 souls, although that was an outdated census (it dropped to 850 when the next census was posted). That is how things were done in our town, too. The Deputy would just talk to parents and let the parents handle it. Seems like the most prudent path when the "crime" is little Jimmy saying dumb stuff at school.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

That, though, is an investigation... someone took the time to check it out. I understand that it was nothing severe, but there's a much larger issue here, and it ties back into the call for armed security at schools:

Are we moving to a place where doing homework with symbols unfamiliar to law enforcement can create an uncomfortable/litigious environment? Law enforcement has a tendency, especially when caught in an unfavorable light, to over-react. Children can and do make improper comments all day long, usually out of ignorance of societal standards. Teachers and parents know this and adjust accordingly, but law enforcement often does not. Those two facts can put a lot of children at risk of literal arrest for innocently being children.

We have to harden our schools, yes, but not a'la a courthouse security arrangement. There's a very good reason why parents don't drop their kids off at secure facilities to play. It involves being a child in an adult world. Whenever I see a story like this, it simply makes my gut tighten up wondering how badly the over-reaction is going to get before someone realizes we're now hurting kids from a different direction.

TheRedneck

a reply to: TheRedneck

I recall about 6 years ago a kid was suspended in kindergarten for sexual harassment when he kissed a classmate.

Or the kid who made a gun out of his pop tart.

The problem in those cases, and maybe this one, isn't the kids or society. Its the liberal arts programs that create teachers.

Math and science teach strong logic skills (cause and effect are the staples of math and science). English, on the other hand, creates a stronger tie to feelings as literature tends to be an art meant to convey feeling. An english student will spend time discussing how a piece makes them feel, trying to interpret the intentions of the author. While I don't think this is fruitless at all...I do think that its a "tell" for a mindset. One which places a lower value on logic and higher value on interpersonal communication and interpretation of intent.

a reply to: radarloveguy

It's official... the world is going insane when we react in utter fear because of a ""monstrous""... math symbol.

Im out of words right now. This is utterly INSANE. Sorry, but its that simple.

I want to say something to liberals in this thread. If you think a gun is to be feared. There are worse things than guns.

I'll leave it at that.

a reply to: TheRedneck

What part of no is unclear? The “N” part or the “O” part?

The information states that multiple kids were talking about the square root sign looking like a gun. Multiple kids - not just one kid. Multiple, as in more than one kid - yet only one kid was singled out. Only one, as in a single kid. Why was this one kid singled out and not the others who were in the discussion? He said something that was obviously more than what was being said in the general discussion. What he said exactly, I guess we’ll never know. He might have said something like, “yeah, I got a gun that looks like this, so don’t piss me off, or I’ll bring it in here and blow you mother-effers away.” The fact is, we just don’t know what he said, but it was apparently different than what the other kids were talking about, which made him stand out.

All the sheriff would admit was that the kid said something dumb, but that he was deemed not a true threat.

I don’t know how to be much more clear than that. Does it help?

the state of Florida is shaped like a gun, someone should call the cops.....

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

It is precisely that interpretation of intent that concerns me.

If we are to install an armed police force inside every school, they have to be made aware that they are not there to police students... they are there to protect them. It is completely inappropriate for anyone, cop, teacher, or other, to automatically assume a sinister intent to every word uttered by a child. As the children age, of course, their ability to accurately express themselves (and control their emotions) improves drastically - there is really no comparison between linguistic/expressive ability of a first-grader and a high school senior - but there is still the fact that these kids are in school for several hours each day, with friends, and will act like human beings in friendly conversation.

You make a great point with the liberal art bent as opposed to the logic and reasoning bent. It does seem like more emphasis is lately placed on art, language, and music as opposed to science, mathematics, and analytical thinking. Perhaps that is a change that needs to be part of the overall solution as well?

TheRedneck

a reply to: kaylaluv

What part of no is unclear? The “N” part or the “O” part?

The Y-E-S part that you add to it:

Multiple, as in more than one kid - yet only one kid was singled out. Only one, as in a single kid. Why was this one kid singled out and not the others who were in the discussion?

Which means that one kid was investigated.

All the sheriff would admit was that the kid said something dumb, but that he was deemed not a true threat.

Which means the sheriff investigated.

There is a difference between a student who was expelled, who has multiple relatives and friends calling police with concerns, and who has just lost his mother, and a student who is joking around with friends. Normal people get that distinction. Apparently you do not.

Look closely at SoulSurfer's post right above yours. It says a lot, including we do not want nor need a police state in schools. A school should be a place of safety and learning (including learning about square roots!), but not a place of imprisonment and thought control.

TheRedneck

a reply to: TheRedneck


I never said yes in my post. I said, no it was not simply the mention that a square root symbol looked like a gun that caused the “investigation”. Where did you see a yes anywhere in my post?

If it was simply the mention that a square root symbol looked like a gun, then all of the kids would have been investigated, because they were all talking about it. I don’t even know why that media article kept talking about the square root part of the conversation, unless they have an agenda - no, couldn’t be - the media never has an agenda, do they?

We don’t know what this kid said. If he said he would bring his “square root” to school and shoot a bunch of kids up, do you not think he should even be questioned for that statement? That’s a little different than questioning someone who just mentioned that the square root symbol looks like a gun. This appears to be something more than just everyone being scared of a square root symbol.

So all the stupid jokes about being scared of math symbols is totally disingenuous. That’s not what happened here.

a reply to: kaylaluv

You implied yes. One does not have to use an exact word to indicate an affirmative response.

As for your claim,it appears this was the issue, according to the Miami Herald:

After several students made comments along those lines, another student said something the sheriff’s office said could have sounded like a threat out of context.

The key thing that stands out to me is that phrase "out of context."

We do not need to be taking things out of context. We need to be looking at things in context. That's my whole point, obligatory jokes about irrational fear of potentially irrational symbols notwithstanding. Taking any statement out of context can be interpreted as a threat. The very fact that they were discussing the shape of a mathematical symbol makes it more troubling, because I want them to be familiar with mathematical symbols. I can see the teacher five years from now:

"Now, class, we are going to study something called 'square roots.' The symbol looks like this one on the board, and it just means a number which, when multiplied by itself, or squared, equals the argument. The symbol is called a 'radical,' and I have to warn you that if anyone mentions a weapon in reference to the shape of the radical, you will be arrested. We lost four students to that kind of talk last year. For that reason, there will be no more class discussion of square roots; you are required to research them and complete your assignments on your own time, outside of school, for liability reasons. Now, since math class cannot continue by school policy, please open your Art Appreciation books to page 325..."

And don't get me started on sigma...

TheRedneck

a reply to: TheRedneck

No one said we shouldn’t be talking about mathematical symbols. The kid wasn’t questioned because he said the symbol looked like a gun. No one is afraid of the square root symbol.

These are the facts. No (not implying yes here), the jokes about fear of symbols aren’t obligatory.

a reply to: kaylaluv

So, you believe that questioning a student because he was joking around about a symbol will not make him nervous around that symbol (or mathematics in general) later on? I know I tend to shy away from things that cause the law to get involved.

Do you not believe this could have been handled better, without getting the law involved?

TheRedneck

a reply to: TheRedneck

Oh boy, are you stretching here. No, I do not believe this boy will be traumatized by the square root symbol from now on. LOL. But perhaps he will shy away from making asinine comments that could be taken as a threat. Lesson well learned.

Sure it could have been handled better. Probably would have been good to send his ass to the principal for a good talking to, then a call from the principal to his parents with some guidelines on how to teach your kid to behave better in public.

Is what happened the end of the world? No (that's not an implied yes). It's what tends to happen when people get "gun shy" from recent traumatizing events.