More toy gun Political Madness--starting in kindergarten

This time, the perpetrator was a six-year-old boy. The menacing weapon in question was a plastic Lego G.I. Joe gun roughly the size of a quarter, reports WGGB-TV.

The incident unfolded Friday morning on a school bus headed to Old Mill Pond Elementary School in Palmer, Mass. Another student on the bus spotted the Lego piece and promptly shouted to the driver.

Mieke Crane, the mother of the unnamed kindergartener who made the mistake of bringing the miniature weapon on the bus, is not happy.

“I think they overreacted, totally. I totally do,” Crane told WGGB.

“I could see if it was you know, an Airsoft gun or some sort of pistol or live bullets or something, but this is just a toy,” she added. “At six-years-old, I don’t really think he understood the zero-tolerance policy and related it to this as the same.”

School officials, who declined to speak to the ABC affiliate, promptly sent a letter home to all parents explaining the incident. The letter assured parents that there was no real gun, only a small molded piece of plastic from a Danish toy conglomerate.




news.yahoo.com...

reply to post by MuzzleBreak


Well I have loads of LEGO and there is a sort weapon that LEGO specifically states "do not point at anyone!". It fires a spring loaded ballistic with a rubber end. If shot in the eye it will cause damage. It is NOT the size of a quarter and has NOTHING to do with G.I. Joe. So I am going to doubt the source at this point.

If was a fake gun that does not "fire" any object I cannot see that being any more harmful then StarWars action figure weapons. If however it is the toy I described well...

I believe a ZERO tolerance policy covers anything that fires out any sort of ballistic or that could harm another child. Hence the ZERO part of the policy...

Sort of like saying no means no, most of the time but in this case we make an exception.

reply to post by abeverage


Most "zero-tolerance" -anywhere--policies cause more injustice than they solve, IMHO.

Judgement and discretion by people in positions of power used to be an important quality.

reply to post by abeverage


Well, since this is the size of a quarter, and apparently doesn't fire ANY kind of projectile, I think you are highly mistaken, especially since there is a video that shows a picture of the "gun" Here.

From the OP source, too, :

no real gun, only a small molded piece of plastic from a Danish toy conglomerate.

And most of the additional sources confirm what the OP posted, so I wouldn't doubt the source as you suggest.

Zero tolerance is simply getting ridiculously out of hand.

How long before a child accidentally coughs up phlegm in the shape of a "gun" and gets suspended?

Originally posted by MuzzleBreak
reply to post by abeverage

 

Most "zero-tolerance" -anywhere--policies cause more injustice than they solve, IMHO.

Judgement and discretion by people in positions of power used to be an important quality.

edit on 29-5-2013 by MuzzleBreak because: (no reason given)

Yep cause next they will ban fingers...

I would like to know the "whole" story and what was banned not just a description to completely determine my view. Toys that fire anything belong at home not on the bus.

Some kid shoots my kid in the eye because his parents are Too Stupid to teach him proper manners and well that is why we get these ZERO tolerance policies. When people do not police themselves in common courtesy the State will gladly do it for them.

We used to have a golden rule which looks more and more rusted every day.

Don't blame the Nanny State, blame all the Morons who lack self control and pass that on to their offspring.

The picture of the thing is awesome. Looks nothing like a gun. Just a inch long plastic rod.

Seems to me theyre trying to ban an idea rather than an object. Good luck with that.

Originally posted by Liquesence
reply to post by abeverage

 

Well, since this is the size of a quarter, and apparently doesn't fire ANY kind of projectile, I think you are highly mistaken, especially since there is a video that shows a picture of the "gun" Here.

From the OP source, too, :

no real gun, only a small molded piece of plastic from a Danish toy conglomerate.

And most of the additional sources confirm what the OP posted, so I wouldn't doubt the source as you suggest.

Zero tolerance is simply getting ridiculously out of hand.

How long before a child accidentally coughs up phlegm in the shape of a "gun" and gets suspended?

And that is what I was waiting for! Well it is larger then size of quarter but let's not quibble. I was under the impression it could fire something. This is not the case. So instead we have the media circus...

Funny how this is even reported as it was null issue and there was no dentition, letters sent out saying there was NO REAL GUN and everything was dropped but the Media blows it into one.

What a distraction! And ridiculous! Let the local people, local news handle it (sounds pretty much like they did).

There are bigger fish to fry. Must have been a slow day...

I think we should impliment a Zero Tolerance Policy for idiocy. Someone needs to wake these "educators" up to the real world ffs. The kid can see violence real and fiction in every color of the rainbow on tv and that's just dandy, but he brings an "L"-shaped piece of plastic to school and everyone loses their minds? Absurd and annoying.

reply to post by abeverage


Part of the point in news is being informed. I like being informed of as many things as possible, and like to know what's going on in other communities across the country, such as when local growers get raided, or lawn gardens get destroyed by the county, (and sometimes the world). This is why sometimes local stories (like this one) get national attention. I'm sure there are bigger fish to fry, but it's not like it was the top story on FOX Prime time.

To say that a local incident is only important at a local level is ridiculous in itself.

Slow news day, perhaps. Now, I am certainly no fan of FOX (at all), but that was the first video I saw because it showed an image of the "gun." That is the only reason I posted the link. But to attack Fox for reporting it is simply unfair and avoids the issue.

Good thing the punishment was reversed, but the fact that it happened in the first place is what is significant.

We need awareness as a society, and we need to stay informed, for the health of our nation, our society, and our culture, and for the sake of our future.

Originally posted by Liquesence
reply to post by abeverage

 

Part of the point in news is being informed. I like being informed of as many things as possible, and like to know what's going on in other communities across the country, such as when local growers get raided, or lawn gardens get destroyed by the county, (and sometimes the world). This is why sometimes local stories (like this one) get national attention. I'm sure there are bigger fish to fry, but it's not like it was the top story on FOX Prime time.

To say that a local incident is only important at a local level is ridiculous in itself.

Slow news day, perhaps. Now, I am certainly no fan of FOX (at all), but that was the first video I saw because it showed an image of the "gun." That is the only reason I posted the link. But to attack Fox for reporting it is simply unfair and avoids the issue.

Good thing the punishment was reversed, but the fact that it happened in the first place is what is significant.

We need awareness as a society, and we need to stay informed, for the health of our nation, our society, and our culture, and for the sake of our future.

I appreciate you posting the link as to make my informed decision. I changed my reply to reflect the "media" on that actually because I also found it reported by ABC affiliate.

Like I said though unfortunately I hate that we have to have a ZERO tolerance policy in our schools and a Nanny state. That said I would rather have that in place to protect my child against the morons who do not know how to teach their children proper manners.

I agree with you we need awareness, but to me the awareness needs to be self reflected to the society. Saying hmm we need these laws because people cannot control their own children or properly raise them with morals.

Originally posted by Urantia1111
I think we should impliment a Zero Tolerance Policy for idiocy. Someone needs to wake these "educators" up to the real world ffs. The kid can see violence real and fiction in every color of the rainbow on tv and that's just dandy, but he brings an "L"-shaped piece of plastic to school and everyone loses their minds? Absurd and annoying.

You have obviously never worked in a School?

The school did what they are supposed to do. Sending out letters was informing the parents of say Susie who came home and said "There was a GUN on the bus today!" Susie's parents call the school insisting their child said another child had a gun! They demand to know what action is being taken...so on and so forth.

Yes I am pretty sure these "educators" lost their minds...

You ask me this is the media giving us all a tidy distraction about them darn rules and laws and someone to blame. When we just need a mirror most the time.

Was it over the top you bet! But you heard a small smidgeon of the story and at once you blame the same people who are educating your children and trying to do so safe and sanely! Averting a crisis caused by a kid (who if you ask me should have been the one in trouble) Crying (wolf) GUN!

If said Susie was your daughter would you want to know what the school was doing about this? Or was your kid the one who Cried Gun or brought the silly toy? There is always more to the story...Come on.

I dunno, but I'm scared.

What if the kid threw the quarter at me. I'd get hit.. Oo