Suspended for drawing a gun… on paper
KOLD News in Tuscon, Arizona reports on a 13-year-old Queen Creek boy who was suspended from Payne Junior High School after he drew guns on some papers. The school district filed paperwork saying the boy was drawing guns on his homework. School administrators say they will suspend anyone accused of threatening a teacher and/or student.
That’s right - DRAWING a gun - like with a pencil ya know? Reports like this just amaze me.
The crime rate in my neck of the woods has skyrocketed with 80% of the violent offenders 18 years old and under. That’s right - under 18 with an average age of 15. And the guns these kids are drawing certainly are not on paper.
Our schools, educational institutions, are to EDUCATE. I know I was taught to express myself in NON-VIOLENT ways. We were encouraged to write, draw - yes draw, sing, whatever you felt comfortable with doing. It hurts my head when I try to rationalize these “educators” policies and enforcements. They have lost their vision (if they ever had any at all). They are not seeing the trees for the forest.
Ask yourself, what did this teach this child? Let’s see - it taught him to be very careful when expressing his creativity; it taught him that one little doodle drawn in just the right place will get him a three day vacation. What 13 year old wouldn’t relish in three days at home, alone (because both parents work), to play his Xbox at will? C’mon. This is clearly a violation of his consitutional rights. What does this teach him about respect? I’m willing to bet he’s is more than a little confused in that area. Hopefully his parents will take this unpleasant experience and use it as a learning tool for a civics lesson. I know if it was my child, that’s what I would do.
Zero tolerance - zero tolerance indeed. Time for some zero tolerance on people who have no common sense.
From FoxNews Online: “Chandler district spokesman Terry Locke said the crude sketch was ‘absolutely considered a threat,’ and that threatening words or pictures are punishable.”
If this moron considers a crude sketch a threat, would he have approved of calling SWAT if the sketch was 1:1 scale, highly detailed?
I don’t see the constitutional issue.
The threat posed to this child and to society in general by irresponsible, chicken-hearted knee-jerks like these is far greater than any childish drawing. I certainly hope the parents have retained a good lawyer to sue the pants off the district.